diff --git a/block/src/aligned_file.rs b/block/src/aligned_file.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9442b8372
--- /dev/null
+++ b/block/src/aligned_file.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Cloud Hypervisor Authors. All rights reserved.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io;
+use std::os::unix::fs::FileExt;
+
+use crate::aligned_buffer::AlignedBuffer;
+
+/// O_DIRECT block-alignment candidates, smallest first.
+const BLK_ALIGNMENTS: [usize; 2] = [512, 4096];
+
+/// True when `buf_ptr`/`len`/`offset` already satisfy `alignment`
+/// (`alignment == 0` means no O_DIRECT, so everything is "aligned").
+fn is_aligned(alignment: usize, buf_ptr: usize, len: usize, offset: u64) -> bool {
+    alignment == 0
+        || (buf_ptr.is_multiple_of(alignment)
+            && len.is_multiple_of(alignment)
+            && offset.is_multiple_of(alignment as u64))
+}
+
+/// A `File` that transparently satisfies O_DIRECT alignment requirements.
+///
+/// `alignment == 0` means no O_DIRECT (all I/O passes straight through).
+/// For unaligned requests under O_DIRECT, I/O is bounced through an
+/// `AlignedBuffer` (read-modify-write for writes).
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub(crate) struct AlignedFile {
+    file: File,
+    alignment: usize,
+}
+
+#[cfg_attr(not(test), expect(dead_code))]
+impl AlignedFile {
+    /// Wrap `file`, probing the O_DIRECT block alignment when `direct_io`.
+    pub fn new(file: File, direct_io: bool) -> Self {
+        let mut alignment = 0;
+        if direct_io {
+            for align in &BLK_ALIGNMENTS {
+                // Probe: an aligned read at `align` succeeds (a short read at
+                // EOF still counts) iff the fd accepts that O_DIRECT block size.
+                let ok = AlignedBuffer::new(*align as u64, *align, *align)
+                    .is_ok_and(|mut b| b.read_from(&file).is_ok());
+                if ok {
+                    alignment = *align;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        AlignedFile { file, alignment }
+    }
+
+    pub fn alignment(&self) -> usize {
+        self.alignment
+    }
+
+    pub fn file(&self) -> &File {
+        &self.file
+    }
+
+    pub fn file_mut(&mut self) -> &mut File {
+        &mut self.file
+    }
+
+    pub fn try_clone(&self) -> io::Result<Self> {
+        Ok(AlignedFile {
+            file: self.file.try_clone()?,
+            alignment: self.alignment,
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+impl FileExt for AlignedFile {
+    fn read_at(&self, buf: &mut [u8], offset: u64) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        if buf.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(0);
+        }
+        if is_aligned(self.alignment, buf.as_ptr() as usize, buf.len(), offset) {
+            return self.file.read_at(buf, offset);
+        }
+        let mut abuf = AlignedBuffer::new(offset, buf.len(), self.alignment)?;
+        let n = abuf.read_from(&self.file)?;
+        buf[..n].copy_from_slice(&abuf.as_slice()[..n]);
+        Ok(n)
+    }
+
+    fn write_at(&self, buf: &[u8], offset: u64) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        if buf.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(0);
+        }
+        if is_aligned(self.alignment, buf.as_ptr() as usize, buf.len(), offset) {
+            return self.file.write_at(buf, offset);
+        }
+        let mut abuf = AlignedBuffer::new(offset, buf.len(), self.alignment)?;
+        abuf.read_from(&self.file)?; // RMW: preserve head/tail padding
+        abuf.as_mut_slice().copy_from_slice(buf);
+        abuf.write_to(&self.file)?;
+        Ok(buf.len())
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use std::io::Write;
+    use std::os::unix::fs::FileExt;
+
+    use vmm_sys_util::tempfile::TempFile;
+
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn pattern_file(size: usize) -> TempFile {
+        let tf = TempFile::new().unwrap();
+        let p: Vec<u8> = (0..size).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        tf.as_file().write_all(&p).unwrap();
+        tf.as_file().sync_all().unwrap();
+        tf
+    }
+
+    fn forced(file: File, alignment: usize) -> AlignedFile {
+        AlignedFile { file, alignment }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn new_probes_alignment_and_accessors() {
+        let tf = pattern_file(8192);
+        // Non-O_DIRECT tempfile: an aligned read at `align` still succeeds,
+        // so the probe selects 512 (exercises new + probe).
+        let mut af = AlignedFile::new(tf.as_file().try_clone().unwrap(), true);
+        assert_eq!(af.alignment(), 512);
+        let _ = af.file();
+        let _ = af.file_mut();
+        let _ = af.try_clone().unwrap();
+
+        let plain = AlignedFile::new(tf.as_file().try_clone().unwrap(), false);
+        assert_eq!(plain.alignment(), 0);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn read_unaligned_offset_matches_contents() {
+        let tf = pattern_file(8192);
+        let af = forced(tf.as_file().try_clone().unwrap(), 512);
+        let mut buf = vec![0u8; 200];
+        assert_eq!(af.read_at(&mut buf, 100).unwrap(), 200);
+        let want: Vec<u8> = (100..300).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        assert_eq!(buf, want);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn read_unaligned_short_at_eof() {
+        let tf = pattern_file(100);
+        let af = forced(tf.as_file().try_clone().unwrap(), 512);
+        let mut buf = vec![0u8; 200];
+        assert_eq!(af.read_at(&mut buf, 10).unwrap(), 90);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn write_unaligned_offset_is_rmw() {
+        let tf = pattern_file(8192);
+        let af = forced(tf.as_file().try_clone().unwrap(), 512);
+        let data: Vec<u8> = (0..200).map(|i| ((i + 1) % 239) as u8).collect();
+        assert_eq!(af.write_at(&data, 100).unwrap(), 200);
+
+        let mut whole = vec![0u8; 8192];
+        tf.as_file().read_exact_at(&mut whole, 0).unwrap();
+        let before: Vec<u8> = (0..100).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        assert_eq!(&whole[..100], &before[..]);
+        assert_eq!(&whole[100..300], &data[..]);
+        let after: Vec<u8> = (300..8192).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        assert_eq!(&whole[300..], &after[..]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn aligned_passthrough_roundtrip() {
+        let tf = pattern_file(4096);
+        let af = forced(tf.as_file().try_clone().unwrap(), 512);
+        let mut buf = vec![0u8; 512];
+        assert_eq!(af.read_at(&mut buf, 512).unwrap(), 512);
+        let want: Vec<u8> = (512..1024).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        assert_eq!(buf, want);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn no_alignment_is_plain_passthrough() {
+        let tf = pattern_file(100);
+        let af = forced(tf.as_file().try_clone().unwrap(), 0);
+        let mut buf = vec![0u8; 50];
+        assert_eq!(af.read_at(&mut buf, 10).unwrap(), 50);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/block/src/lib.rs b/block/src/lib.rs
index c8fdd9455..9f83929e8 100644
--- a/block/src/lib.rs
+++ b/block/src/lib.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ pub mod factory;
 mod io_impl;
 pub use io_impl::{async_io, fcntl, request};
 pub(crate) mod aligned_buffer;
+pub(crate) mod aligned_file;
 pub mod formats;
 mod sparse;
 use std::alloc::{Layout, alloc_zeroed};