diff --git a/src/tools.rs b/src/tools.rs
index f5ed3296..4da9c491 100644
--- a/src/tools.rs
+++ b/src/tools.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ pub mod tty;
 pub mod signalfd;
 pub mod daemon;
 pub mod procfs;
+pub mod read;
+pub mod write;
 
 mod process_locker;
 pub use process_locker::*;
diff --git a/src/tools/read.rs b/src/tools/read.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0c64699f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/read.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+//! Utility traits for types which implement `std::io::Read` to quickly read primitively typed
+//! values such as binary integers from a stream.
+
+use std::io;
+use std::mem;
+
+use endian_trait::Endian;
+
+pub trait ReadUtilOps {
+    /// Read a value of type `T`.
+    /// Note that it *should* be `repr(C, packed)` or similar.
+    fn read_value<T>(&mut self) -> io::Result<T>;
+
+    /// Read a big-endian value of type `T`.
+    /// Note that it *should* be `repr(C, packed)` or similar.
+    fn read_value_be<T: Endian>(&mut self) -> io::Result<T> {
+        Ok(self.read_value::<T>()?.from_be())
+    }
+
+    /// Read a little-endian value of type `T`.
+    /// Note that it *should* be `repr(C, packed)` or similar.
+    fn read_value_le<T: Endian>(&mut self) -> io::Result<T> {
+        Ok(self.read_value::<T>()?.from_le())
+    }
+
+    /// Read an exact number of bytes into a newly allocated vector.
+    fn read_exact_allocated(&mut self, size: usize) -> io::Result<Vec<u8>>;
+}
+
+impl<R: io::Read> ReadUtilOps for R {
+    fn read_value<T>(&mut self) -> io::Result<T> {
+        let mut data: T = unsafe { mem::uninitialized() };
+        self.read_exact(unsafe {
+            std::slice::from_raw_parts_mut(
+                &mut data as *mut T as *mut u8,
+                mem::size_of::<T>(),
+            )
+        })?;
+        Ok(data)
+    }
+
+    fn read_exact_allocated(&mut self, size: usize) -> io::Result<Vec<u8>> {
+        let mut out = Vec::with_capacity(size);
+        unsafe {
+            out.set_len(size);
+        }
+        self.read_exact(&mut out)?;
+        Ok(out)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/write.rs b/src/tools/write.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1bb4cf57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/write.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+//! Utility traits for types which implement `std::io::Write` to easily write primitively typed
+//! values such as binary integers to a stream.
+
+use std::io;
+use std::mem;
+
+use endian_trait::Endian;
+
+pub trait WriteUtilOps {
+    /// Write a value of type `T`.
+    /// Note that it *should* be `repr(C, packed)` or similar.
+    fn write_value<T>(&mut self, value: &T) -> io::Result<usize>;
+
+    /// Write a big-endian value of type `T`.
+    /// Note that it *should* be `repr(C, packed)` or similar.
+    fn write_value_be<T: Endian>(&mut self, value: T) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        self.write_value(&value.to_be())
+    }
+
+    /// Write a little-endian value of type `T`.
+    /// Note that it *should* be `repr(C, packed)` or similar.
+    fn write_value_le<T: Endian>(&mut self, value: T) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        self.write_value(&value.to_le())
+    }
+
+    /// Convenience `write_all()` alternative returning the length instead of `()`.
+    fn write_all_len(&mut self, value: &[u8]) -> io::Result<usize>;
+}
+
+impl<R: io::Write> WriteUtilOps for R {
+    fn write_value<T>(&mut self, value: &T) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        let size = mem::size_of::<T>();
+        self.write_all(unsafe {
+            std::slice::from_raw_parts(value as *const T as *const u8, size)
+        })?;
+        Ok(size)
+    }
+
+    fn write_all_len(&mut self, value: &[u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        self.write_all(value)?;
+        Ok(value.len())
+    }
+}