diff --git a/net/pktbuf/arena.go b/net/pktbuf/arena.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..748f3718f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/pktbuf/arena.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package pktbuf
+
+import "slices"
+
+// Arena is an arena-based memory allocator for byte slices.
+type Arena struct {
+	mem  []byte
+	high int // high water mark for previous arena cycles
+	avg  float32
+}
+
+const initialArenaChunkSize = 4096
+
+// Get allocates and returns a byte slice of the given size.
+//
+// The allocation remains valid until the next call to UnsafelyReset.
+func (a *Arena) Get(sz int) []byte {
+	a.mem = slices.Grow(a.mem, sz)
+	ln := len(a.mem)
+	a.mem = a.mem[:ln+sz]
+	ret := a.mem[ln : ln+sz : ln+sz]
+	// compiler should turn this into an efficient memset.
+	for i := range ret {
+		ret[i] = 0
+	}
+	return ret
+}
+
+const shrinkHysteresis = 1024
+
+// Reset clears the arena for reuse. Past allocations are unaffected.
+func (a *Arena) Reset() {
+	a.mem = nil
+}
+
+// UnsafelyReset clears the arena for reuse. Unlike Reset,
+// UnsafelyReset reuses the arena's existing storage for future
+// allocations, so callers MUST cease all use of previously allocated
+// slices prior to reset.
+func (a *Arena) UnsafelyReset() {
+	a.high = max(a.high, len(a.mem))
+	a.avg = 0.9*a.avg + 0.1*float32(len(a.mem))
+	if avgInt := int(a.avg); avgInt < a.high-shrinkHysteresis {
+		a.mem = make([]byte, 0, avgInt)
+	}
+	a.mem = a.mem[:0]
+}
diff --git a/net/pktbuf/buffer.go b/net/pktbuf/buffer.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2454c4d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/pktbuf/buffer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,344 @@
+package pktbuf
+
+import (
+	"iter"
+	"slices"
+)
+
+// A chunkBuffer is like a byte slice, but internally the bytes are
+// stored as a list of chunks ([][]byte), with spare nil slices on
+// either side to allow for efficient insertion and deletion of
+// chunks.
+//
+// Most chunkBuffer operations require a linear traversal of the chunk
+// list. As such, it's intended for uses where the number of chunks is
+// low enough that this linear traversal is very fast. Using a
+// chunkBuffer with up to 100 chunks is probably fine, but beyond that
+// you probably want to use something like a rope instead, which
+// scales up gracefully but has poor spatial locality and memory
+// access patterns at smaller scale.
+type chunkBuffer struct {
+	chunks [][]byte
+	// start and end are indices in chunks of the chunks currently
+	// being used. That is, chunks[start:end] is the range of non-nil
+	// slices.
+	start, end int
+	length     int
+}
+
+// len reports the number of bytes in the buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) len() int {
+	return c.length
+}
+
+// startGap reports the number of unused chunk slots at the start of
+// the buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) startGap() int {
+	return c.start
+}
+
+// endGap reports the number of unused chunk slots at the end of the
+// buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) endGap() int {
+	return len(c.chunks) - c.end
+}
+
+// grow increases the buffer's chunk capacity to have at least minGap
+// unused chunk slots at both the start and end of the buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) grow(minGap int) {
+	used := c.end - c.start
+	minLen := used + 2*minGap
+
+	// Depending on the operations that took place in the past, the
+	// position of the in-use chunks might be lopsided (e.g. only 1
+	// slot available at the start but 32 at the end).
+	//
+	// In that case, as long as the minimum gap requirement is met,
+	// this logic will avoid taking the hit of a reallocation. The
+	// rest of the code below will boil down to just re-centering the
+	// chunks within the slice.
+	tgt := min(len(c.chunks), 16)
+	for tgt < minLen {
+		tgt *= 2
+	}
+
+	c.chunks = slices.Grow(c.chunks, tgt-len(c.chunks))
+	c.chunks = c.chunks[:cap(c.chunks)]
+
+	gap := (tgt - used) / 2
+	copy(c.chunks[gap:], c.chunks[c.start:c.end])
+	c.start = gap
+	c.end = gap + used
+}
+
+// ensureStartGap ensures that at least minGap unused chunk slots are
+// available at the start of the buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) ensureStartGap(minGap int) {
+	if c.startGap() < minGap {
+		c.grow(minGap)
+	}
+}
+
+// ensureEndGap ensures that at least minGap unused chunk slots are
+// available at the end of the buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) ensureEndGap(minGap int) {
+	if c.endGap() < minGap {
+		c.grow(minGap)
+	}
+}
+
+// append adds bs to the end of the buffer.
+//
+// The caller must not mutate bs after appending it.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) append(bss ...[]byte) {
+	c.ensureEndGap(len(bss))
+	for _, bs := range bss {
+		c.chunks[c.end] = slices.Clip(bs)
+		c.end++
+		c.length += len(bs)
+	}
+}
+
+// prepend adds bs to the start of the buffer.
+//
+// The caller must not mutate bs after prepending it.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) prepend(bss ...[]byte) {
+	c.ensureStartGap(len(bss))
+	for _, bs := range bss {
+		c.start--
+		c.chunks[c.start] = slices.Clip(bs)
+		c.length += len(bs)
+	}
+}
+
+// insert inserts bs at the given offset in the buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) insert(bs []byte, off int) {
+	idx := c.mkGap(off, 1)
+	c.chunks[idx] = slices.Clip(bs)
+	c.length += len(bs)
+}
+
+// splice splices the chunks of other into the buffer at the given
+// offset.
+//
+// After calling splice, other is empty and can be reused.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) splice(other *chunkBuffer, off int) {
+	sz := other.end - other.start
+	if sz == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	idx := c.mkGap(off, sz)
+	copy(c.chunks[idx:idx+sz], other.chunks[c.start:c.end])
+	c.length += other.length
+	other.chunks = deleteCompact(other.chunks, 0, len(other.chunks))
+	other.start = len(other.chunks) / 2
+	other.end = len(other.chunks) / 2
+	other.length = 0
+}
+
+// deletePrefix removes sz bytes from the start of the buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) deletePrefix(sz int) {
+	origSz := sz
+	for c.start != c.end {
+		if len(c.chunks[c.start]) >= sz {
+			c.chunks[c.start] = nil
+			c.start++
+			continue
+		}
+		if sz > 0 {
+			c.chunks[c.start] = slices.Clip(c.chunks[c.start][sz:])
+		}
+		break
+	}
+	c.length = max(0, c.length-origSz)
+}
+
+// deleteSuffix removes sz bytes from the end of the buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) deleteSuffix(sz int) {
+	origSz := sz
+	for c.start != c.end {
+		if len(c.chunks[c.end-1]) >= sz {
+			c.chunks[c.end-1] = nil
+			c.end--
+			continue
+		}
+		if sz > 0 {
+			c.chunks[c.end-1] = c.chunks[c.end-1][sz:]
+		}
+		break
+	}
+	c.length -= max(0, c.length-origSz)
+}
+
+// delete removes the byte range [off:off+sz] from the buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) delete(off, sz int) {
+	deleteStart := -1
+	for i, chunk := range c.chunks[c.start:c.end] {
+		if len(chunk) > off {
+			deleteStart = i
+			break
+		}
+		off -= len(chunk)
+	}
+	if off > 0 {
+		c.chunks[deleteStart] = slices.Clip(c.chunks[deleteStart][:off])
+		sz -= off
+		off = 0
+		deleteStart++
+	}
+	deleteEnd := -1
+	for i, chunk := range c.chunks[deleteStart:c.end] {
+		if len(chunk) > sz {
+			deleteEnd = i
+			break
+		}
+		sz -= len(chunk)
+	}
+	if sz > 0 {
+		c.chunks[deleteEnd] = c.chunks[deleteEnd][sz:]
+	}
+	c.chunks = deleteCompact(c.chunks, deleteStart, deleteEnd)
+}
+
+// extract removes the byte range [off:off+sz] from the buffer, and
+// returns it as a new buffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) extract(off, sz int) chunkBuffer {
+	startIdx := c.mkGap(off, 0)
+	endIdx := c.mkGap(off+sz, 0)
+	retSz := endIdx - startIdx
+	var ret chunkBuffer
+	ret.ensureEndGap(retSz)
+	copy(ret.chunks[c.start:], c.chunks[startIdx:endIdx])
+	ret.length = sz
+	c.chunks = deleteCompact(c.chunks, startIdx, endIdx)
+	c.length -= sz
+	return ret
+}
+
+// mkGap creates a gap of sz nil chunks at the given byte offset.
+//
+// Returns the index in c.chunks of the start of the gap. To fill the
+// gap, copy into c.chunks[returnedIdx:returnedIdx+sz].
+func (c *chunkBuffer) mkGap(off int, sz int) int {
+	switch {
+	case off == 0:
+		c.ensureStartGap(sz)
+		c.start -= sz
+		return c.start
+	case off == c.len():
+		c.ensureEndGap(sz)
+		ret := c.end
+		c.end += sz
+		return ret
+	default:
+		at := 0
+		for i, chunk := range c.chunks[c.start:c.end] {
+			switch {
+			case at == off:
+				// The right chunk boundary already exists, just need
+				// to make room.
+				if sz > 0 {
+					c.ensureEndGap(sz)
+					copy(c.chunks[i+sz:], c.chunks[i:c.end])
+					c.end += sz
+				}
+				return i
+			case at+len(chunk) < off:
+				at += len(chunk)
+				off -= len(chunk)
+				continue
+			default:
+				// Need to split the chunk to create the correct boundary.
+				c.ensureEndGap(sz + 1)
+				copy(c.chunks[i+sz+1:], c.chunks[i+1:c.end])
+				c.chunks[i+sz] = c.chunks[i][off-at:]
+				c.chunks[i] = c.chunks[i][:off-at]
+				c.end += sz + 1
+				return i + 1
+			}
+		}
+		panic("requested offset outside of slice range")
+	}
+}
+
+// allChunks returns the currently in-use chunks.
+//
+// The returned chunks are only valid until the next mutation of the
+// chunkBuffer.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) allChunks() [][]byte {
+	return c.chunks[c.start:c.end]
+}
+
+// slices iterates over the currently in-use chunks.
+//
+// The chunkBuffer must not be mutated while the iterator is active.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) slices(off, sz int) iter.Seq[[]byte] {
+	return func(yield func([]byte) bool) {
+		next, stop := iter.Pull(slices.Values(c.chunks[c.start:c.end]))
+		defer stop()
+		var (
+			chunk []byte
+			ok    bool
+		)
+		for off > 0 {
+			chunk, ok = next()
+			if !ok {
+				panic("requested slices offset is out of bounds")
+			}
+			if len(chunk) > off {
+				break
+			}
+			off -= len(chunk)
+		}
+
+		// First chunk to output needs extra calculations to account
+		// for an offset within the chunk. The loop after that can
+		// skip that extra math.
+		end := min(off+sz, len(chunk))
+		if !yield(chunk[off:end]) {
+			return
+		}
+		sz -= end - off
+
+		for sz > 0 {
+			chunk, ok = next()
+			if !ok {
+				panic("requested slice endpoint is out of bounds")
+			}
+			end := min(sz, len(chunk))
+			if !yield(chunk[:end]) {
+				return
+			}
+			sz -= end
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// readAt reads exactly len(bs) bytes into bs from the given offset in
+// the chunkBuffer.
+//
+// Panics if the range to read is out of bounds.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) readAt(bs []byte, off int) {
+	for chunk := range c.slices(off, len(bs)) {
+		copy(bs, chunk)
+		bs = bs[len(chunk):]
+	}
+}
+
+// writeAt writes bs to the given offset in the chunkBuffer.
+//
+// Panics if the range to write is out of bounds.
+func (c *chunkBuffer) writeAt(bs []byte, off int) {
+	for chunk := range c.slices(off, len(bs)) {
+		copy(chunk, bs)
+		bs = bs[len(chunk):]
+	}
+}
+
+// deleteCompact is similar to slices.Delete, but doesn't shrink the
+// length of bs. Instead, elements past the deletion point are shifted
+// backwards, and leftover trailing elements are nil'd.
+func deleteCompact(bs [][]byte, start, end int) [][]byte {
+	ln := len(bs)
+	return slices.Delete(bs, start, end)[:ln:ln]
+}
diff --git a/net/pktbuf/packet.go b/net/pktbuf/packet.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3397decb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/pktbuf/packet.go
@@ -0,0 +1,268 @@
+package pktbuf
+
+import (
+	"encoding/binary"
+
+	"golang.org/x/net/ipv4"
+	"golang.org/x/net/ipv6"
+)
+
+// A Segment is a chunk of bytes extracted from a Packet.
+//
+// The bytes are not accessible directly through the Segment. The only
+// valid operation on Segments is to reattach them to a Packet.
+type Segment struct {
+	arena *Arena
+	buf   chunkBuffer
+}
+
+// A Packet is a bunch of bytes with attached metadata.
+type Packet[Meta any] struct {
+	arena *Arena
+	buf   chunkBuffer
+	Meta  Meta
+}
+
+// NewPacket allocates a new packet from the given arena, containing
+// sz zero bytes and with the given metadata attached.
+func NewPacket[Meta any](arena *Arena, sz int, meta Meta) *Packet[Meta] {
+	ret := &Packet[Meta]{
+		arena: arena,
+		Meta:  meta,
+	}
+	ret.Grow(sz)
+	return ret
+}
+
+// Extract removes the slice [off:off+sz] from the packet, and returns
+// it as a Segment.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Extract(off, sz int) Segment {
+	return Segment{
+		arena: p.arena,
+		buf:   p.buf.extract(off, sz),
+	}
+}
+
+// Append appends the given Segments to the end of the packet.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Append(segs ...Segment) {
+	for _, seg := range segs {
+		if seg.arena != p.arena {
+			panic("cannot append segment from different arena")
+		}
+		p.buf.append(seg.buf.allChunks()...)
+	}
+}
+
+// AppendBytes appends bs to the end of the packet.
+//
+// bs is copied into a fresh allocation from the packet's Arena.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) AppendBytes(bs []byte) {
+	b := p.arena.Get(len(bs))
+	copy(b, bs)
+	p.buf.append(b)
+}
+
+// Prepend prepends the given Segments to the start of the packet.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Prepend(segs ...Segment) {
+	for _, seg := range segs {
+		if seg.arena != p.arena {
+			panic("cannot prepend segment from different arena")
+		}
+		p.buf.prepend(seg.buf.allChunks()...)
+	}
+}
+
+// PrependBytes prepends the given bytes to the start of the packet.
+//
+// bs is copied into a fresh allocation from the packet's Arena.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) PrependBytes(bs []byte) {
+	b := p.arena.Get(len(bs))
+	copy(b, bs)
+	p.buf.prepend(b)
+}
+
+// Insert inserts seg into the packet at the given offset.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Insert(off int, seg Segment) {
+	p.buf.splice(&seg.buf, off)
+}
+
+// Grow adds sz zero bytes to the end of the packet.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Grow(sz int) {
+	if sz == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	p.buf.append(p.arena.Get(sz))
+}
+
+// GrowFront adds sz zero bytes to the start of the packet.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) GrowFront(sz int) {
+	if sz == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	p.buf.prepend(p.arena.Get(sz))
+}
+
+// WriteAt writes bs to the given offset in the packet.
+//
+// Panics if the range [off:off+len(bs)] is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) WriteAt(bs []byte, off int64) {
+	p.buf.writeAt(bs, int(off))
+}
+
+// ReadAt reads len(bs) bytes from the given offset in the packet.
+//
+// Panics if the range [off:off+len(bs)] is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) ReadAt(bs []byte, off int64) {
+	p.buf.readAt(bs, int(off))
+}
+
+// Uint8 returns the value of the byte at off in the packet.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Uint8(off int64) byte {
+	var bs [1]byte
+	p.ReadAt(bs[:], off)
+	return bs[0]
+}
+
+// Uint16BE returns the big-endian 16-bit value at off in the packet.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Uint16BE(off int64) uint16 {
+	var bs [2]byte
+	p.ReadAt(bs[:], off)
+	return binary.BigEndian.Uint16(bs[:])
+}
+
+// Uint16LE returns the little-endian 16-bit value at off in the
+// packet.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Uint16LE(off int64) uint16 {
+	var bs [2]byte
+	p.ReadAt(bs[:], off)
+	return binary.LittleEndian.Uint16(bs[:])
+}
+
+// Uint32BE returns the big-endian 32-bit value at off in the
+// packet.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Uint32BE(off int64) uint32 {
+	var bs [4]byte
+	p.ReadAt(bs[:], off)
+	return binary.BigEndian.Uint32(bs[:])
+}
+
+// Uint32LE returns the little-endian 32-bit value at off in the
+// packet.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Uint32LE(off int64) uint32 {
+	var bs [4]byte
+	p.ReadAt(bs[:], off)
+	return binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(bs[:])
+}
+
+// Uint64BE returns the big-endian 64-bit value at off in the
+// packet.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Uint64BE(off int64) uint64 {
+	var bs [8]byte
+	p.ReadAt(bs[:], off)
+	return binary.BigEndian.Uint64(bs[:])
+}
+
+// Uint64LE returns the little-endian 64-bit value at off in the
+// packet.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Uint64LE(off int64) uint64 {
+	var bs [8]byte
+	p.ReadAt(bs[:], off)
+	return binary.LittleEndian.Uint64(bs[:])
+}
+
+// PutUint8 writes v at the given offset.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) PutUint8(v byte, off int64) {
+	var bs [1]byte
+	bs[0] = v
+	p.buf.writeAt(bs[:], int(off))
+}
+
+// PutUint16BE writes v in big-endian order at the given offset.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) PutUint16BE(v uint16, off int64) {
+	var bs [2]byte
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint16(bs[:], v)
+	p.WriteAt(bs[:], off)
+}
+
+// PutUint16LE writes v in little-endian order at the given offset.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) PutUint16LE(v uint16, off int64) {
+	var bs [2]byte
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint16(bs[:], v)
+	p.WriteAt(bs[:], off)
+}
+
+// PutUint32BE writes v in big-endian order at the given offset.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) PutUint32BE(v uint32, off int64) {
+	var bs [4]byte
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(bs[:], v)
+	p.WriteAt(bs[:], off)
+}
+
+// PutUint32LE writes v in little-endian order at the given offset.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) PutUint32LE(v uint32, off int64) {
+	var bs [4]byte
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(bs[:], v)
+	p.WriteAt(bs[:], off)
+}
+
+// PutUint64BE writes v in big-endian order at the given offset.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) PutUint64BE(v uint64, off int64) {
+	var bs [8]byte
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint64(bs[:], v)
+	p.WriteAt(bs[:], off)
+}
+
+// PutUint64LE writes v in little-endian order at the given offset.
+//
+// Panics if off is out of bounds.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) PutUint64LE(v uint64, off int64) {
+	var bs [8]byte
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(bs[:], v)
+	p.WriteAt(bs[:], off)
+}
+
+// Message4 constructs an ipv4.Message from the packet.
+//
+// The ipv4.Message is only valid until the next mutation of the
+// packet.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Message4() ipv4.Message {
+	return ipv4.Message{
+		Buffers: p.buf.allChunks(),
+	}
+}
+
+// Message6 constructs an ipv6.Message from the packet.
+//
+// The ipv6.Message is only valid until the next mutation of the
+// packet.
+func (p *Packet[Meta]) Message6() ipv6.Message {
+	return ipv6.Message{
+		Buffers: p.buf.allChunks(),
+	}
+}