diff --git a/include/stream.h b/include/stream.h
index 7be34df..0103078 100644
--- a/include/stream.h
+++ b/include/stream.h
@@ -81,8 +81,10 @@ struct stream* stream_new(int fd, stream_event_fn on_event, void* userdata);
 int stream_close(struct stream* self);
 void stream_destroy(struct stream* self);
 ssize_t stream_read(struct stream* self, void* dst, size_t size);
-int stream_write(struct stream* self, struct rcbuf* payload,
+int stream_write(struct stream* self, const void* payload, size_t len,
                  stream_req_fn on_done, void* userdata);
+int stream_send(struct stream* self, struct rcbuf* payload,
+                stream_req_fn on_done, void* userdata);
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_TLS
 int stream_upgrade_to_tls(struct stream* self, void* context);
diff --git a/src/stream.c b/src/stream.c
index 598423a..d0ca3f2 100644
--- a/src/stream.c
+++ b/src/stream.c
@@ -304,8 +304,8 @@ failure:
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-int stream_write(struct stream* self, struct rcbuf* payload,
-                 stream_req_fn on_done, void* userdata)
+int stream_send(struct stream* self, struct rcbuf* payload,
+                stream_req_fn on_done, void* userdata)
 {
 	if (self->state == STREAM_STATE_CLOSED)
 		return -1;
@@ -323,6 +323,13 @@ int stream_write(struct stream* self, struct rcbuf* payload,
 	return stream__flush(self);
 }
 
+int stream_write(struct stream* self, const void* payload, size_t len,
+                 stream_req_fn on_done, void* userdata)
+{
+	struct rcbuf* buf = rcbuf_from_mem(payload, len);
+	return buf ? stream_send(self, buf, on_done, userdata) : -1;
+}
+
 ssize_t stream__read_plain(struct stream* self, void* dst, size_t size)
 {
 	return read(self->fd, dst, size);