diff --git a/doc/api/buffer.markdown b/doc/api/buffer.markdown
index fb86accebb..e4ba04ed7f 100644
--- a/doc/api/buffer.markdown
+++ b/doc/api/buffer.markdown
@@ -180,6 +180,48 @@ The method will not write partial characters.
     len = buf.write('\u00bd + \u00bc = \u00be', 0);
     console.log(len + " bytes: " + buf.toString('utf8', 0, len));
 
+### buf.writeUIntLE(value, offset, byteLength[, noAssert])
+### buf.writeUIntBE(value, offset, byteLength[, noAssert])
+### buf.writeIntLE(value, offset, byteLength[, noAssert])
+### buf.writeIntBE(value, offset, byteLength[, noAssert])
+
+* `value` {Number} Bytes to be written to buffer
+* `offset` {Number} `0 <= offset <= buf.length`
+* `byteLength` {Number} `0 < byteLength <= 6`
+* `noAssert` {Boolean} Default: false
+* Return: {Number}
+
+Writes `value` to the buffer at the specified `offset` and `byteLength`.
+Supports up to 48 bits of accuracy. For example:
+
+    var b = new Buffer(6);
+    b.writeUIntBE(0x1234567890ab, 0, 6);
+    // <Buffer 12 34 56 78 90 ab>
+
+Set `noAssert` to `true` to skip validation of `value` and `offset`. Defaults
+to `false`.
+
+### buf.readUIntLE(offset, byteLength[, noAssert])
+### buf.readUIntBE(offset, byteLength[, noAssert])
+### buf.readIntLE(offset, byteLength[, noAssert])
+### buf.readIntBE(offset, byteLength[, noAssert])
+
+* `offset` {Number} `0 <= offset <= buf.length`
+* `byteLength` {Number} `0 < byteLength <= 6`
+* `noAssert` {Boolean} Default: false
+* Return: {Number}
+
+A generalized version of all numeric read methods. Supports up to 48 bits of
+accuracy. For example:
+
+    var b = new Buffer(6);
+    b.writeUint16LE(0x90ab, 0);
+    b.writeUInt32LE(0x12345678, 2);
+    b.readUIntLE(0, 6).toString(16);  // Specify 6 bytes (48 bits)
+    // output: '1234567890ab'
+
+Set `noAssert` to true to skip validation of `offset`. This means that `offset`
+may be beyond the end of the buffer. Defaults to `false`.
 
 ### buf.toString([encoding][, start][, end])
 
diff --git a/lib/buffer.js b/lib/buffer.js
index 80f6a4271f..a674991988 100644
--- a/lib/buffer.js
+++ b/lib/buffer.js
@@ -482,6 +482,37 @@ function checkOffset(offset, ext, length) {
 }
 
 
+Buffer.prototype.readUIntLE = function(offset, byteLength, noAssert) {
+  offset = offset >>> 0;
+  byteLength = byteLength >>> 0;
+  if (!noAssert)
+    checkOffset(offset, byteLength, this.length);
+
+  var val = this[offset];
+  var mul = 1;
+  var i = 0;
+  while (++i < byteLength && (mul *= 0x100))
+    val += this[offset + i] * mul;
+
+  return val;
+};
+
+
+Buffer.prototype.readUIntBE = function(offset, byteLength, noAssert) {
+  offset = offset >>> 0;
+  byteLength = byteLength >>> 0;
+  if (!noAssert)
+    checkOffset(offset, byteLength, this.length);
+
+  var val = this[offset + --byteLength];
+  var mul = 1;
+  while (byteLength > 0 && (mul *= 0x100))
+    val += this[offset + --byteLength] * mul;
+
+  return val;
+};
+
+
 Buffer.prototype.readUInt8 = function(offset, noAssert) {
   offset = offset >>> 0;
   if (!noAssert)
@@ -530,6 +561,46 @@ Buffer.prototype.readUInt32BE = function(offset, noAssert) {
 };
 
 
+Buffer.prototype.readIntLE = function(offset, byteLength, noAssert) {
+  offset = offset >>> 0;
+  byteLength = byteLength >>> 0;
+  if (!noAssert)
+    checkOffset(offset, byteLength, this.length);
+
+  var val = this[offset];
+  var mul = 1;
+  var i = 0;
+  while (++i < byteLength && (mul *= 0x100))
+    val += this[offset + i] * mul;
+  mul *= 0x80;
+
+  if (val >= mul)
+    val -= Math.pow(2, 8 * byteLength);
+
+  return val;
+};
+
+
+Buffer.prototype.readIntBE = function(offset, byteLength, noAssert) {
+  offset = offset >>> 0;
+  byteLength = byteLength >>> 0;
+  if (!noAssert)
+    checkOffset(offset, byteLength, this.length);
+
+  var i = byteLength;
+  var mul = 1;
+  var val = this[offset + --i];
+  while (i > 0 && (mul *= 0x100))
+    val += this[offset + --i] * mul;
+  mul *= 0x80;
+
+  if (val >= mul)
+    val -= Math.pow(2, 8 * byteLength);
+
+  return val;
+};
+
+
 Buffer.prototype.readInt8 = function(offset, noAssert) {
   offset = offset >>> 0;
   if (!noAssert)
@@ -623,6 +694,40 @@ function checkInt(buffer, value, offset, ext, max, min) {
 }
 
 
+Buffer.prototype.writeUIntLE = function(value, offset, byteLength, noAssert) {
+  value = +value;
+  offset = offset >>> 0;
+  byteLength = byteLength >>> 0;
+  if (!noAssert)
+    checkInt(this, value, offset, byteLength, Math.pow(2, 8 * byteLength), 0);
+
+  var mul = 1;
+  var i = 0;
+  this[offset] = value;
+  while (++i < byteLength && (mul *= 0x100))
+    this[offset + i] = (value / mul) >>> 0;
+
+  return offset + byteLength;
+};
+
+
+Buffer.prototype.writeUIntBE = function(value, offset, byteLength, noAssert) {
+  value = +value;
+  offset = offset >>> 0;
+  byteLength = byteLength >>> 0;
+  if (!noAssert)
+    checkInt(this, value, offset, byteLength, Math.pow(2, 8 * byteLength), 0);
+
+  var i = byteLength - 1;
+  var mul = 1;
+  this[offset + i] = value;
+  while (--i >= 0 && (mul *= 0x100))
+    this[offset + i] = (value / mul) >>> 0;
+
+  return offset + byteLength;
+};
+
+
 Buffer.prototype.writeUInt8 = function(value, offset, noAssert) {
   value = +value;
   offset = offset >>> 0;
@@ -681,6 +786,52 @@ Buffer.prototype.writeUInt32BE = function(value, offset, noAssert) {
 };
 
 
+Buffer.prototype.writeIntLE = function(value, offset, byteLength, noAssert) {
+  value = +value;
+  offset = offset >>> 0;
+  if (!noAssert) {
+    checkInt(this,
+             value,
+             offset,
+             byteLength,
+             Math.pow(2, 8 * byteLength - 1) - 1,
+             -Math.pow(2, 8 * byteLength - 1));
+  }
+
+  var i = 0;
+  var mul = 1;
+  var sub = value < 0 ? 1 : 0;
+  this[offset] = value;
+  while (++i < byteLength && (mul *= 0x100))
+    this[offset + i] = ((value / mul) >> 0) - sub;
+
+  return offset + byteLength;
+};
+
+
+Buffer.prototype.writeIntBE = function(value, offset, byteLength, noAssert) {
+  value = +value;
+  offset = offset >>> 0;
+  if (!noAssert) {
+    checkInt(this,
+             value,
+             offset,
+             byteLength,
+             Math.pow(2, 8 * byteLength - 1) - 1,
+             -Math.pow(2, 8 * byteLength - 1));
+  }
+
+  var i = byteLength - 1;
+  var mul = 1;
+  var sub = value < 0 ? 1 : 0;
+  this[offset + i] = value;
+  while (--i >= 0 && (mul *= 0x100))
+    this[offset + i] = ((value / mul) >> 0) - sub;
+
+  return offset + byteLength;
+};
+
+
 Buffer.prototype.writeInt8 = function(value, offset, noAssert) {
   value = +value;
   offset = offset >>> 0;
diff --git a/test/simple/test-buffer.js b/test/simple/test-buffer.js
index 4219a15be5..bf742f9348 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-buffer.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-buffer.js
@@ -950,8 +950,6 @@ var buf = new Buffer([0xFF]);
 assert.equal(buf.readUInt8(0), 255);
 assert.equal(buf.readInt8(0), -1);
 
-
-
 [16, 32].forEach(function(bits) {
   var buf = new Buffer(bits / 8 - 1);
 
@@ -988,6 +986,91 @@ assert.equal(buf.readInt8(0), -1);
                 (0xFFFFFFFF >> (32 - bits)));
 });
 
+// test for common read(U)IntLE/BE
+(function() {
+  var buf = new Buffer([0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0x05, 0x06]);
+
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntLE(0, 1), 0x01);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntBE(0, 1), 0x01);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntLE(0, 3), 0x030201);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntBE(0, 3), 0x010203);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntLE(0, 5), 0x0504030201);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntBE(0, 5), 0x0102030405);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntLE(0, 6), 0x060504030201);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntBE(0, 6), 0x010203040506);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntLE(0, 1), 0x01);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntBE(0, 1), 0x01);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntLE(0, 3), 0x030201);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntBE(0, 3), 0x010203);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntLE(0, 5), 0x0504030201);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntBE(0, 5), 0x0102030405);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntLE(0, 6), 0x060504030201);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntBE(0, 6), 0x010203040506);
+})();
+
+// test for common write(U)IntLE/BE
+(function() {
+  var buf = new Buffer(3);
+  buf.writeUIntLE(0x123456, 0, 3);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0x56, 0x34, 0x12]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntLE(0, 3), 0x123456);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(3);
+  buf.writeUIntBE(0x123456, 0, 3);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0x12, 0x34, 0x56]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntBE(0, 3), 0x123456);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(3);
+  buf.writeIntLE(0x123456, 0, 3);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0x56, 0x34, 0x12]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntLE(0, 3), 0x123456);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(3);
+  buf.writeIntBE(0x123456, 0, 3);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0x12, 0x34, 0x56]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntBE(0, 3), 0x123456);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(3);
+  buf.writeIntLE(-0x123456, 0, 3);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0xaa, 0xcb, 0xed]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntLE(0, 3), -0x123456);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(3);
+  buf.writeIntBE(-0x123456, 0, 3);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0xed, 0xcb, 0xaa]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntBE(0, 3), -0x123456);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(5);
+  buf.writeUIntLE(0x1234567890, 0, 5);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0x90, 0x78, 0x56, 0x34, 0x12]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntLE(0, 5), 0x1234567890);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(5);
+  buf.writeUIntBE(0x1234567890, 0, 5);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0x12, 0x34, 0x56, 0x78, 0x90]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readUIntBE(0, 5), 0x1234567890);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(5);
+  buf.writeIntLE(0x1234567890, 0, 5);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0x90, 0x78, 0x56, 0x34, 0x12]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntLE(0, 5), 0x1234567890);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(5);
+  buf.writeIntBE(0x1234567890, 0, 5);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0x12, 0x34, 0x56, 0x78, 0x90]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntBE(0, 5), 0x1234567890);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(5);
+  buf.writeIntLE(-0x1234567890, 0, 5);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0x70, 0x87, 0xa9, 0xcb, 0xed]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntLE(0, 5), -0x1234567890);
+
+  buf = new Buffer(5);
+  buf.writeIntBE(-0x1234567890, 0, 5);
+  assert.deepEqual(buf.toJSON().data, [0xed, 0xcb, 0xa9, 0x87, 0x70]);
+  assert.equal(buf.readIntBE(0, 5), -0x1234567890);
+})();
+
 // test Buffer slice
 (function() {
   var buf = new Buffer('0123456789');