diff --git a/ext/src/ruby_api/memory.rs b/ext/src/ruby_api/memory.rs
index 14dd4103..f7417e2a 100644
--- a/ext/src/ruby_api/memory.rs
+++ b/ext/src/ruby_api/memory.rs
@@ -352,6 +352,57 @@ impl<'a> Memory<'a> {
         self.write_fixed(offset, value.to_le_bytes())
     }
 
+    /// @yard
+    /// Read a NUL-terminated C string starting at +offset+ as an ASCII-8BIT
+    /// (binary) +String+.
+    ///
+    /// @def read_cstring(offset)
+    /// @param offset [Integer]
+    /// @return [String]
+    pub fn read_cstring(ruby: &Ruby, rb_self: Obj<Self>, offset: usize) -> Result<RString, Error> {
+        let context = rb_self.store.context()?;
+        let data = rb_self.get_wasmtime_memory().data(context);
+
+        let bytes: &[u8] = match data.get(offset..) {
+            Some(slice) => {
+                let end = slice.iter().position(|&b| b == 0).unwrap_or(slice.len());
+                &slice[..end]
+            }
+            None => &[],
+        };
+
+        Ok(ruby.str_from_slice(bytes))
+    }
+
+    /// @yard
+    /// Write +value+'s bytes followed by a NUL terminator at +offset+.
+    ///
+    /// @def write_cstring(offset, value)
+    /// @param offset [Integer]
+    /// @param value [String]
+    /// @return [void]
+    pub fn write_cstring(&self, offset: usize, value: RString) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let slice = unsafe { value.as_slice() };
+        if slice.contains(&0) {
+            return Err(Error::new(
+                Ruby::get_with(value).exception_arg_error(),
+                "string contains null byte",
+            ));
+        }
+        let len = slice.len();
+        let mut context = self.store.context_mut()?;
+        let dst = self
+            .get_wasmtime_memory()
+            .data_mut(&mut context)
+            .get_mut(offset..)
+            .and_then(|s| s.get_mut(..len + 1))
+            .ok_or_else(|| error!("out of bounds memory access"))?;
+
+        dst[..len].copy_from_slice(slice);
+        dst[len] = 0;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// @yard
     /// Grows a memory by +delta+ pages.
     /// Raises if the memory grows beyond its limit.
@@ -443,6 +494,8 @@ pub fn init(ruby: &Ruby) -> Result<(), Error> {
     class.define_method("size", method!(Memory::size, 0))?;
     class.define_method("data_size", method!(Memory::data_size, 0))?;
     class.define_method("read_unsafe_slice", method!(Memory::read_unsafe_slice, 2))?;
+    class.define_method("read_cstring", method!(Memory::read_cstring, 1))?;
+    class.define_method("write_cstring", method!(Memory::write_cstring, 2))?;
 
     unsafe_slice::init(ruby)?;
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/memory_spec.rb b/spec/unit/memory_spec.rb
index bffde274..9e1aba40 100644
--- a/spec/unit/memory_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/memory_spec.rb
@@ -117,6 +117,49 @@ module Wasmtime
       end
     end
 
+    describe "#read_cstring" do
+      it "reads NUL-terminated bytes as a binary string" do
+        mem = Memory.new(store, min_size: 1)
+        mem.write(0, "héllo\x00trailing garbage")
+        str = mem.read_cstring(0)
+        expect(str).to eq("héllo".b)
+        expect(str.encoding).to eq(Encoding::BINARY)
+      end
+
+      it "returns an empty string at a leading NUL byte" do
+        mem = Memory.new(store, min_size: 1)
+        mem.write(0, "\x00")
+        expect(mem.read_cstring(0)).to eq("")
+      end
+
+      it "returns an empty string when offset is at/past the end of memory" do
+        mem = Memory.new(store, min_size: 1)
+        expect(mem.read_cstring(mem.data_size)).to eq("")
+        expect(mem.read_cstring(mem.data_size + 100)).to eq("")
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe "#write_cstring" do
+      it "writes the bytes plus a NUL terminator and round-trips via read_cstring" do
+        mem = Memory.new(store, min_size: 1)
+        expect(mem.write_cstring(3, "héllo")).to be_nil
+        expect(mem.read_cstring(3)).to eq("héllo".b)
+        expect(mem.read(3, "héllo".bytesize + 1)).to eq("héllo\x00".b)
+      end
+
+      it "raises when writing past the end of the buffer" do
+        mem = Memory.new(store, min_size: 1)
+        expect { mem.write_cstring(mem.data_size, "x") }
+          .to raise_error(Wasmtime::Error, "out of bounds memory access")
+      end
+
+      it "raises when the value contains a NUL byte" do
+        mem = Memory.new(store, min_size: 1)
+        expect { mem.write_cstring(0, "foo\x00bar") }
+          .to raise_error(ArgumentError, "string contains null byte")
+      end
+    end
+
     describe "#read_i64, #write_i64" do
       it "round-trips a signed 64-bit integer" do
         mem = Memory.new(store, min_size: 1)