diff --git a/nac3core/irrt/irrt/util.hpp b/nac3core/irrt/irrt/util.hpp
index 5306fe17..a1707530 100644
--- a/nac3core/irrt/irrt/util.hpp
+++ b/nac3core/irrt/irrt/util.hpp
@@ -18,4 +18,84 @@ bool arrays_match(int len, T* as, T* bs) {
     }
     return true;
 }
+
+namespace cstr_utils {
+/**
+ * @brief Return true if `str` is empty.
+ */
+bool is_empty(const char* str) { return str[0] == '\0'; }
+
+/**
+ * @brief Implementation of `strcmp()`
+ */
+int8_t compare(const char* a, const char* b) {
+    uint32_t i = 0;
+    while (true) {
+        if (a[i] < b[i]) {
+            return -1;
+        } else if (a[i] > b[i]) {
+            return 1;
+        } else {
+            if (a[i] == '\0') {
+                return 0;
+            } else {
+                i++;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief Return true two strings have the same content.
+ */
+int8_t equal(const char* a, const char* b) { return compare(a, b) == 0; }
+
+/**
+ * @brief Implementation of `strlen()`.
+ */
+uint32_t length(const char* str) {
+    uint32_t length = 0;
+    while (*str != '\0') {
+        length++;
+        str++;
+    }
+    return length;
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief Copy a null-terminated string to a buffer with limited size and guaranteed null-termination.
+ *
+ * `dst_max_size` must be greater than 0, otherwise this function has undefined behavior.
+ *
+ * This function attempts to copy everything from `src` from `dst`, and *always* null-terminates `dst`.
+ *
+ * If the size of `dst` is too small, the final byte (`dst[dst_max_size - 1]`) of `dst` will be set to
+ * the null terminator.
+ *
+ * @param src String to copy from.
+ * @param dst Buffer to copy string to.
+ * @param dst_max_size
+ *   Number of bytes of this buffer, including the space needed for the null terminator.
+ *   Must be greater than 0.
+ * @return If `dst` is too small to contain everything in `src`.
+ */
+bool copy(const char* src, char* dst, uint32_t dst_max_size) {
+    for (uint32_t i = 0; i < dst_max_size; i++) {
+        bool is_last = i + 1 == dst_max_size;
+        if (is_last && src[i] != '\0') {
+            dst[i] = '\0';
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if (src[i] == '\0') {
+            dst[i] = '\0';
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        dst[i] = src[i];
+    }
+
+    __builtin_unreachable();
+}
+}  // namespace cstr_utils
 }  // namespace