diff --git a/LUA_API.rst b/LUA_API.rst
index 2bb2c949e..449f92b46 100644
--- a/LUA_API.rst
+++ b/LUA_API.rst
@@ -1235,6 +1235,12 @@ and are only documented here for completeness:
 
   Returns a sequence of tables describing virtual memory ranges of the process.
 
+* ``dfhack.internal.patchMemory(dest,src,count)``
+
+  Like memmove below, but works even if dest is read-only memory, e.g. code.
+  If destination overlaps a completely invalid memory region, or another error
+  occurs, returns false.
+
 * ``dfhack.internal.memmove(dest,src,count)``
 
   Wraps the standard memmove function. Accepts both numbers and refs as pointers.
diff --git a/Lua API.html b/Lua API.html
index 2c9a6a8df..7dfc7df00 100644
--- a/Lua API.html	
+++ b/Lua API.html	
@@ -1409,6 +1409,11 @@ global environment, persistent between calls to the script.</p>
 <li><p class="first"><tt class="docutils literal">dfhack.internal.getMemRanges()</tt></p>
 <p>Returns a sequence of tables describing virtual memory ranges of the process.</p>
 </li>
+<li><p class="first"><tt class="docutils literal">dfhack.internal.patchMemory(dest,src,count)</tt></p>
+<p>Like memmove below, but works even if dest is read-only memory, e.g. code.
+If destination overlaps a completely invalid memory region, or another error
+occurs, returns false.</p>
+</li>
 <li><p class="first"><tt class="docutils literal">dfhack.internal.memmove(dest,src,count)</tt></p>
 <p>Wraps the standard memmove function. Accepts both numbers and refs as pointers.</p>
 </li>
diff --git a/library/Core.cpp b/library/Core.cpp
index 826576b77..f129d9523 100644
--- a/library/Core.cpp
+++ b/library/Core.cpp
@@ -1548,6 +1548,56 @@ void ClassNameCheck::getKnownClassNames(std::vector<std::string> &names)
         names.push_back(*it);
 }
 
+bool Process::patchMemory(void *target, const void* src, size_t count)
+{
+    uint8_t *sptr = (uint8_t*)target;
+    uint8_t *eptr = sptr + count;
+
+    // Find the valid memory ranges
+    std::vector<t_memrange> ranges;
+    getMemRanges(ranges);
+
+    unsigned start = 0;
+    while (start < ranges.size() && ranges[start].end <= sptr)
+        start++;
+    if (start >= ranges.size() || ranges[start].start > sptr)
+        return false;
+
+    unsigned end = start+1;
+    while (end < ranges.size() && ranges[end].start < eptr)
+    {
+        if (ranges[end].start != ranges[end-1].end)
+            return false;
+        end++;
+    }
+    if (ranges[end-1].end < eptr)
+        return false;
+
+    // Verify current permissions
+    for (unsigned i = start; i < end; i++)
+        if (!ranges[i].valid || !(ranges[i].read || ranges[i].execute) || ranges[i].shared)
+            return false;
+
+    // Apply writable permissions & update
+    bool ok = true;
+
+    for (unsigned i = start; i < end && ok; i++)
+    {
+        t_memrange perms = ranges[i];
+        perms.write = perms.read = true;
+        if (!setPermisions(perms, perms))
+            ok = false;
+    }
+
+    if (ok)
+        memmove(target, src, count);
+
+    for (unsigned i = start; i < end && ok; i++)
+        setPermisions(ranges[i], ranges[i]);
+
+    return ok;
+}
+
 /*******************************************************************************
                                 M O D U L E S
 *******************************************************************************/
diff --git a/library/LuaApi.cpp b/library/LuaApi.cpp
index b0a085eca..108dba88f 100644
--- a/library/LuaApi.cpp
+++ b/library/LuaApi.cpp
@@ -1124,6 +1124,17 @@ static int internal_getMemRanges(lua_State *L)
     return 1;
 }
 
+static int internal_patchMemory(lua_State *L)
+{
+    void *dest = checkaddr(L, 1);
+    void *src = checkaddr(L, 2);
+    int size = luaL_checkint(L, 3);
+    if (size < 0) luaL_argerror(L, 1, "negative size");
+    bool ok = Core::getInstance().p->patchMemory(dest, src, size);
+    lua_pushboolean(L, ok);
+    return 1;
+}
+
 static int internal_memmove(lua_State *L)
 {
     void *dest = checkaddr(L, 1);
@@ -1214,6 +1225,7 @@ static const luaL_Reg dfhack_internal_funcs[] = {
     { "setAddress", internal_setAddress },
     { "getVTable", internal_getVTable },
     { "getMemRanges", internal_getMemRanges },
+    { "patchMemory", internal_patchMemory },
     { "memmove", internal_memmove },
     { "memcmp", internal_memcmp },
     { "memscan", internal_memscan },
diff --git a/library/include/MemAccess.h b/library/include/MemAccess.h
index c51df3c64..0e5f618e2 100644
--- a/library/include/MemAccess.h
+++ b/library/include/MemAccess.h
@@ -283,6 +283,9 @@ namespace DFHack
 
             /// modify permisions of memory range
             bool setPermisions(const t_memrange & range,const t_memrange &trgrange);
+
+            /// write a possibly read-only memory area
+            bool patchMemory(void *target, const void* src, size_t count);
     private:
         VersionInfo * my_descriptor;
         PlatformSpecific *d;