diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/io/StreamableUtil.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/io/StreamableUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8b0058167
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/io/StreamableUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+//
+// $Id: StreamableUtil.java,v 1.1 2001/12/03 23:48:38 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.presents.io;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.DataInputStream;
+import java.io.DataOutputStream;
+
+/**
+ * Utility functions useful for {@link Streamable} implementations.
+ */
+public class StreamableUtil
+{
+    /**
+     * Writes the supplied int array to the data output stream.
+     */
+    public static void writeInts (DataOutputStream out, int[] values)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        int vcount = values.length;
+        out.writeInt(vcount);
+        for (int i = 0; i < vcount; i++) {
+            out.writeInt(values[i]);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reads an array of ints from the data input stream that was
+     * previously written via {@link #writeInts}.
+     */
+    public static int[] readInts (DataInputStream in)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        int vcount = in.readInt();
+        int[] values = new int[vcount];
+        for (int i = 0; i < vcount; i++) {
+            values[i] = in.readInt();
+        }
+        return values;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Writes the supplied string array to the data output stream.
+     */
+    public static void writeStrings (DataOutputStream out, String[] values)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        int vcount = values.length;
+        out.writeInt(vcount);
+        for (int i = 0; i < vcount; i++) {
+            out.writeUTF(values[i]);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reads an array of strings from the data input stream that was
+     * previously written via {@link #writeStrings}.
+     */
+    public static String[] readStrings (DataInputStream in)
+        throws IOException
+    {
+        int vcount = in.readInt();
+        String[] values = new String[vcount];
+        for (int i = 0; i < vcount; i++) {
+            values[i] = in.readUTF();
+        }
+        return values;
+    }
+}