diff --git a/src/upb.h b/src/upb.h
index 64f2c54497..685a292566 100644
--- a/src/upb.h
+++ b/src/upb.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define UPB_INDEX(base, i, m) (void*)((char*)(base) + ((i)*(m)))
 
 INLINE uint32_t max(uint32_t a, uint32_t b) { return a > b ? a : b; }
+INLINE uint32_t min(uint32_t a, uint32_t b) { return a < b ? a : b; }
 
 /* Value type as defined in a .proto file.  The values of this are defined by
  * google_protobuf_FieldDescriptorProto_Type (from descriptor.proto).
diff --git a/src/upb_string.h b/src/upb_string.h
index 7a05811b8c..de2384d120 100644
--- a/src/upb_string.h
+++ b/src/upb_string.h
@@ -43,8 +43,15 @@ INLINE bool upb_streql(struct upb_string *s1, struct upb_string *s2) {
          memcmp(s1->ptr, s2->ptr, s1->byte_len) == 0;
 }
 
+INLINE int upb_strcmp(struct upb_string s1, struct upb_string s2) {
+  size_t common_length = min(s1.byte_len, s2.byte_len);
+  int common_diff = memcmp(s1.ptr, s2.ptr, common_length);
+  if(common_diff == 0) return s1.byte_len - s2.byte_len;
+  else return common_diff;
+}
+
 INLINE void upb_strcpy(struct upb_string *dest, struct upb_string *src) {
-  memcpy(dest->ptr, src->ptr, dest->byte_len);
+  memcpy(dest->ptr, src->ptr, src->byte_len);
   dest->byte_len = src->byte_len;
 }
 
@@ -56,6 +63,14 @@ INLINE struct upb_string upb_strdup(struct upb_string s) {
   return copy;
 }
 
+INLINE struct upb_string upb_strdupc(char *s) {
+  struct upb_string copy;
+  copy.byte_len = strlen(s);
+  copy.ptr = (char*)malloc(copy.byte_len);
+  memcpy(copy.ptr, s, copy.byte_len);
+  return copy;
+}
+
 INLINE void upb_strfree(struct upb_string s) {
   free(s.ptr);
 }