diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 983dc322c..e2cb3a754 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ pub mod chainfilter;
 pub mod crypto;
 pub mod triehash;
 pub mod trie;
+pub mod nibbleslice;
 
 //pub mod network;
 
diff --git a/src/nibbleslice.rs b/src/nibbleslice.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e49244325
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nibbleslice.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+//! Nibble-orientated view onto byte-slice, allowing nibble-precision offsets.
+use std::cmp::*;
+
+/// Nibble-orientated view onto byte-slice, allowing nibble-precision offsets.
+///
+/// This is an immutable struct. No operations actually change it.
+///
+/// # Example
+/// ```rust
+/// extern crate ethcore_util;
+/// use ethcore_util::nibbleslice::*;
+/// fn main() {
+///   let d1 = &[0x01u8, 0x23, 0x45];
+///   let d2 = &[0x34u8, 0x50, 0x12];
+///   let d3 = &[0x00u8, 0x12];
+///   let n1 = NibbleSlice::new(d1);			// 0,1,2,3,4,5
+///   let n2 = NibbleSlice::new(d2);			// 3,4,5,0,1,2
+///   let n3 = NibbleSlice::new_offset(d3, 1);	// 0,1,2
+///   assert!(n1 > n3);							// 0,1,2,... > 0,1,2
+///   assert!(n1 < n2);							// 0,... < 3,...
+///   assert!(n2.mid(3) == n3);					// 0,1,2 == 0,1,2
+///   assert!(n1.starts_with(&n3));
+///   assert_eq!(n1.common_prefix(&n3), 3);
+///   assert_eq!(n2.mid(3).common_prefix(&n1), 3);
+/// }
+/// ```
+#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone, Eq, Ord)]
+pub struct NibbleSlice<'a> {
+	data: &'a [u8],
+	offset: usize,
+}
+
+impl<'a> NibbleSlice<'a> {
+	/// Create a new nibble slice with the given byte-slice.
+	pub fn new(data: &[u8]) -> NibbleSlice { NibbleSlice::new_offset(data, 0) }
+
+	/// Create a new nibble slice with the given byte-slice with a nibble offset.
+	pub fn new_offset(data: &'a [u8], offset: usize) -> NibbleSlice { NibbleSlice{data: data, offset: offset} }
+
+	/// Is this an empty slice?
+	pub fn is_empty(&self) -> bool { self.len() == 0 }
+
+	/// Get the length (in nibbles, naturally) of this slice.
+	pub fn len(&self) -> usize { self.data.len() * 2 - self.offset }
+
+	/// Get the nibble at position `i`.
+	pub fn at(&self, i: usize) -> u8 {
+		if (self.offset + i) & 1 == 1 {
+			self.data[(self.offset + i) / 2] & 15u8
+		}
+		else {
+			self.data[(self.offset + i) / 2] >> 4
+		}
+	}
+
+	/// Return object which represents a view on to this slice (further) offset by `i` nibbles.
+	pub fn mid(&self, i: usize) -> Self { NibbleSlice{ data: self.data, offset: self.offset + i} }
+
+	/// Do we start with the same nibbles as the whole of `them`?
+ 	pub fn starts_with(&self, them: &Self) -> bool { self.common_prefix(them) == them.len() }
+
+ 	/// How many of the same nibbles at the beginning do we match with `them`?
+	pub fn common_prefix(&self, them: &Self) -> usize {
+		let s = min(self.len(), them.len());
+		let mut i = 0usize;
+		while i < s {
+			if self.at(i) != them.at(i) { break; }
+			i += 1;
+		}
+		i
+	}
+}
+
+impl<'a> PartialEq for NibbleSlice<'a> {
+	fn eq(&self, them: &Self) -> bool {
+		self.len() == them.len() && self.starts_with(them)
+	}
+}
+
+impl<'a> PartialOrd for NibbleSlice<'a> {
+	fn partial_cmp(&self, them: &Self) -> Option<Ordering> {
+		let s = min(self.len(), them.len());
+		let mut i = 0usize;
+		while i < s {
+			match self.at(i).partial_cmp(&them.at(i)).unwrap() {
+				Ordering::Less => return Some(Ordering::Less),
+				Ordering::Greater => return Some(Ordering::Greater),
+				_ => i += 1,
+			}
+		}
+		self.len().partial_cmp(&them.len())
+	}
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+	use super::NibbleSlice;
+	static D: &'static [u8;3] = &[0x01u8, 0x23, 0x45];
+
+	#[test]
+	fn basics() {
+		let n = NibbleSlice::new(D);
+		assert_eq!(n.len(), 6);
+		assert!(!n.is_empty());
+
+		let n = NibbleSlice::new_offset(D, 6);
+		assert!(n.is_empty());
+
+		let n = NibbleSlice::new_offset(D, 3);
+		assert_eq!(n.len(), 3);
+		for i in 0..3 {
+			assert_eq!(n.at(i), i as u8 + 3);
+		}
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn mid() {
+		let n = NibbleSlice::new(D);
+		let m = n.mid(2);
+		for i in 0..4 {
+			assert_eq!(m.at(i), i as u8 + 2);
+		}
+		let m = n.mid(3);
+		for i in 0..3 {
+			assert_eq!(m.at(i), i as u8 + 3);
+		}
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn shared() {
+		let n = NibbleSlice::new(D);
+
+		let other = &[0x01u8, 0x23, 0x01, 0x23, 0x45, 0x67];
+		let m = NibbleSlice::new(other);
+
+		assert_eq!(n.common_prefix(&m), 4);
+		assert_eq!(m.common_prefix(&n), 4);
+		assert_eq!(n.mid(1).common_prefix(&m.mid(1)), 3);
+		assert_eq!(n.mid(1).common_prefix(&m.mid(2)), 0);
+		assert_eq!(n.common_prefix(&m.mid(4)), 6);
+		assert!(!n.starts_with(&m.mid(4)));
+		assert!(m.mid(4).starts_with(&n));
+	}
+
+	#[test]
+	fn compare() {
+		let other = &[0x01u8, 0x23, 0x01, 0x23, 0x45];
+		let n = NibbleSlice::new(D);
+		let m = NibbleSlice::new(other);
+
+		assert!(n != m);
+		assert!(n > m);
+		assert!(m < n);
+
+		assert!(n == m.mid(4));
+		assert!(n >= m.mid(4));
+		assert!(n <= m.mid(4));
+	}
+}
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