diff --git a/common/src/lib.rs b/common/src/lib.rs
index 516ecf7..9cb4b82 100644
--- a/common/src/lib.rs
+++ b/common/src/lib.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ pub mod elfloader;
 pub mod ipaddr;
 pub mod pipe;
 pub mod sendable;
+pub mod sync_stream;
 pub mod util;
 pub mod vhost;
 
diff --git a/common/src/sync_stream.rs b/common/src/sync_stream.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..693235a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/src/sync_stream.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+use crate::pipe::{BidirectionalPipe, PipeError, Read, Write};
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum StreamError {
+    WriteClosed,
+}
+
+pub struct SyncStream<'a> {
+    /// BuddyAllocator offset of the SHM region backing this pipe.
+    pub shm_offset: u64,
+    pipe: BidirectionalPipe<'a>,
+}
+
+impl<'a> SyncStream<'a> {
+    pub fn from_pipe(shm_offset: u64, pipe: BidirectionalPipe<'a>) -> Self {
+        Self { shm_offset, pipe }
+    }
+
+    /// Write all of `buf` into the pipe, spinning if the ring is full; returns `Err(WriteClosed)` if the peer closed their read side.
+    pub fn send(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> Result<usize, StreamError> {
+        if self.pipe.is_peer_read_closed() {
+            self.pipe.close_write();
+            return Err(StreamError::WriteClosed);
+        }
+        if buf.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(0);
+        }
+        self.pipe.write_all(buf);
+        Ok(buf.len())
+    }
+
+    /// Read exactly `buf.len()` bytes, spinning until full; returns `Ok(n < buf.len())` only on EOF when the peer closed their write side.
+    pub fn recv(&mut self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> Result<usize, StreamError> {
+        let n = read_exact(&mut self.pipe, buf);
+        if n < buf.len() {
+            self.pipe.close_read();
+        }
+        Ok(n)
+    }
+
+    pub fn close_write(&mut self) {
+        self.pipe.close_write();
+    }
+
+    pub fn close_read(&mut self) {
+        self.pipe.close_read();
+    }
+
+    pub fn is_closed(&self) -> bool {
+        self.pipe.is_closed()
+    }
+}
+
+fn read_exact(pipe: &mut crate::pipe::BidirectionalPipe, buf: &mut [u8]) -> usize {
+    let mut filled = 0;
+    while filled < buf.len() {
+        match pipe.read(&mut buf[filled..]) {
+            Ok(n) => filled += n,
+            Err(PipeError::WouldBlock) => {
+                if pipe.is_peer_write_closed() {
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    filled
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use arca_pipe::{BidirectionalPipe, SharedMemoryRegion, Side};
+
+    #[repr(align(8))]
+    struct Aligned<const N: usize>([u8; N]);
+
+    macro_rules! stream_pair {
+        ($ring:expr, $mem:ident, $a:ident, $b:ident) => {
+            let mut $mem = Aligned([0u8; BidirectionalPipe::required_size($ring as u64) as usize]);
+            let region =
+                unsafe { SharedMemoryRegion::from_raw($mem.0.as_mut_ptr(), $mem.0.len() as u64) };
+            let pipe_a = BidirectionalPipe::new(&region, $ring, Side::A);
+            let pipe_b = BidirectionalPipe::new(&region, $ring, Side::B);
+            let mut $a = SyncStream::from_pipe(0, pipe_a);
+            let mut $b = SyncStream::from_pipe(0, pipe_b);
+        };
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn send_recv_data() {
+        stream_pair!(128, mem, a, b);
+        assert_eq!(a.send(b"hello").unwrap(), 5);
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 5];
+        assert_eq!(b.recv(&mut buf).unwrap(), 5);
+        assert_eq!(&buf, b"hello");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn close_write_signals_eof_to_peer() {
+        stream_pair!(64, mem, a, b);
+        a.close_write();
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 8];
+        assert_eq!(b.recv(&mut buf).unwrap(), 0);
+        assert!(!b.is_closed());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn close_both_sides_blocks_peer_ops() {
+        stream_pair!(64, mem, a, b);
+        b.close_write();
+        b.close_read();
+        // b has closed its own ends but a hasn't yet — pipe not fully closed
+        assert!(!b.is_closed());
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 8];
+        // a sees EOF because b closed write, and WriteClosed because b closed read
+        assert_eq!(a.recv(&mut buf).unwrap(), 0);
+        assert!(matches!(a.send(b"x"), Err(StreamError::WriteClosed)));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn send_after_peer_closes_read_errors() {
+        stream_pair!(64, mem, a, b);
+        b.close_read();
+        assert!(matches!(a.send(b"x"), Err(StreamError::WriteClosed)));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn recv_after_eof_returns_zero() {
+        stream_pair!(64, mem, a, b);
+        a.close_write();
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 8];
+        b.recv(&mut buf).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(b.recv(&mut buf).unwrap(), 0);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn recv_fills_exact_buffer_size() {
+        stream_pair!(128, mem, a, b);
+        assert_eq!(a.send(b"hello").unwrap(), 5);
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 5];
+        assert_eq!(b.recv(&mut buf).unwrap(), 5);
+        assert_eq!(&buf, b"hello");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn pipe_closed_after_both_sides_close() {
+        stream_pair!(128, mem, a, b);
+        a.close_write();
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 8];
+        b.recv(&mut buf).unwrap();
+        b.close_write();
+        a.recv(&mut buf).unwrap();
+        assert!(a.is_closed());
+    }
+}