diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 390628a..d4eeb7e 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ shared_libshared_la_SOURCES = \
 	shared/array.h \
 	shared/hash.c \
 	shared/hash.h \
+	shared/scratchbuf.c \
 	shared/strbuf.c \
 	shared/strbuf.h \
 	shared/util.c \
@@ -322,6 +323,7 @@ testsuite_libtestsuite_la_LIBADD = -lrt
 TESTSUITE = \
 	testsuite/test-hash \
 	testsuite/test-array \
+	testsuite/test-scratchbuf \
 	testsuite/test-strbuf \
 	testsuite/test-init \
 	testsuite/test-initstate \
@@ -349,6 +351,9 @@ testsuite_test_hash_CPPFLAGS = $(TESTSUITE_CPPFLAGS)
 testsuite_test_array_LDADD = $(TESTSUITE_LDADD)
 testsuite_test_array_CPPFLAGS = $(TESTSUITE_CPPFLAGS)
 
+testsuite_test_scratchbuf_LDADD = $(TESTSUITE_LDADD)
+testsuite_test_scratchbuf_CPPFLAGS = $(TESTSUITE_CPPFLAGS)
+
 testsuite_test_strbuf_LDADD = $(TESTSUITE_LDADD)
 testsuite_test_strbuf_CPPFLAGS = $(TESTSUITE_CPPFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/shared/scratchbuf.c b/shared/scratchbuf.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d9eb83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/scratchbuf.c
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+/*
+ * kmod - interface to kernel module operations
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2016  Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+#include "scratchbuf.h"
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+void scratchbuf_init(struct scratchbuf *buf, char *stackbuf, size_t size)
+{
+	buf->bytes = stackbuf;
+	buf->size = size;
+	buf->need_free = false;
+}
+
+int scratchbuf_alloc(struct scratchbuf *buf, size_t size)
+{
+	char *tmp;
+
+	if (size <= buf->size)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (buf->need_free) {
+		tmp = realloc(buf->bytes, size);
+		if (tmp == NULL)
+			return -ENOMEM;
+	} else {
+		tmp = malloc(size);
+		if (tmp == NULL)
+			return -ENOMEM;
+		memcpy(tmp, buf->bytes, buf->size);
+	}
+
+	buf->size = size;
+	buf->bytes = tmp;
+	buf->need_free = true;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void scratchbuf_release(struct scratchbuf *buf)
+{
+	if (buf->need_free)
+		free(buf->bytes);
+}
diff --git a/shared/scratchbuf.h b/shared/scratchbuf.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d14fd14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/scratchbuf.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+/*
+ * Buffer abstract data type
+ */
+struct scratchbuf {
+	char *bytes;
+	size_t size;
+	bool need_free;
+};
+
+void scratchbuf_init(struct scratchbuf *buf, char *stackbuf, size_t size);
+int scratchbuf_alloc(struct scratchbuf *buf, size_t sz);
+void scratchbuf_release(struct scratchbuf *buf);
+
+/* Return a C string */
+inline char *scratchbuf_str(struct scratchbuf *buf)
+{
+	return buf->bytes;
+}
diff --git a/testsuite/.gitignore b/testsuite/.gitignore
index 2b71a47..9d26b88 100644
--- a/testsuite/.gitignore
+++ b/testsuite/.gitignore
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 *.la
 *.so
 /.dirstamp
+/test-scratchbuf
 /test-strbuf
 /test-array
 /test-util
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@
 /test-tools
 /rootfs
 /stamp-rootfs
+/test-scratchbuf.log
+/test-scratchbuf.trs
 /test-strbuf.log
 /test-strbuf.trs
 /test-array.log
diff --git a/testsuite/test-scratchbuf.c b/testsuite/test-scratchbuf.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d86957
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testsuite/test-scratchbuf.c
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C)  2016 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include <shared/scratchbuf.h>
+
+#include "testsuite.h"
+
+static int test_scratchbuf_onlystack(const struct test *t)
+{
+	struct scratchbuf sbuf;
+	const char *smallstr = "xyz";
+	char buf[3 + 2];
+	char buf2[3 + 1];
+
+	scratchbuf_init(&sbuf, buf, sizeof(buf));
+	assert_return(scratchbuf_alloc(&sbuf, strlen(smallstr) + 1) == 0, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	assert_return(sbuf.need_free == false, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	scratchbuf_release(&sbuf);
+
+	scratchbuf_init(&sbuf, buf2, sizeof(buf2));
+	assert_return(scratchbuf_alloc(&sbuf, strlen(smallstr) + 1) == 0, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	assert_return(sbuf.need_free == false, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	scratchbuf_release(&sbuf);
+
+	memcpy(scratchbuf_str(&sbuf), smallstr, strlen(smallstr) + 1);
+	assert_return(strcmp(scratchbuf_str(&sbuf), smallstr) == 0, EXIT_FAILURE);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+DEFINE_TEST(test_scratchbuf_onlystack,
+		.description = "test scratchbuf for buffer on stack only");
+
+
+static int test_scratchbuf_heap(const struct test *t)
+{
+	struct scratchbuf sbuf;
+	const char *smallstr = "xyz";
+	const char *largestr = "xyzxyzxyz";
+	const char *largestr2 = "xyzxyzxyzxyzxyz";
+	char buf[3 + 1];
+
+	scratchbuf_init(&sbuf, buf, sizeof(buf));
+
+	/* Initially only on stack */
+	assert_return(scratchbuf_alloc(&sbuf, strlen(smallstr) + 1) == 0, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	assert_return(sbuf.need_free == false, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	memcpy(scratchbuf_str(&sbuf), smallstr, strlen(smallstr) + 1);
+
+	/* Grow once to heap */
+	assert_return(scratchbuf_alloc(&sbuf, strlen(largestr) + 1) == 0, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	assert_return(sbuf.need_free == true, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	assert_return(sbuf.size == strlen(largestr) + 1, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	assert_return(strcmp(scratchbuf_str(&sbuf), smallstr) == 0, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	memcpy(scratchbuf_str(&sbuf), largestr, strlen(largestr) + 1);
+	assert_return(strcmp(scratchbuf_str(&sbuf), largestr) == 0, EXIT_FAILURE);
+
+	/* Grow again - realloc should take place */
+	assert_return(scratchbuf_alloc(&sbuf, strlen(largestr2) + 1) == 0, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	assert_return(sbuf.need_free == true, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	assert_return(sbuf.size == strlen(largestr2) + 1, EXIT_FAILURE);
+	memcpy(scratchbuf_str(&sbuf), largestr2, strlen(largestr2) + 1);
+	assert_return(strcmp(scratchbuf_str(&sbuf), largestr2) == 0, EXIT_FAILURE);
+
+	scratchbuf_release(&sbuf);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+DEFINE_TEST(test_scratchbuf_heap,
+		.description = "test scratchbuf for buffer on that grows to heap");
+
+TESTSUITE_MAIN();
