diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 855d5ef5..52b30061 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ UTIL_FILES   =			\
     alloc/fwd.hpp		\
     alloc/affix.cpp		\
     alloc/affix.hpp		\
+    alloc/aligned.hpp		\
     alloc/allocator.cpp		\
     alloc/allocator.hpp		\
     alloc/allocator.ipp		\
@@ -385,6 +386,7 @@ noinst_PROGRAMS = tools/scratch
 AM_CXXFLAGS += -I$(top_srcdir)
 
 TEST_BIN = 			\
+    test/alloc/aligned		\
     test/alloc/arena		\
     test/alloc/dynamic		\
     test/alloc/linear		\
diff --git a/alloc/aligned.hpp b/alloc/aligned.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f60f81fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/alloc/aligned.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ *
+ * Copyright 2016 Danny Robson <danny@nerdcruft.net>
+ */
+
+#ifndef __CRUFT_UTIL_ALLOC_ALIGNED_HPP
+#define __CRUFT_UTIL_ALLOC_ALIGNED_HPP
+
+namespace util::alloc {
+    /// wraps a child allocator and enforces a fixed alignment
+    template <typename Successor>
+    class aligned {
+    public:
+        ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+        template <typename ...Args>
+        aligned (std::size_t _alignment, Args &&...args):
+            m_successor (std::forward<Args> (args)...),
+            m_alignment (_alignment)
+        { ; }
+
+
+        ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+        auto
+        allocate (size_t bytes)
+        {
+            return m_successor.allocate (bytes, m_alignment);
+        }
+
+        //---------------------------------------------------------------------
+        void
+        deallocate (void *ptr, size_t bytes)
+        {
+            return m_successor.deallocate (ptr, bytes);
+        }
+
+
+        ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+        auto base (void)
+        {
+            return m_successor.base ();
+        }
+
+
+        //---------------------------------------------------------------------
+        auto
+        offset (const void *ptr)
+        {
+            return m_successor.offset (ptr);
+        }
+
+
+        ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+        auto reset (void) { return m_successor.reset (); }
+
+
+        ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+        auto capacity (void) const { return m_successor.capacity (); }
+        auto used     (void) const { return m_successor.used     (); }
+        auto remain   (void) const { return m_successor.remain   (); }
+
+
+    private:
+        Successor   m_successor;
+        std::size_t m_alignment;
+    };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/test/alloc/aligned.cpp b/test/alloc/aligned.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..71fae127
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/alloc/aligned.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#include "tap.hpp"
+
+#include "alloc/aligned.hpp"
+#include "alloc/linear.hpp"
+
+
+int
+main (int, char**)
+{
+    util::TAP::logger tap;
+
+    // set aside a sizeable buffer. it has to be large enough to conceivably
+    // satisfy a sane allocation request during testing, just in case the
+    // underlying code actually decides to do something; we don't be touching
+    // it ourselves.
+    static char buffer[1024*1024];
+
+    // pick an alignment that isn't likely to be satisfied by any likely
+    // underlying allocator. if the allocation fulfills this alignment then
+    // we're probably operating correctly. 
+    static constexpr std::size_t alignment = 3;
+
+    util::alloc::aligned<util::alloc::linear> alloc (
+        alignment, std::begin (buffer), std::end (buffer)
+    );
+
+    // allocate a range of values and make sure they all satisfy our alignment.
+    // don't choose values which are likely to combine with the testing
+    // alignment to produce a likely system alignment. eg, 3 + 5 == 8 which is
+    // a power-of-2.
+    uintptr_t result[4] = {
+        (uintptr_t)alloc.allocate (9),     // just over a power of two
+        (uintptr_t)alloc.allocate (1),     // a single byte
+        (uintptr_t)alloc.allocate (64),    // a cache line
+        (uintptr_t)alloc.allocate (250)    // multiple cache lines, but not a power of two
+    };
+
+    tap.expect (
+        !(result[0] % alignment) &&
+        !(result[1] % alignment) &&
+        !(result[2] % alignment) &&
+        !(result[3] % alignment),
+
+        "allocations make alignment of %zu", alignment
+    );
+
+    return tap.status ();
+}