diff --git a/lib/std/mem.zig b/lib/std/mem.zig
index 068167183d..437faa2eb6 100644
--- a/lib/std/mem.zig
+++ b/lib/std/mem.zig
@@ -662,10 +662,15 @@ pub fn order(comptime T: type, lhs: []const T, rhs: []const T) math.Order {
 
 /// Compares two many-item pointers with NUL-termination lexicographically.
 pub fn orderZ(comptime T: type, lhs: [*:0]const T, rhs: [*:0]const T) math.Order {
+    return boundedOrderZ(T, lhs, rhs, std.math.maxInt(usize));
+}
+
+/// Compares two many-item pointers with NUL-termination lexicographically until some specified bound.
+pub fn boundedOrderZ(comptime T: type, lhs: [*:0]const T, rhs: [*:0]const T, bound: usize) math.Order {
     if (lhs == rhs) return .eq;
     var i: usize = 0;
-    while (lhs[i] == rhs[i] and lhs[i] != 0) : (i += 1) {}
-    return math.order(lhs[i], rhs[i]);
+    while (lhs[i] == rhs[i] and lhs[i] != 0 and i < bound) : (i += 1) {}
+    return if (i < bound) math.order(lhs[i], rhs[i]) else .eq;
 }
 
 test order {