diff --git a/src/string-test.cc b/src/string-test.cc
index 099421f..40611ca 100644
--- a/src/string-test.cc
+++ b/src/string-test.cc
@@ -99,6 +99,19 @@ TEST(ToHexTest, Simple) {
   EXPECT_EQ("12 34 de ad be ef", ToHex("\x12\x34\xde\xad\xbe\xef", true));
 }
 
+TEST(HumanizeTest, Simple) {
+  EXPECT_EQ("1.0 B", HumanizeWithBinaryPrefix(1.f, "B"));
+  EXPECT_EQ("1.0 KiB", HumanizeWithBinaryPrefix(UINT64_C(1) << 10, "B"));
+  EXPECT_EQ("1.0 EiB", HumanizeWithBinaryPrefix(UINT64_C(1) << 60, "B"));
+  EXPECT_EQ("1.5 EiB", HumanizeWithBinaryPrefix(
+                           (UINT64_C(1) << 60) + (UINT64_C(1) << 59), "B"));
+  EXPECT_EQ("16.0 EiB", HumanizeWithBinaryPrefix(
+                            std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max(), "B"));
+
+  EXPECT_EQ("1.0 Mbps", HumanizeWithDecimalPrefix(1e6f, "bps"));
+  EXPECT_EQ("1000.0 Ebps", HumanizeWithDecimalPrefix(1e21, "bps"));
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 }  // namespace moonfire_nvr
 
diff --git a/src/string.cc b/src/string.cc
index dbb7f75..999a0c4 100644
--- a/src/string.cc
+++ b/src/string.cc
@@ -45,6 +45,15 @@ char HexDigit(unsigned int i) {
   return (i < 16) ? kHexadigits[i] : 'x';
 }
 
+std::string Humanize(std::initializer_list<const re2::StringPiece> prefixes,
+                     float f, float n, re2::StringPiece suffix) {
+  size_t i;
+  for (i = 0; i < prefixes.size() - 1 && n >= f; ++i) n /= f;
+  char buf[64];
+  snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%.1f", n);
+  return StrCat(buf, *(prefixes.begin() + i), suffix);
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 
 namespace internal {
@@ -124,6 +133,18 @@ std::string ToHex(re2::StringPiece in, bool pad) {
   return out;
 }
 
+std::string HumanizeWithDecimalPrefix(float n, re2::StringPiece suffix) {
+  static const std::initializer_list<const re2::StringPiece> kPrefixes = {
+      " ", " k", " M", " G", " T", " P", " E"};
+  return Humanize(kPrefixes, 1000., n, suffix);
+}
+
+std::string HumanizeWithBinaryPrefix(float n, re2::StringPiece suffix) {
+  static const std::initializer_list<const re2::StringPiece> kPrefixes = {
+      " ", " Ki", " Mi", " Gi", " Ti", " Pi", " Ei"};
+  return Humanize(kPrefixes, 1024., n, suffix);
+}
+
 bool strto64(const char *str, int base, const char **endptr, int64_t *value) {
   static_assert(sizeof(int64_t) == sizeof(long long int),
                 "unknown memory model");
diff --git a/src/string.h b/src/string.h
index 99dd9f7..fffd0e8 100644
--- a/src/string.h
+++ b/src/string.h
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@ std::string EscapeHtml(const std::string &input);
 // For example, ToHex("\xde\xad\xbe\xef", true) returns "de ad be ef".
 std::string ToHex(re2::StringPiece in, bool pad = false);
 
+// Return a human-friendly approximation of the given non-negative value, using
+// SI (base-10) or IEC (base-2) prefixes.
+std::string HumanizeWithDecimalPrefix(float n, re2::StringPiece suffix);
+std::string HumanizeWithBinaryPrefix(float n, re2::StringPiece suffix);
+
 // Wrapper around ::strtol that returns true iff valid and corrects
 // constness.
 bool strto64(const char *str, int base, const char **endptr, int64_t *value);