diff --git a/block/src/aligned_buffer.rs b/block/src/aligned_buffer.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6370825b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/block/src/aligned_buffer.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,277 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Cloud Hypervisor Authors. All rights reserved.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+use std::alloc::{Layout, alloc_zeroed, dealloc};
+use std::os::unix::fs::FileExt;
+use std::{io, slice};
+
+/// RAII aligned heap buffer for O_DIRECT I/O.
+///
+/// Handles the alignment math for offset and length, allocating a buffer
+/// that satisfies O_DIRECT constraints. The caller's logical data lives
+/// at `as_slice()`/`as_mut_slice()` (accounting for head padding when the
+/// requested offset is not alignment-aligned). The full aligned region is
+/// used internally for pread/pwrite via `FileExt`.
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+pub(crate) struct AlignedBuffer {
+    ptr: *mut u8,
+    layout: Layout,
+    head_pad: usize,
+    user_len: usize,
+    aligned_len: usize,
+    aligned_offset: u64,
+}
+
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+impl AlignedBuffer {
+    /// Create a new aligned buffer for I/O at `offset` of `len` bytes with
+    /// the given `alignment` requirement.
+    ///
+    /// When offset and length are already aligned, `head_pad == 0` and the
+    /// full buffer equals the user's logical portion (no overhead).
+    pub fn new(offset: u64, len: usize, alignment: usize) -> io::Result<Self> {
+        if alignment == 0 || !alignment.is_power_of_two() {
+            return Err(io::Error::new(
+                io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+                "alignment must be a non-zero power of two",
+            ));
+        }
+
+        let mask = alignment as u64 - 1;
+        let aligned_offset = offset & !mask;
+        let head_pad = (offset - aligned_offset) as usize;
+        let min_len = head_pad
+            .checked_add(len)
+            .ok_or_else(|| io::Error::other("aligned buffer length overflow"))?;
+        let aligned_len = if min_len == 0 {
+            0
+        } else {
+            let remainder = min_len % alignment;
+            if remainder == 0 {
+                min_len
+            } else {
+                min_len
+                    .checked_add(alignment - remainder)
+                    .ok_or_else(|| io::Error::other("aligned buffer length overflow"))?
+            }
+        };
+
+        // alloc_zeroed is UB on a zero-sized layout, so round the allocation
+        // up to one alignment unit for the zero-length case. The padding is
+        // never exposed: as_slice/full_slice report aligned_len/user_len (0).
+        let layout = Layout::from_size_align(aligned_len.max(alignment), alignment)
+            .map_err(|e| io::Error::other(format!("invalid aligned layout: {e}")))?;
+        // SAFETY: layout has non-zero size.
+        let ptr = unsafe { alloc_zeroed(layout) };
+        if ptr.is_null() {
+            return Err(io::Error::new(
+                io::ErrorKind::OutOfMemory,
+                "aligned allocation failed",
+            ));
+        }
+
+        Ok(AlignedBuffer {
+            ptr,
+            layout,
+            head_pad,
+            user_len: len,
+            aligned_len,
+            aligned_offset,
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// The caller's logical portion of the buffer (read-only).
+    pub fn as_slice(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        // SAFETY: ptr is valid for layout.size() bytes; head_pad + user_len <= layout.size().
+        unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts(self.ptr.add(self.head_pad), self.user_len) }
+    }
+
+    /// The caller's logical portion of the buffer (mutable).
+    pub fn as_mut_slice(&mut self) -> &mut [u8] {
+        // SAFETY: ptr is valid for layout.size() bytes; head_pad + user_len <= layout.size().
+        unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts_mut(self.ptr.add(self.head_pad), self.user_len) }
+    }
+
+    fn full_slice(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        // SAFETY: ptr is valid for layout.size() bytes; aligned_len <= layout.size().
+        unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts(self.ptr, self.aligned_len) }
+    }
+
+    fn full_mut_slice(&mut self) -> &mut [u8] {
+        // SAFETY: ptr is valid for layout.size() bytes; aligned_len <= layout.size().
+        unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts_mut(self.ptr, self.aligned_len) }
+    }
+
+    /// Read the full aligned region from `f` into this buffer.
+    pub fn read_exact_from(&mut self, f: &impl FileExt) -> io::Result<()> {
+        let offset = self.aligned_offset;
+        f.read_exact_at(self.full_mut_slice(), offset)
+    }
+
+    /// Read into the buffer from `f`, tolerating a short read at EOF.
+    ///
+    /// Returns the number of caller-logical bytes now valid in `as_slice()`,
+    /// accounting for head padding and any short read.
+    pub fn read_from(&mut self, f: &impl FileExt) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        let mut total = 0usize;
+        while total < self.aligned_len {
+            let offset = self
+                .aligned_offset
+                .checked_add(total as u64)
+                .ok_or_else(|| io::Error::other("aligned buffer offset overflow"))?;
+            match f.read_at(&mut self.full_mut_slice()[total..], offset) {
+                Ok(0) => break,
+                Ok(n) => total += n,
+                Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::Interrupted => {}
+                Err(e) => return Err(e),
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(total.saturating_sub(self.head_pad).min(self.user_len))
+    }
+
+    /// Write the full aligned region from this buffer to `f`.
+    pub fn write_to(&self, f: &impl FileExt) -> io::Result<()> {
+        f.write_all_at(self.full_slice(), self.aligned_offset)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for AlignedBuffer {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: ptr was allocated by alloc_zeroed with self.layout.
+        unsafe { dealloc(self.ptr, self.layout) };
+    }
+}
+
+// SAFETY: The buffer is a plain heap allocation with no interior references.
+unsafe impl Send for AlignedBuffer {}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use std::io::Write;
+    use std::os::unix::fs::FileExt;
+
+    use vmm_sys_util::tempfile::TempFile;
+
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn create_pattern_file(size: usize) -> TempFile {
+        let tf = TempFile::new().unwrap();
+        let pattern: Vec<u8> = (0..size).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        tf.as_file().write_all(&pattern).unwrap();
+        tf.as_file().sync_all().unwrap();
+        tf
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_read_aligned() {
+        let size = 4096usize;
+        let tf = create_pattern_file(size);
+        let alignment = 512;
+
+        let mut abuf = AlignedBuffer::new(0, size, alignment).unwrap();
+        abuf.read_exact_from(tf.as_file()).unwrap();
+
+        let expected: Vec<u8> = (0..size).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        assert_eq!(abuf.as_slice(), &expected[..]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_zero_len_is_noop() {
+        let tf = create_pattern_file(512);
+        let mut abuf = AlignedBuffer::new(100, 0, 512).unwrap();
+
+        abuf.read_exact_from(tf.as_file()).unwrap();
+        abuf.write_to(tf.as_file()).unwrap();
+
+        assert!(abuf.as_slice().is_empty());
+        assert!(abuf.as_mut_slice().is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_read_unaligned_offset() {
+        let file_size = 8192usize;
+        let tf = create_pattern_file(file_size);
+        let alignment = 512;
+
+        let offset = 100u64;
+        let len = 200usize;
+        let mut abuf = AlignedBuffer::new(offset, len, alignment).unwrap();
+        abuf.read_exact_from(tf.as_file()).unwrap();
+
+        let expected: Vec<u8> = (offset as usize..offset as usize + len)
+            .map(|i| (i % 251) as u8)
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(abuf.as_slice(), &expected[..]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_write_aligned() {
+        let size = 4096usize;
+        let tf = create_pattern_file(size);
+        let alignment = 512;
+
+        let data: Vec<u8> = (0..size).map(|i| ((i + 1) % 251) as u8).collect();
+        let mut abuf = AlignedBuffer::new(0, size, alignment).unwrap();
+        abuf.as_mut_slice().copy_from_slice(&data);
+        abuf.write_to(tf.as_file()).unwrap();
+
+        let mut readback = vec![0u8; size];
+        tf.as_file().read_exact_at(&mut readback, 0).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(readback, data);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_write_unaligned_offset_rmw() {
+        let file_size = 8192usize;
+        let tf = create_pattern_file(file_size);
+        let alignment = 512;
+
+        let offset = 100u64;
+        let len = 200usize;
+        let data: Vec<u8> = (0..len).map(|i| ((i + 1) % 239) as u8).collect();
+
+        let mut abuf = AlignedBuffer::new(offset, len, alignment).unwrap();
+        abuf.read_exact_from(tf.as_file()).unwrap();
+        abuf.as_mut_slice().copy_from_slice(&data);
+        abuf.write_to(tf.as_file()).unwrap();
+
+        let mut whole = vec![0u8; file_size];
+        tf.as_file().read_exact_at(&mut whole, 0).unwrap();
+
+        let before: Vec<u8> = (0..offset as usize).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        assert_eq!(&whole[..offset as usize], &before[..]);
+        assert_eq!(&whole[offset as usize..offset as usize + len], &data[..]);
+        let after_start = offset as usize + len;
+        let after: Vec<u8> = (after_start..file_size).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        assert_eq!(&whole[after_start..], &after[..]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_4096_alignment() {
+        let file_size = 16384usize;
+        let tf = create_pattern_file(file_size);
+        let alignment = 4096;
+
+        let offset = 4096u64;
+        let len = 4096usize;
+        let data: Vec<u8> = (0..len).map(|i| ((i + 1) % 239) as u8).collect();
+
+        let mut abuf = AlignedBuffer::new(offset, len, alignment).unwrap();
+        abuf.read_exact_from(tf.as_file()).unwrap();
+        abuf.as_mut_slice().copy_from_slice(&data);
+        abuf.write_to(tf.as_file()).unwrap();
+
+        let mut abuf = AlignedBuffer::new(offset, len, alignment).unwrap();
+        abuf.read_exact_from(tf.as_file()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(abuf.as_slice(), &data[..]);
+
+        let mut whole = vec![0u8; file_size];
+        tf.as_file().read_exact_at(&mut whole, 0).unwrap();
+        let before: Vec<u8> = (0..offset as usize).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        assert_eq!(&whole[..offset as usize], &before[..]);
+        let after_start = offset as usize + len;
+        let after: Vec<u8> = (after_start..file_size).map(|i| (i % 251) as u8).collect();
+        assert_eq!(&whole[after_start..], &after[..]);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/block/src/lib.rs b/block/src/lib.rs
index 0f6cbdcdc..c8fdd9455 100644
--- a/block/src/lib.rs
+++ b/block/src/lib.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ pub mod factory;
 #[path = "io/mod.rs"]
 mod io_impl;
 pub use io_impl::{async_io, fcntl, request};
+pub(crate) mod aligned_buffer;
 pub mod formats;
 mod sparse;
 use std::alloc::{Layout, alloc_zeroed};