diff --git a/src/main/util/iobuf.c b/src/main/util/iobuf.c
index b8bd76e..6bc89d2 100644
--- a/src/main/util/iobuf.c
+++ b/src/main/util/iobuf.c
@@ -1,7 +1,83 @@
-#include "util/iobuf.h"
-
 #include <string.h>
 
+#include "util/iobuf.h"
+#include "util/log.h"
+#include "util/mem.h"
+
+void util_iobuf_alloc(struct util_iobuf* iobuf, size_t size)
+{
+    log_assert(iobuf);
+
+    iobuf->bytes = util_xmalloc(size);
+    iobuf->nbytes = size;
+    iobuf->pos = 0;
+}
+
+void util_iobuf_alloc2(struct util_iobuf** iobuf, size_t size)
+{
+    log_assert(iobuf);
+
+    iobuf = util_xmalloc(sizeof(struct util_iobuf));
+
+    (*iobuf)->bytes = util_xmalloc(size);
+    (*iobuf)->nbytes = size;
+    (*iobuf)->pos = 0;
+}
+
+void util_const_iobuf_alloc(struct util_const_iobuf* iobuf, size_t size)
+{
+    log_assert(iobuf);
+
+    iobuf->bytes = util_xmalloc(size);
+    iobuf->nbytes = size;
+    iobuf->pos = 0;
+}
+
+void util_const_iobuf_alloc2(struct util_const_iobuf** iobuf, size_t size)
+{
+    log_assert(iobuf);
+
+    iobuf = util_xmalloc(sizeof(struct util_iobuf));
+
+    (*iobuf)->bytes = util_xmalloc(size);
+    (*iobuf)->nbytes = size;
+    (*iobuf)->pos = 0;
+}
+
+void util_iobuf_free(struct util_iobuf* iobuf)
+{
+    log_assert(iobuf);
+
+    util_xfree((void**) &iobuf->bytes);
+    iobuf->nbytes = 0;
+    iobuf->pos = 0;
+}
+
+void util_iobuf_free2(struct util_iobuf** iobuf)
+{
+    log_assert(iobuf);
+
+    util_xfree((void**) &(*iobuf)->bytes);
+    util_xfree((void**) &iobuf);
+}
+
+void util_const_iobuf_free(struct util_const_iobuf* iobuf)
+{
+    log_assert(iobuf);
+
+    util_xfree((void**) &iobuf->bytes);
+    iobuf->nbytes = 0;
+    iobuf->pos = 0;
+}
+
+void util_const_iobuf_free2(struct util_const_iobuf** iobuf)
+{
+    log_assert(iobuf);
+
+    util_xfree((void**) &(*iobuf)->bytes);
+    util_xfree((void**) &iobuf);
+}
+
 size_t util_iobuf_move(struct util_iobuf* dest, struct util_const_iobuf* src)
 {
     size_t dest_avail;
diff --git a/src/main/util/iobuf.h b/src/main/util/iobuf.h
index 4086482..b2a8526 100644
--- a/src/main/util/iobuf.h
+++ b/src/main/util/iobuf.h
@@ -22,6 +22,66 @@ struct util_const_iobuf {
     size_t pos;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Allocate and init a fresh iobuf struct
+ *
+ * @param iobuf Pointer to an already allocated struct, e.g. on the stack
+ * @param size Size of the buffer
+ */
+void util_iobuf_alloc(struct util_iobuf* iobuf, size_t size);
+
+/**
+ * Allocate and init a fresh iobuf struct
+ *
+ * @param iobuf Pointer to a pointer, e.g. the resulting struct will be allcoated on the heap
+ * @param size Size of the buffer
+ */
+void util_iobuf_alloc2(struct util_iobuf** iobuf, size_t size);
+
+/**
+ * Allocate and init a fresh const iobuf struct
+ *
+ * @param iobuf Pointer to an already allocated struct, e.g. on the stack
+ * @param size Size of the buffer
+ */
+void util_const_iobuf_alloc(struct util_const_iobuf* iobuf, size_t size);
+
+/**
+ * Allocate and init a fresh const iobuf struct
+ *
+ * @param iobuf Pointer to a pointer, e.g. the resulting struct will be allcoated on the heap
+ * @param size Size of the buffer
+ */
+void util_const_iobuf_alloc2(struct util_const_iobuf** iobuf, size_t size);
+
+/**
+ * Free an allocated iobuf struct
+ *
+ * @param iobuf Pointer to allocated iobuf struct, e.g. on stack
+ */
+void util_iobuf_free(struct util_iobuf* iobuf);
+
+/**
+ * Free an allocated iobuf struct
+ *
+ * @param iobuf Pointer to a pointer of an iobuf struct, e.g. iobuf on heap
+ */
+void util_iobuf_free2(struct util_iobuf** iobuf);
+
+/**
+ * Free an allocated const iobuf struct
+ *
+ * @param iobuf Pointer to allocated const iobuf struct, e.g. on stack
+ */
+void util_const_iobuf_free(struct util_const_iobuf* iobuf);
+
+/**
+ * Free an allocated const iobuf struct
+ *
+ * @param iobuf Pointer to a pointer of a const iobuf struct, e.g. iobuf on heap
+ */
+void util_const_iobuf_free2(struct util_const_iobuf** iobuf);
+
 /**
  * Move the contents of one iobuffer to another one (data, size and pos)
  *