diff --git a/include/dsn/utility/endians.h b/include/dsn/utility/endians.h
index 550d3426f5..833fc3a630 100644
--- a/include/dsn/utility/endians.h
+++ b/include/dsn/utility/endians.h
@@ -13,12 +13,16 @@ namespace dsn {
 
 namespace endian {
 
+inline uint8_t hton(uint8_t v) { return v; }
+
 inline uint16_t hton(uint16_t v) { return htobe16(v); }
 
 inline uint32_t hton(uint32_t v) { return htobe32(v); }
 
 inline uint64_t hton(uint64_t v) { return htobe64(v); }
 
+inline uint8_t ntoh(uint8_t v) { return v; }
+
 inline uint16_t ntoh(uint16_t v) { return be16toh(v); }
 
 inline uint32_t ntoh(uint32_t v) { return be32toh(v); }
@@ -35,6 +39,8 @@ class data_output
 
     explicit data_output(std::string &s) : data_output(&s[0], s.length()) {}
 
+    data_output &write_u8(uint8_t val) { return write_unsigned(val); }
+
     data_output &write_u16(uint16_t val) { return write_unsigned(val); }
 
     data_output &write_u32(uint32_t val) { return write_unsigned(val); }
@@ -71,6 +77,8 @@ class data_input
 public:
     explicit data_input(string_view s) : _p(s.data()), _size(s.size()) {}
 
+    uint8_t read_u8() { return read_unsigned<uint8_t>(); }
+
     uint16_t read_u16() { return read_unsigned<uint16_t>(); }
 
     uint32_t read_u32() { return read_unsigned<uint32_t>(); }
diff --git a/src/utils/test/endian_test.cpp b/src/utils/test/endian_test.cpp
index c1fe2e1aac..34b50acead 100644
--- a/src/utils/test/endian_test.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/test/endian_test.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ TEST(endian, write_and_read)
         ASSERT_EQ(100, data_input(data).read_u32());
     }
 
+    {
+        std::string data;
+        data.resize(1);
+        data_output(data).write_u8(100);
+        ASSERT_EQ(100, data_input(data).read_u8());
+    }
+
     {
         std::string data;
         data.resize(1000 * 8);