diff --git a/lib/stream.c b/lib/stream.c
index ca1a40f..4d4f867 100644
--- a/lib/stream.c
+++ b/lib/stream.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 
 #include <zebra.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
+/* primarily for __STDC_IEC_559__ with clang */
+#include <features.h>
 
 #include "stream.h"
 #include "memory.h"
@@ -493,6 +495,38 @@
   return l;
 }
 
+float
+stream_getf (struct stream *s)
+{
+#if defined(__STDC_IEC_559__) || __GCC_IEC_559 >= 1
+/* we can safely assume 'float' is in the single precision
+   IEC 60559 binary format in host order */
+  union {
+    float r;
+    uint32_t d;
+  } u;
+  u.d = stream_getl (s);
+  return u.r;
+#else
+#error "Please supply stream_getf implementation for this platform"
+#endif
+}
+
+double
+stream_getd (struct stream *s)
+{
+#if defined(__STDC_IEC_559__) || __GCC_IEC_559 >= 1
+  union {
+    double r;
+    uint64_t d;
+  } u;
+  u.d = stream_getq (s);
+  return u.r;
+#else
+#error "Please supply stream_getd implementation for this platform"
+#endif
+}
+
 /* Copy to source to stream.
  *
  * XXX: This uses CHECK_SIZE and hence has funny semantics -> Size will wrap
@@ -602,6 +636,38 @@
 }
 
 int
+stream_putf (struct stream *s, float f)
+{
+#if defined(__STDC_IEC_559__) || __GCC_IEC_559 >= 1
+/* we can safely assume 'float' is in the single precision
+   IEC 60559 binary format in host order */
+  union {
+    float i;
+    uint32_t o;
+  } u;
+  u.i = f;
+  return stream_putl (s, u.o);
+#else
+#error "Please supply stream_putf implementation for this platform"
+#endif
+}
+
+int
+stream_putd (struct stream *s, double d)
+{
+#if defined(__STDC_IEC_559__) || __GCC_IEC_559 >= 1
+  union {
+    double i;
+    uint64_t o;
+  } u;
+  u.i = d;
+  return stream_putq (s, u.o);
+#else
+#error "Please supply stream_putd implementation for this platform"
+#endif
+}
+
+int
 stream_putc_at (struct stream *s, size_t putp, u_char c)
 {
   STREAM_VERIFY_SANE(s);
diff --git a/lib/stream.h b/lib/stream.h
index 1fc382d..06b0ee1 100644
--- a/lib/stream.h
+++ b/lib/stream.h
@@ -186,6 +186,12 @@
 extern uint64_t stream_getq_from (struct stream *, size_t);
 extern u_int32_t stream_get_ipv4 (struct stream *);
 
+/* IEEE-754 floats */
+extern float stream_getf (struct stream *);
+extern double stream_getd (struct stream *);
+extern int stream_putf (struct stream *, float);
+extern int stream_putd (struct stream *, double);
+
 #undef stream_read
 #undef stream_write