diff --git a/include/cutils/native_handle.h b/include/cutils/native_handle.h
index 813dadc..7d6a988 100644
--- a/include/cutils/native_handle.h
+++ b/include/cutils/native_handle.h
@@ -17,10 +17,17 @@
 #ifndef NATIVE_HANDLE_H_
 #define NATIVE_HANDLE_H_
 
+#include <stdalign.h>
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+/* Declare a char array for use with native_handle_init */
+#define NATIVE_HANDLE_DECLARE_STORAGE(name, maxFds, maxInts) \
+    alignas(native_handle_t) char name[                            \
+      sizeof(native_handle_t) + sizeof(int) * (maxFds + maxInts)]
+
 typedef struct native_handle
 {
     int version;        /* sizeof(native_handle_t) */
@@ -46,6 +53,14 @@
  */
 int native_handle_close(const native_handle_t* h);
 
+/*
+ * native_handle_init
+ *
+ * Initializes a native_handle_t from storage.  storage must be declared with
+ * NATIVE_HANDLE_DECLARE_STORAGE.  numFds and numInts must not respectively
+ * exceed maxFds and maxInts used to declare the storage.
+ */
+native_handle_t* native_handle_init(char* storage, int numFds, int numInts);
 
 /*
  * native_handle_create
diff --git a/libbacktrace/BacktracePtrace.cpp b/libbacktrace/BacktracePtrace.cpp
index fd8b713..148c418 100644
--- a/libbacktrace/BacktracePtrace.cpp
+++ b/libbacktrace/BacktracePtrace.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <sys/uio.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <sys/ptrace.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -72,42 +73,20 @@
   if (!BacktraceMap::IsValid(map) || !(map.flags & PROT_READ)) {
     return 0;
   }
-
   bytes = MIN(map.end - addr, bytes);
-  size_t bytes_read = 0;
-  word_t data_word;
-  size_t align_bytes = addr & (sizeof(word_t) - 1);
-  if (align_bytes != 0) {
-    if (!PtraceRead(Tid(), addr & ~(sizeof(word_t) - 1), &data_word)) {
-      return 0;
-    }
-    size_t copy_bytes = MIN(sizeof(word_t) - align_bytes, bytes);
-    memcpy(buffer, reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*>(&data_word) + align_bytes, copy_bytes);
-    addr += copy_bytes;
-    buffer += copy_bytes;
-    bytes -= copy_bytes;
-    bytes_read += copy_bytes;
-  }
 
-  size_t num_words = bytes / sizeof(word_t);
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < num_words; i++) {
-    if (!PtraceRead(Tid(), addr, &data_word)) {
-      return bytes_read;
-    }
-    memcpy(buffer, &data_word, sizeof(word_t));
-    buffer += sizeof(word_t);
-    addr += sizeof(word_t);
-    bytes_read += sizeof(word_t);
-  }
+  struct iovec local_io;
+  local_io.iov_base = buffer;
+  local_io.iov_len = bytes;
 
-  size_t left_over = bytes & (sizeof(word_t) - 1);
-  if (left_over) {
-    if (!PtraceRead(Tid(), addr, &data_word)) {
-      return bytes_read;
-    }
-    memcpy(buffer, &data_word, left_over);
-    bytes_read += left_over;
+  struct iovec remote_io;
+  remote_io.iov_base = reinterpret_cast<void*>(addr);
+  remote_io.iov_len = bytes;
+
+  ssize_t bytes_read = process_vm_readv(Tid(), &local_io, 1, &remote_io, 1, 0);
+  if (bytes_read == -1) {
+    return 0;
   }
-  return bytes_read;
+  return static_cast<size_t>(bytes_read);
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/libcutils/native_handle.c b/libcutils/native_handle.c
index cae146d..9f4840a 100644
--- a/libcutils/native_handle.c
+++ b/libcutils/native_handle.c
@@ -28,6 +28,20 @@
 static const int kMaxNativeFds = 1024;
 static const int kMaxNativeInts = 1024;
 
+native_handle_t* native_handle_init(char* storage, int numFds, int numInts)
+{
+    if ((uintptr_t) storage % alignof(native_handle_t)) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    native_handle_t* handle = (native_handle_t*) storage;
+    handle->version = sizeof(native_handle_t);
+    handle->numFds = numFds;
+    handle->numInts = numInts;
+
+    return handle;
+}
+
 native_handle_t* native_handle_create(int numFds, int numInts)
 {
     if (numFds < 0 || numInts < 0 || numFds > kMaxNativeFds || numInts > kMaxNativeInts) {