diff --git a/src/node/updater/environment.ml b/src/node/updater/environment.ml
index 015008fb9..9e1246d4a 100644
--- a/src/node/updater/environment.ml
+++ b/src/node/updater/environment.ml
@@ -134,8 +134,16 @@ module Make(Param : sig val name: string end)() = struct
   module Compare = Compare
   module Array = Array
   module List = List
-  module Bytes = Bytes
-  module String = String
+  module Bytes = struct
+    include Bytes
+    include EndianBytes.BigEndian
+    module LE = EndianBytes.LittleEndian
+  end
+  module String = struct
+    include String
+    include EndianString.BigEndian
+    module LE = EndianString.LittleEndian
+  end
   module Set = Set
   module Map = Map
   module Int32 = Int32
diff --git a/src/proto/environment/bytes.mli b/src/proto/environment/bytes.mli
index 3b03382ce..746bf1c3c 100644
--- a/src/proto/environment/bytes.mli
+++ b/src/proto/environment/bytes.mli
@@ -420,14 +420,79 @@ let s = Bytes.of_string "hello"
     [string] type for this purpose.
 *)
 
-(**/**)
+(** Functions reading and writing bytes  *)
 
-(* The following is for system use only. Do not call directly. *)
+val get_char: t -> int -> char
+(** [get_char buff i] reads 1 byte at offset i as a char *)
 
-external unsafe_get : bytes -> int -> char = "%string_unsafe_get"
-external unsafe_set : bytes -> int -> char -> unit = "%string_unsafe_set"
-external unsafe_blit :
-  bytes -> int -> bytes -> int -> int -> unit
-  = "caml_blit_string" [@@noalloc]
-external unsafe_fill :
-  bytes -> int -> int -> char -> unit = "caml_fill_string" [@@noalloc]
+val get_uint8: t -> int -> int
+(** [get_uint8 buff i] reads 1 byte at offset i as an unsigned int of 8
+    bits. i.e. It returns a value between 0 and 2^8-1 *)
+
+val get_int8: t -> int -> int
+(** [get_int8 buff i] reads 1 byte at offset i as a signed int of 8
+    bits. i.e. It returns a value between -2^7 and 2^7-1 *)
+
+val set_char: t -> int -> char -> unit
+(** [set_char buff i v] writes [v] to [buff] at offset [i] *)
+
+val set_int8: t -> int -> int -> unit
+(** [set_int8 buff i v] writes the least significant 8 bits of [v]
+    to [buff] at offset [i] *)
+
+(** Functions reading according to Big Endian byte order *)
+
+val get_uint16: t -> int -> int
+(** [get_uint16 buff i] reads 2 bytes at offset i as an unsigned int
+      of 16 bits. i.e. It returns a value between 0 and 2^16-1 *)
+
+val get_int16: t -> int -> int
+(** [get_int16 buff i] reads 2 byte at offset i as a signed int of
+      16 bits. i.e. It returns a value between -2^15 and 2^15-1 *)
+
+val get_int32: t -> int -> int32
+(** [get_int32 buff i] reads 4 bytes at offset i as an int32. *)
+
+val get_int64: t -> int -> int64
+(** [get_int64 buff i] reads 8 bytes at offset i as an int64. *)
+
+val set_int16: t -> int -> int -> unit
+(** [set_int16 buff i v] writes the least significant 16 bits of [v]
+      to [buff] at offset [i] *)
+
+val set_int32: t -> int -> int32 -> unit
+(** [set_int32 buff i v] writes [v] to [buff] at offset [i] *)
+
+val set_int64: t -> int -> int64 -> unit
+(** [set_int64 buff i v] writes [v] to [buff] at offset [i] *)
+
+
+module LE: sig
+
+  (** Functions reading according to Little Endian byte order *)
+
+  val get_uint16: t -> int -> int
+  (** [get_uint16 buff i] reads 2 bytes at offset i as an unsigned int
+      of 16 bits. i.e. It returns a value between 0 and 2^16-1 *)
+
+  val get_int16: t -> int -> int
+  (** [get_int16 buff i] reads 2 byte at offset i as a signed int of
+      16 bits. i.e. It returns a value between -2^15 and 2^15-1 *)
+
+  val get_int32: t -> int -> int32
+  (** [get_int32 buff i] reads 4 bytes at offset i as an int32. *)
+
+  val get_int64: t -> int -> int64
+  (** [get_int64 buff i] reads 8 bytes at offset i as an int64. *)
+
+  val set_int16: t -> int -> int -> unit
+  (** [set_int16 buff i v] writes the least significant 16 bits of [v]
+      to [buff] at offset [i] *)
+
+  val set_int32: t -> int -> int32 -> unit
+  (** [set_int32 buff i v] writes [v] to [buff] at offset [i] *)
+
+  val set_int64: t -> int -> int64 -> unit
+  (** [set_int64 buff i v] writes [v] to [buff] at offset [i] *)
+
+end
diff --git a/src/proto/environment/string.mli b/src/proto/environment/string.mli
index 6b9c7f577..50693ff14 100644
--- a/src/proto/environment/string.mli
+++ b/src/proto/environment/string.mli
@@ -238,3 +238,53 @@ val compare: t -> t -> int
     {!Pervasives.compare}.  Along with the type [t], this function [compare]
     allows the module [String] to be passed as argument to the functors
     {!Set.Make} and {!Map.Make}. *)
+
+
+(** Functions reading bytes  *)
+
+val get_char: t -> int -> char
+(** [get_char buff i] reads 1 byte at offset i as a char *)
+
+val get_uint8: t -> int -> int
+(** [get_uint8 buff i] reads 1 byte at offset i as an unsigned int of 8
+    bits. i.e. It returns a value between 0 and 2^8-1 *)
+
+val get_int8: t -> int -> int
+(** [get_int8 buff i] reads 1 byte at offset i as a signed int of 8
+    bits. i.e. It returns a value between -2^7 and 2^7-1 *)
+
+(** Functions reading according to Big Endian byte order *)
+
+val get_uint16: t -> int -> int
+(** [get_uint16 buff i] reads 2 bytes at offset i as an unsigned int
+      of 16 bits. i.e. It returns a value between 0 and 2^16-1 *)
+
+val get_int16: t -> int -> int
+(** [get_int16 buff i] reads 2 byte at offset i as a signed int of
+      16 bits. i.e. It returns a value between -2^15 and 2^15-1 *)
+
+val get_int32: t -> int -> int32
+(** [get_int32 buff i] reads 4 bytes at offset i as an int32. *)
+
+val get_int64: t -> int -> int64
+(** [get_int64 buff i] reads 8 bytes at offset i as an int64. *)
+
+module LE: sig
+
+  (** Functions reading according to Little Endian byte order *)
+
+  val get_uint16: t -> int -> int
+  (** [get_uint16 buff i] reads 2 bytes at offset i as an unsigned int
+      of 16 bits. i.e. It returns a value between 0 and 2^16-1 *)
+
+  val get_int16: t -> int -> int
+  (** [get_int16 buff i] reads 2 byte at offset i as a signed int of
+      16 bits. i.e. It returns a value between -2^15 and 2^15-1 *)
+
+  val get_int32: t -> int -> int32
+  (** [get_int32 buff i] reads 4 bytes at offset i as an int32. *)
+
+  val get_int64: t -> int -> int64
+  (** [get_int64 buff i] reads 8 bytes at offset i as an int64. *)
+
+end