diff --git a/libs/libc/libc.h b/libs/libc/libc.h
index 2cc91f5069dd7..465c636589bec 100644
--- a/libs/libc/libc.h
+++ b/libs/libc/libc.h
@@ -178,6 +178,16 @@
 
 #define UNALIGNED(x, y) ((UNALIGNED_X(x)) | (UNALIGNED_X(y)))
 
+/* Nonzero if x and y disagree about where a "libc_data_t" boundary falls.
+ * A pair that agrees can be walked up to the boundary a byte at a time and
+ * handled a word at a time from there, since aligning one aligns the
+ * other.  A pair that disagrees cannot, because no single boundary serves
+ * both.
+ */
+
+#define MISALIGNED(x, y) \
+  ((((uintptr_t)(x)) ^ ((uintptr_t)(y))) & (sizeof(libc_data_t) - 1))
+
 #define ALIGNED(x) \
   (((libc_data_t)(uintptr_t)(x) & (sizeof(libc_data_t) - 1)) == 0)
 
diff --git a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemccpy.c b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemccpy.c
index 610c482c40097..59eee4246ca55 100644
--- a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemccpy.c
+++ b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemccpy.c
@@ -60,6 +60,27 @@ FAR void *memccpy(FAR void *s1, FAR const void *s2, int c, size_t n)
   FAR const unsigned char *pin = (FAR const unsigned char *)s2;
   unsigned char endchar = c & 0xff;
 
+  /* Walk a pair that agrees about where a boundary falls up to it, so that
+   * the word path below is reached even when the caller aligned neither
+   * pointer.  The end character is left for the byte loop, which copies it
+   * and reports where it landed.  Fewer than LITTLEBLOCKSIZE bytes are
+   * copied and the size was tested against that first, so this cannot run
+   * past the end.
+   */
+
+  if (!TOO_SMALL(n) && !MISALIGNED(pin, pout) && UNALIGNED_X(pin))
+    {
+      while (*pin != endchar)
+        {
+          *pout++ = *pin++;
+          n--;
+          if (!UNALIGNED_X(pin))
+            {
+              break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
   /* If the size is small, or either pin or pout is unaligned,
    * then punt into the byte copy loop.  This should be rare.
    */
diff --git a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemcmp.c b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemcmp.c
index 871b2275aa7db..16ce6dea95d0d 100644
--- a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemcmp.c
+++ b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemcmp.c
@@ -45,6 +45,28 @@ int memcmp(FAR const void *s1, FAR const void *s2, size_t n)
   FAR unsigned char *p1 = (FAR unsigned char *)s1;
   FAR unsigned char *p2 = (FAR unsigned char *)s2;
 
+  /* Walk a pair that agrees about where a boundary falls up to it, so that
+   * the word path below is reached even when the caller aligned neither
+   * pointer.  A difference found on the way stops the walk and is reported
+   * by the byte loop.  Fewer than LITTLEBLOCKSIZE bytes are compared and
+   * the size was tested against that first, so this cannot run past the
+   * end.
+   */
+
+  if (!TOO_SMALL(n) && !MISALIGNED(p1, p2) && UNALIGNED_X(p1))
+    {
+      while (*p1 == *p2)
+        {
+          p1++;
+          p2++;
+          n--;
+          if (!UNALIGNED_X(p1))
+            {
+              break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
   /* If the size is too small, or either pointer is unaligned,
    * then we punt to the byte compare loop.  Hopefully this will
    * not turn up in inner loops.
diff --git a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemcpy.c b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemcpy.c
index 3950a85f9c064..d3062118ccfb9 100644
--- a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemcpy.c
+++ b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdmemcpy.c
@@ -49,6 +49,22 @@ FAR void *memcpy(FAR void *dest, FAR const void *src, size_t n)
   FAR char *pout = dest;
   FAR const char *pin = src;
 
+  /* Walk a pair that agrees about where a boundary falls up to it, so that
+   * the word path below is reached even when the caller aligned neither
+   * pointer.  Fewer than LITTLEBLOCKSIZE bytes are copied and the size was
+   * tested against that first, so this cannot run past the end.
+   */
+
+  if (!TOO_SMALL(n) && !MISALIGNED(pin, pout) && UNALIGNED_X(pin))
+    {
+      do
+        {
+          *pout++ = *pin++;
+          n--;
+        }
+      while (UNALIGNED_X(pin));
+    }
+
   /* If the size is small, or either pin or pout is unaligned,
    * then punt into the byte copy loop.  This should be rare.
    */
diff --git a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstpcpy.c b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstpcpy.c
index fbd9687adef28..c386fc9cc7fe9 100644
--- a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstpcpy.c
+++ b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstpcpy.c
@@ -56,6 +56,23 @@ no_builtin("stpcpy")
 nosanitize_address
 FAR char *stpcpy(FAR char *dest, FAR const char *src)
 {
+  /* Walk a pair that agrees about where a boundary falls up to it, so that
+   * the word path below is reached even when the caller aligned neither
+   * pointer.  The terminator is left for the byte loop to copy.
+   */
+
+  if (!MISALIGNED(src, dest) && UNALIGNED_X(src))
+    {
+      while (*src != '\0')
+        {
+          *dest++ = *src++;
+          if (!UNALIGNED_X(src))
+            {
+              break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
   /* If src or dest is unaligned, then copy bytes. */
 
   if (!UNALIGNED(src, dest))
diff --git a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstpncpy.c b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstpncpy.c
index 1f8914551d4f0..0df9c108982fe 100644
--- a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstpncpy.c
+++ b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstpncpy.c
@@ -67,6 +67,26 @@ FAR char *stpncpy(FAR char *dest, FAR const char *src, size_t n)
 {
   FAR char *ret = NULL;
 
+  /* Walk a pair that agrees about where a boundary falls up to it, so that
+   * the word path below is reached even when the caller aligned neither
+   * pointer.  The terminator is left for the byte loop, which also pads.
+   * Fewer than LITTLEBLOCKSIZE bytes are copied and n was tested against
+   * that first, so n cannot run out here.
+   */
+
+  if (!MISALIGNED(src, dest) && !TOO_SMALL(n) && UNALIGNED_X(src))
+    {
+      while (*src != '\0')
+        {
+          *dest++ = *src++;
+          n--;
+          if (!UNALIGNED_X(src))
+            {
+              break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
   /* If src and dest is aligned and n large enough, then copy words. */
 
   if (!UNALIGNED(src, dest) && !TOO_SMALL(n))
diff --git a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrcmp.c b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrcmp.c
index 2ec0fed57cb00..f1fbc33e9a6af 100644
--- a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrcmp.c
+++ b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrcmp.c
@@ -43,6 +43,25 @@ no_builtin("strcmp")
 nosanitize_address
 int strcmp(FAR const char *cs, FAR const char *ct)
 {
+  /* Walk a pair that agrees about where a boundary falls up to it, so that
+   * the word path below is reached even when the caller aligned neither
+   * pointer.  A difference or a terminator found on the way stops the walk
+   * and is reported by the byte loop.
+   */
+
+  if (!MISALIGNED(cs, ct) && UNALIGNED_X(cs))
+    {
+      while (*cs != '\0' && *cs == *ct)
+        {
+          cs++;
+          ct++;
+          if (!UNALIGNED_X(cs))
+            {
+              break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
   /* If cs or ct are unaligned, then compare bytes. */
 
   if (!UNALIGNED(cs, ct))
diff --git a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrcpy.c b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrcpy.c
index a19e44d4c9438..b891c543d1ce5 100644
--- a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrcpy.c
+++ b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrcpy.c
@@ -58,6 +58,23 @@ FAR char *strcpy(FAR char *dest, FAR const char *src)
   FAR char *dst0 = dest;
   FAR const char *src0 = src;
 
+  /* Walk a pair that agrees about where a boundary falls up to it, so that
+   * the word path below is reached even when the caller aligned neither
+   * pointer.  The terminator is left for the byte loop to copy.
+   */
+
+  if (!MISALIGNED(src0, dst0) && UNALIGNED_X(src0))
+    {
+      while (*src0 != '\0')
+        {
+          *dst0++ = *src0++;
+          if (!UNALIGNED_X(src0))
+            {
+              break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
   /* If SRC or DEST is unaligned, then copy bytes. */
 
   if (!UNALIGNED(src0, dst0))
diff --git a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrncmp.c b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrncmp.c
index 20f127e171691..f341f86f3efa6 100644
--- a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrncmp.c
+++ b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrncmp.c
@@ -48,6 +48,31 @@ int strncmp(FAR const char *cs, FAR const char *ct, size_t nb)
       return 0;
     }
 
+  /* Walk a pair that agrees about where a boundary falls up to it, so that
+   * the word path below is reached even when the caller aligned neither
+   * pointer.  A difference found on the way stops the walk and is reported
+   * by the byte loop; the count running out or a terminator means the
+   * strings are equal over the whole comparison.
+   */
+
+  if (!MISALIGNED(cs, ct) && UNALIGNED_X(cs))
+    {
+      while (*cs == *ct)
+        {
+          if (--nb == 0 || *cs == '\0')
+            {
+              return 0;
+            }
+
+          cs++;
+          ct++;
+          if (!UNALIGNED_X(cs))
+            {
+              break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
   /* If cs or ct are unaligned, then compare bytes. */
 
   if (!UNALIGNED(cs, ct))
diff --git a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrncpy.c b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrncpy.c
index 79aeca0aba7d3..ce261b10f5440 100644
--- a/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrncpy.c
+++ b/libs/libc/string/lib_bsdstrncpy.c
@@ -67,6 +67,26 @@ FAR char *strncpy(FAR char *dest, FAR const char *src, size_t n)
   FAR char *dst0 = dest;
   FAR const char *src0 = src;
 
+  /* Walk a pair that agrees about where a boundary falls up to it, so that
+   * the word path below is reached even when the caller aligned neither
+   * pointer.  The terminator is left for the byte loop, which also pads.
+   * Fewer than LITTLEBLOCKSIZE bytes are copied and n was tested against
+   * that first, so n cannot run out here.
+   */
+
+  if (!MISALIGNED(src0, dst0) && !TOO_SMALL(n) && UNALIGNED_X(src0))
+    {
+      while (*src0 != '\0')
+        {
+          *dst0++ = *src0++;
+          n--;
+          if (!UNALIGNED_X(src0))
+            {
+              break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
   /* If src and dest is aligned and n large enough, then copy words. */
 
   if (!UNALIGNED(src0, dst0) && !TOO_SMALL(n))