diff --git a/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_memcmp.S b/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_memcmp.S
index 3af0a4602ca82..2110c283a134a 100644
--- a/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_memcmp.S
+++ b/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_memcmp.S
@@ -45,12 +45,33 @@ ARCH_LIBCFUN(memcmp):
 
 	beqz	a2, .Lequal
 
-	/* Check if both pointers share alignment */
+	/* The loops below load from both pointers at a boundary, which asks
+	 * that the two agree about where a boundary falls, not that either
+	 * is already on one.  Test the difference of the pointers, not their
+	 * union.
+	 */
 
-	or	t0, a0, a1
+	xor	t0, a0, a1
 	andi	t0, t0, SZREG-1
 	bnez	t0, .Lbyte_cmp
 
+	/* Same offset: walk both up to the boundary a byte at a time,
+	 * stopping early on a difference.
+	 */
+
+.Lalign_head:
+	andi	t0, a0, SZREG-1
+	beqz	t0, .Laligned
+	lbu	t1, 0(a0)
+	lbu	t2, 0(a1)
+	bne	t1, t2, .Ldiff
+	addi	a0, a0, 1
+	addi	a1, a1, 1
+	addi	a2, a2, -1
+	beqz	a2, .Lequal
+	j	.Lalign_head
+
+.Laligned:
 	li	t0, SZREG
 	bltu	a2, t0, .Lbyte_cmp
 
diff --git a/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strcmp.S b/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strcmp.S
index a0bad30f602c5..3ccbcfbc47b02 100644
--- a/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strcmp.S
+++ b/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strcmp.S
@@ -26,11 +26,46 @@
 ARCH_LIBCFUN(strcmp):
 	.cfi_sections .debug_frame
 	.cfi_startproc
-	or    a4, a0, a1
 	li    t2, -1
+
+	/* Two pointers the same distance past a boundary can be compared
+	 * a register at a time once both are walked up to it.  Only
+	 * pointers that disagree about where the boundary falls need the
+	 * byte loop, since no single aligned load serves both.  Test the
+	 * difference of the pointers, not their union.
+	 */
+
+	xor   a4, a0, a1
 	and   a4, a4, SZREG-1
 	bnez  a4, .Lmisaligned
 
+	/* Same offset: walk both up to the boundary a byte at a time,
+	 * stopping early on a difference or a terminator.
+	 */
+
+	and   a4, a0, SZREG-1
+	beqz  a4, .Laligned
+.Lhead:
+	lbu   a2, 0(a0)
+	lbu   a3, 0(a1)
+	bne   a2, a3, .Lheaddiff
+	addi  a0, a0, 1
+	addi  a1, a1, 1
+	beqz  a2, .Lheadeq
+	and   a4, a0, SZREG-1
+	bnez  a4, .Lhead
+	j     .Laligned
+
+.Lheaddiff:
+	sub   a0, a2, a3
+	ret
+
+.Lheadeq:
+	li    a0, 0
+	ret
+
+.Laligned:
+
 #if SZREG == 4
 	li a5, 0x7f7f7f7f
 #else
diff --git a/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strlcpy.S b/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strlcpy.S
index 6d18cf40e731d..ac90a89dae50a 100644
--- a/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strlcpy.S
+++ b/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strlcpy.S
@@ -72,7 +72,17 @@ ARCH_LIBCFUN(strlcpy):
 
 	addi	a2, a2, -1		/* reserve space for null terminator */
 
-	/* Bytewise copy head: align src to SZREG boundary */
+	/* The word loop below aligns src and then stores a register at a
+	 * time to dst, so it is safe only where the two pointers agree about
+	 * where a boundary falls.  Where they do not, no single boundary
+	 * serves both and the copy goes a byte at a time.
+	 */
+
+	xor	t0, a0, a1
+	andi	t0, t0, SZREG-1
+	bnez	t0, .Lcopy_tail
+
+	/* Bytewise copy head: align src, and with it dst */
 
 .Lcopy_head:
 	beqz	a2, .Ltruncated
diff --git a/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strncmp.S b/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strncmp.S
index df03d5fe13f24..52bc2688d03df 100644
--- a/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strncmp.S
+++ b/libs/libc/machine/risc-v/arch_strncmp.S
@@ -44,13 +44,36 @@ ARCH_LIBCFUN(strncmp):
 
 	beqz	a2, .Lequal
 
-	/* Check alignment consistency */
+	/* The word loop below loads from both pointers at a boundary, which
+	 * asks that the two agree about where a boundary falls, not that
+	 * either is already on one.  Test the difference of the pointers,
+	 * not their union.
+	 */
 
-	or	t0, a0, a1
+	xor	t0, a0, a1
 	andi	t0, t0, SZREG-1
 	bnez	t0, .Lbyte_loop
 
-	/* Both aligned - load masks */
+	/* Same offset: walk both up to the boundary a byte at a time,
+	 * stopping early on a difference or a terminator.
+	 */
+
+.Lsnc_align_head:
+	andi	t0, a0, SZREG-1
+	beqz	t0, .Lsnc_aligned
+	lbu	t0, 0(a0)
+	lbu	t1, 0(a1)
+	bne	t0, t1, .Ldiff
+	beqz	t0, .Lequal
+	addi	a0, a0, 1
+	addi	a1, a1, 1
+	addi	a2, a2, -1
+	beqz	a2, .Lequal
+	j	.Lsnc_align_head
+
+.Lsnc_aligned:
+
+	/* Load masks */
 
 #if SZREG == 8
 	lla	t2, .Lsnc_mask01