diff --git a/src/std/build-spec.ss b/src/std/build-spec.ss
index 5ab2ceeb3..a37a7fb13 100644
--- a/src/std/build-spec.ss
+++ b/src/std/build-spec.ss
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@
     "misc/path"
     "misc/symbol"
     "misc/rwlock"
+    "misc/template"
     ;; :std/protobuf
     "protobuf/io"
     "protobuf/macros"
diff --git a/src/std/misc/template.ss b/src/std/misc/template.ss
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2eb7f1488
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/std/misc/template.ss
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+;;; -*- Gerbil -*-
+;;; © vyzo
+;;; string templates
+(export write-template
+        apply-template)
+(import :std/io
+        (only-in :std/srfi/1 reverse!))
+
+(def (write-template template output . args)
+  (let (str (apply apply-template template args))
+    (cond
+     ((input-port? output)
+      (display str output))
+     ((is-StringWriter? output)
+      (StringWriter-write-string output str))
+     ((is-BufferedWriter? output)
+      (BufferedWriter-write-string output str))
+     (else
+      (error "Bad argument; expected port, StringWriter or BufferedWriter" output)))))
+
+(def (apply-template template . args)
+  (def vars (make-hash-table))
+
+  (let lp ((rest args))
+    (match rest
+      ([(? keyword? key) val . rest]
+       (hash-put! vars (keyword->string key) val)
+       (lp rest))
+      ([] (void))))
+
+  (call-with-output-string ""
+    (lambda (output)
+      (let lp ((rest (string->list template)))
+        (match rest
+          ([char . rest]
+           (if (eqv? char #\$)
+             (match rest
+               ([char . rest]
+                (if (eqv? char #\{)
+                  (let lp-inner ((rest rest) (var []))
+                    (match rest
+                      ([char . rest]
+                       (if (eqv? char #\})
+                         (begin
+                           (display (hash-ref vars (list->string (reverse! var)))
+                                    output)
+                           (lp rest))
+                         (lp-inner rest (cons char var))))
+                      (else
+                       (error "incomplete variable substitution"))))
+                  (begin
+                   (display #\$ output)
+                   (display char output)
+                   (lp rest))))
+               (else
+                (display #\$ output)
+                (lp rest)))
+             (begin
+               (display char output)
+               (lp rest))))
+          (else (void)))))))