diff --git a/lib/std/crypto.zig b/lib/std/crypto.zig
index c2a6fb6730..a30ec9728e 100644
--- a/lib/std/crypto.zig
+++ b/lib/std/crypto.zig
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ pub const nacl = struct {
     pub const SealedBox = salsa20.SealedBox;
 };
 
+pub const utils = @import("crypto/utils.zig");
+
 const std = @import("std.zig");
 pub const randomBytes = std.os.getrandom;
 
diff --git a/lib/std/crypto/bcrypt.zig b/lib/std/crypto/bcrypt.zig
index 179d904494..4cec59961b 100644
--- a/lib/std/crypto/bcrypt.zig
+++ b/lib/std/crypto/bcrypt.zig
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const math = std.math;
 const mem = std.mem;
 const debug = std.debug;
 const testing = std.testing;
+const utils = std.crypto.utils;
 
 const salt_length: usize = 16;
 const salt_str_length: usize = 22;
@@ -226,7 +227,7 @@ fn strHashInternal(password: []const u8, rounds_log: u6, salt: [salt_length]u8)
         state.expand0(passwordZ);
         state.expand0(salt[0..]);
     }
-    mem.secureZero(u8, &password_buf);
+    utils.secureZero(u8, &password_buf);
 
     var cdata = [6]u32{ 0x4f727068, 0x65616e42, 0x65686f6c, 0x64657253, 0x63727944, 0x6f756274 }; // "OrpheanBeholderScryDoubt"
     k = 0;
diff --git a/lib/std/crypto/ghash.zig b/lib/std/crypto/ghash.zig
index 36ce7b2c88..d5d4ae98ea 100644
--- a/lib/std/crypto/ghash.zig
+++ b/lib/std/crypto/ghash.zig
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const std = @import("../std.zig");
 const assert = std.debug.assert;
 const math = std.math;
 const mem = std.mem;
+const utils = std.crypto.utils;
 
 /// GHASH is a universal hash function that features multiplication
 /// by a fixed parameter within a Galois field.
@@ -305,7 +306,7 @@ pub const Ghash = struct {
         mem.writeIntBig(u64, out[0..8], st.y1);
         mem.writeIntBig(u64, out[8..16], st.y0);
 
-        mem.secureZero(u8, @ptrCast([*]u8, st)[0..@sizeOf(Ghash)]);
+        utils.secureZero(u8, @ptrCast([*]u8, st)[0..@sizeOf(Ghash)]);
     }
 
     pub fn create(out: *[mac_length]u8, msg: []const u8, key: *const [key_length]u8) void {
diff --git a/lib/std/crypto/poly1305.zig b/lib/std/crypto/poly1305.zig
index 5b1554b113..0b7b4cd64a 100644
--- a/lib/std/crypto/poly1305.zig
+++ b/lib/std/crypto/poly1305.zig
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 // The MIT license requires this copyright notice to be included in all copies
 // and substantial portions of the software.
 const std = @import("../std.zig");
+const utils = std.crypto.utils;
 const mem = std.mem;
 
 pub const Poly1305 = struct {
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ pub const Poly1305 = struct {
         mem.writeIntLittle(u64, out[0..8], st.h[0]);
         mem.writeIntLittle(u64, out[8..16], st.h[1]);
 
-        std.mem.secureZero(u8, @ptrCast([*]u8, st)[0..@sizeOf(Poly1305)]);
+        utils.secureZero(u8, @ptrCast([*]u8, st)[0..@sizeOf(Poly1305)]);
     }
 
     pub fn create(out: *[mac_length]u8, msg: []const u8, key: *const [key_length]u8) void {
diff --git a/lib/std/crypto/salsa20.zig b/lib/std/crypto/salsa20.zig
index f12a4039dc..dd3e4fe99b 100644
--- a/lib/std/crypto/salsa20.zig
+++ b/lib/std/crypto/salsa20.zig
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const crypto = std.crypto;
 const debug = std.debug;
 const math = std.math;
 const mem = std.mem;
+const utils = std.crypto.utils;
 const Vector = std.meta.Vector;
 
 const Poly1305 = crypto.onetimeauth.Poly1305;
@@ -414,7 +415,7 @@ pub const XSalsa20Poly1305 = struct {
             acc |= computedTag[i] ^ tag[i];
         }
         if (acc != 0) {
-            mem.secureZero(u8, &computedTag);
+            utils.secureZero(u8, &computedTag);
             return error.AuthenticationFailed;
         }
         mem.copy(u8, m[0..mlen0], block0[32..][0..mlen0]);
@@ -532,7 +533,7 @@ pub const SealedBox = struct {
         const nonce = createNonce(ekp.public_key, public_key);
         mem.copy(u8, c[0..public_length], ekp.public_key[0..]);
         try Box.seal(c[Box.public_length..], m, nonce, public_key, ekp.secret_key);
-        mem.secureZero(u8, ekp.secret_key[0..]);
+        utils.secureZero(u8, ekp.secret_key[0..]);
     }
 
     /// Decrypt a message using a key pair.
diff --git a/lib/std/crypto/utils.zig b/lib/std/crypto/utils.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..33ad6360f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/std/crypto/utils.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+const std = @import("../std.zig");
+const mem = std.mem;
+const testing = std.testing;
+
+/// Compares two arrays in constant time (for a given length) and returns whether they are equal.
+/// This function was designed to compare short cryptographic secrets (MACs, signatures).
+/// For all other applications, use mem.eql() instead.
+pub fn timingSafeEql(comptime T: type, a: T, b: T) bool {
+    switch (@typeInfo(T)) {
+        .Array => |info| {
+            const C = info.child;
+            if (@typeInfo(C) != .Int) {
+                @compileError("Elements to be compared must be integers");
+            }
+            var acc = @as(C, 0);
+            for (a) |x, i| {
+                acc |= x ^ b[i];
+            }
+            comptime const s = @typeInfo(C).Int.bits;
+            comptime const Cu = std.meta.Int(.unsigned, s);
+            comptime const Cext = std.meta.Int(.unsigned, s + 1);
+            return @bitCast(bool, @truncate(u1, (@as(Cext, @bitCast(Cu, acc)) -% 1) >> s));
+        },
+        .Vector => |info| {
+            const C = info.child;
+            if (@typeInfo(C) != .Int) {
+                @compileError("Elements to be compared must be integers");
+            }
+            const acc = @reduce(.Or, a ^ b);
+            comptime const s = @typeInfo(C).Int.bits;
+            comptime const Cu = std.meta.Int(.unsigned, s);
+            comptime const Cext = std.meta.Int(.unsigned, s + 1);
+            return @bitCast(bool, @truncate(u1, (@as(Cext, @bitCast(Cu, acc)) -% 1) >> s));
+        },
+        else => {
+            @compileError("Only arrays and vectors can be compared");
+        },
+    }
+}
+
+/// Sets a slice to zeroes.
+/// Prevents the store from being optimized out.
+pub fn secureZero(comptime T: type, s: []T) void {
+    // NOTE: We do not use a volatile slice cast here since LLVM cannot
+    // see that it can be replaced by a memset.
+    const ptr = @ptrCast([*]volatile u8, s.ptr);
+    const length = s.len * @sizeOf(T);
+    @memset(ptr, 0, length);
+}
+
+test "crypto.utils.timingSafeEql" {
+    var a: [100]u8 = undefined;
+    var b: [100]u8 = undefined;
+    try std.crypto.randomBytes(a[0..]);
+    try std.crypto.randomBytes(b[0..]);
+    testing.expect(!timingSafeEql([100]u8, a, b));
+    mem.copy(u8, a[0..], b[0..]);
+    testing.expect(timingSafeEql([100]u8, a, b));
+}
+
+test "crypto.utils.timingSafeEql (vectors)" {
+    var a: [100]u8 = undefined;
+    var b: [100]u8 = undefined;
+    try std.crypto.randomBytes(a[0..]);
+    try std.crypto.randomBytes(b[0..]);
+    const v1: std.meta.Vector(100, u8) = a;
+    const v2: std.meta.Vector(100, u8) = b;
+    testing.expect(!timingSafeEql(std.meta.Vector(100, u8), v1, v2));
+    const v3: std.meta.Vector(100, u8) = a;
+    testing.expect(timingSafeEql(std.meta.Vector(100, u8), v1, v3));
+}
+
+test "crypto.utils.secureZero" {
+    var a = [_]u8{0xfe} ** 8;
+    var b = [_]u8{0xfe} ** 8;
+
+    mem.set(u8, a[0..], 0);
+    secureZero(u8, b[0..]);
+
+    testing.expectEqualSlices(u8, a[0..], b[0..]);
+}
diff --git a/lib/std/mem.zig b/lib/std/mem.zig
index 532c34e41c..e4d46dbf29 100644
--- a/lib/std/mem.zig
+++ b/lib/std/mem.zig
@@ -342,26 +342,6 @@ test "mem.zeroes" {
     testing.expectEqual(@as(u8, 0), c.a);
 }
 
-/// Sets a slice to zeroes.
-/// Prevents the store from being optimized out.
-pub fn secureZero(comptime T: type, s: []T) void {
-    // NOTE: We do not use a volatile slice cast here since LLVM cannot
-    // see that it can be replaced by a memset.
-    const ptr = @ptrCast([*]volatile u8, s.ptr);
-    const length = s.len * @sizeOf(T);
-    @memset(ptr, 0, length);
-}
-
-test "mem.secureZero" {
-    var a = [_]u8{0xfe} ** 8;
-    var b = [_]u8{0xfe} ** 8;
-
-    set(u8, a[0..], 0);
-    secureZero(u8, b[0..]);
-
-    testing.expectEqualSlices(u8, a[0..], b[0..]);
-}
-
 /// Initializes all fields of the struct with their default value, or zero values if no default value is present.
 /// If the field is present in the provided initial values, it will have that value instead.
 /// Structs are initialized recursively.