diff --git a/doc/5_02_message.qbk b/doc/5_02_message.qbk
index 89ab4789..3e6d1666 100644
--- a/doc/5_02_message.qbk
+++ b/doc/5_02_message.qbk
@@ -152,8 +152,17 @@ meet the requirements, or use the ones that come with the library:
     HTTP algorithms will use the open file for reading and writing,
     for streaming and incremental sends and receives.
 ]]
+[[
+    [link beast.ref.beast__http__span_body `span_body`]
+][
+    A body whose `value_type` is a
+    [link beast.ref.beast__span `span`],
+    a non-owning reference to a single linear buffer of bytes.
+    Messages with this body type may be serialized and parsed.
+]]
 [[
     [link beast.ref.beast__http__basic_string_body `basic_string_body`]
+
     [link beast.ref.beast__http__string_body `string_body`]
 ][
     A body whose `value_type` is `std::basic_string` or `std::string`.
diff --git a/doc/quickref.xml b/doc/quickref.xml
index d49491ba..60ed05f9 100644
--- a/doc/quickref.xml
+++ b/doc/quickref.xml
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
             <member><link linkend="beast.ref.beast__http__response_parser">response_parser</link></member>
             <member><link linkend="beast.ref.beast__http__response_serializer">response_serializer</link></member>
             <member><link linkend="beast.ref.beast__http__serializer">serializer</link></member>
+            <member><link linkend="beast.ref.beast__http__span_body">span_body</link></member>
             <member><link linkend="beast.ref.beast__http__string_body">string_body</link></member>
             <member><link linkend="beast.ref.beast__http__string_view_body">string_view_body</link></member>
             <member><link linkend="beast.ref.beast__http__vector_body">vector_body</link></member>
diff --git a/example/http-server-threaded/http_server_threaded.cpp b/example/http-server-threaded/http_server_threaded.cpp
index 4389549c..e75b3796 100644
--- a/example/http-server-threaded/http_server_threaded.cpp
+++ b/example/http-server-threaded/http_server_threaded.cpp
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ public:
 
 private:
     // Send a client error response
-    http::response<http::string_view_body>
+    http::response<http::span_body<char const>>
     client_error(http::status result, beast::string_view text)
     {
-        http::response<http::string_view_body> res{result, 11};
+        http::response<http::span_body<char const>> res{result, 11};
         res.set(http::field::server, BEAST_VERSION_STRING);
         res.set(http::field::content_type, "text/plain");
         res.set(http::field::connection, "close");
diff --git a/include/beast/core/span.hpp b/include/beast/core/span.hpp
index d6998ea8..1d465ce4 100644
--- a/include/beast/core/span.hpp
+++ b/include/beast/core/span.hpp
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ public:
     {
         return data_;
     }
-        
+       
     /// Returns an iterator to one past the end of the span
     const_iterator
     end() const
diff --git a/include/beast/http.hpp b/include/beast/http.hpp
index a7e8519e..5c093d2d 100644
--- a/include/beast/http.hpp
+++ b/include/beast/http.hpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <beast/http/read.hpp>
 #include <beast/http/rfc7230.hpp>
 #include <beast/http/serializer.hpp>
+#include <beast/http/span_body.hpp>
 #include <beast/http/status.hpp>
 #include <beast/http/string_body.hpp>
 #include <beast/http/string_view_body.hpp>
diff --git a/include/beast/http/span_body.hpp b/include/beast/http/span_body.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e83cde2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/beast/http/span_body.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Vinnie Falco (vinnie dot falco at gmail dot com)
+//
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
+// file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+//
+
+#ifndef BEAST_HTTP_SPAN_BODY_HPP
+#define BEAST_HTTP_SPAN_BODY_HPP
+
+#include <beast/config.hpp>
+#include <beast/core/span.hpp>
+#include <beast/http/error.hpp>
+#include <beast/http/message.hpp>
+#include <boost/optional.hpp>
+
+namespace beast {
+namespace http {
+
+/** A @b Body using @ref span
+
+    This body uses @ref span as a memory-based container for
+    holding message payloads. The container represents a
+    non-owning reference to a continguous area of memory.
+    Messages using this body type may be serialized and
+    parsed.
+
+    Unlike @ref buffer_body, only one buffer may be provided
+    during a parse or serialize operation.
+*/
+template<class T>
+struct span_body
+{
+private:
+    static_assert(std::is_pod<T>::value,
+        "POD requirements not met");
+
+public:
+    /** The type of container used for the body
+
+        This determines the type of @ref message::body
+        when this body type is used with a message container.
+    */
+    using value_type = span<T>;
+
+    /** Returns the payload size of the body
+
+        When this body is used with @ref message::prepare_payload,
+        the Content-Length will be set to the payload size, and
+        any chunked Transfer-Encoding will be removed.
+    */
+    static
+    std::uint64_t
+    size(value_type const& body)
+    {
+        return body.size();
+    }
+
+    /** The algorithm for serializing the body
+
+        Meets the requirements of @b BodyReader.
+    */
+#if BEAST_DOXYGEN
+    using reader = implementation_defined;
+#else
+    class reader
+    {
+        value_type const& body_;
+
+    public:
+        using const_buffers_type =
+            boost::asio::const_buffers_1;
+
+        template<bool isRequest, class Fields>
+        explicit
+        reader(message<isRequest,
+                span_body, Fields> const& msg)
+            : body_(msg.body)
+        {
+        }
+
+        void
+        init(error_code& ec)
+        {
+            ec.assign(0, ec.category());
+        }
+
+        boost::optional<std::pair<const_buffers_type, bool>>
+        get(error_code& ec)
+        {
+            ec.assign(0, ec.category());
+            return {{
+                { body_.data(),
+                  body_.size() * sizeof(typename
+                    value_type::value_type)},
+                false}};
+        }
+    };
+#endif
+
+    /** The algorithm for parsing the body
+
+        Meets the requirements of @b BodyReader.
+    */
+#if BEAST_DOXYGEN
+    using writer = implementation_defined;
+#else
+    class writer
+    {
+        value_type& body_;
+
+    public:
+        template<bool isRequest, class Fields>
+        explicit
+        writer(message<isRequest,
+                span_body, Fields>& m)
+            : body_(m.body)
+        {
+        }
+
+        void
+        init(boost::optional<
+            std::uint64_t> const& length, error_code& ec)
+        {
+            if(length && *length > body_.size())
+            {
+                ec = error::buffer_overflow;
+                return;
+            }
+            ec.assign(0, ec.category());
+        }
+
+        template<class ConstBufferSequence>
+        std::size_t
+        put(ConstBufferSequence const& buffers,
+            error_code& ec)
+        {
+            using boost::asio::buffer_size;
+            using boost::asio::buffer_copy;
+            auto const n = buffer_size(buffers);
+            auto const len = body_.size();
+            if(n > len)
+            {
+                ec = error::buffer_overflow;
+                return 0;
+            }
+            ec.assign(0, ec.category());
+            buffer_copy(boost::asio::buffer(
+                body_.data(), n), buffers);
+            body_ = value_type{
+                body_.data() + n, body_.size() - n};
+            return n;
+        }
+
+        void
+        finish(error_code& ec)
+        {
+            ec.assign(0, ec.category());
+        }
+    };
+#endif
+};
+
+} // http
+} // beast
+
+#endif
diff --git a/test/core/span.cpp b/test/core/span.cpp
index 32892de3..ec8c7d3e 100644
--- a/test/core/span.cpp
+++ b/test/core/span.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 // Test that header file is self-contained.
 #include <beast/core/span.hpp>
 
+#include <beast/core/string.hpp>
 #include <beast/unit_test/suite.hpp>
 
 namespace beast {
@@ -15,6 +16,10 @@ namespace beast {
 class span_test : public beast::unit_test::suite
 {
 public:
+    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(
+        detail::is_contiguous_container<
+        string_view, char const>::value);
+
     struct base {};
     struct derived : base {};
 
diff --git a/test/http/CMakeLists.txt b/test/http/CMakeLists.txt
index 9a5f2284..52e4767c 100644
--- a/test/http/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/http/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ add_executable (http-tests
     read.cpp
     rfc7230.cpp
     serializer.cpp
+    span_body.cpp
     status.cpp
     string_body.cpp
     string_view_body.cpp
diff --git a/test/http/Jamfile b/test/http/Jamfile
index 66a959f2..85b25fda 100644
--- a/test/http/Jamfile
+++ b/test/http/Jamfile
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ unit-test http-tests :
     read.cpp
     rfc7230.cpp
     serializer.cpp
+    span_body.cpp
     status.cpp
     string_body.cpp
     string_view_body.cpp
diff --git a/test/http/span_body.cpp b/test/http/span_body.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3e9e3b17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/http/span_body.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Vinnie Falco (vinnie dot falco at gmail dot com)
+//
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
+// file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+//
+
+// Test that header file is self-contained.
+#include <beast/http/span_body.hpp>
+
+#include <beast/http/message.hpp>
+#include <beast/unit_test/suite.hpp>
+
+namespace beast {
+namespace http {
+
+struct span_body_test
+    : public beast::unit_test::suite
+{
+    void
+    testSpanBody()
+    {
+        {
+            using B = span_body<char const>;
+            request<B> req;
+
+            BEAST_EXPECT(req.body.size() == 0);
+            BEAST_EXPECT(B::size(req.body) == 0);
+
+            req.body = B::value_type("xyz", 3);
+            BEAST_EXPECT(req.body.size() == 3);
+            BEAST_EXPECT(B::size(req.body) == 3);
+
+            B::reader r{req};
+            error_code ec;
+            r.init(ec);
+            BEAST_EXPECTS(! ec, ec.message());
+            auto const buf = r.get(ec);
+            BEAST_EXPECTS(! ec, ec.message());
+            if(! BEAST_EXPECT(buf != boost::none))
+                return;
+            BEAST_EXPECT(boost::asio::buffer_size(buf->first) == 3);
+            BEAST_EXPECT(! buf->second);
+        }
+        {
+            char buf[5];
+            using B = span_body<char>;
+            request<B> req;
+            req.body = span<char>{buf, sizeof(buf)};
+            B::writer w{req};
+            error_code ec;
+            w.init(boost::none, ec);
+            BEAST_EXPECTS(! ec, ec.message());
+            w.put(boost::asio::const_buffers_1{
+                "123", 3}, ec);
+            BEAST_EXPECTS(! ec, ec.message());
+            BEAST_EXPECT(buf[0] == '1');
+            BEAST_EXPECT(buf[1] == '2');
+            BEAST_EXPECT(buf[2] == '3');
+            w.put(boost::asio::const_buffers_1{
+                "456", 3}, ec);
+            BEAST_EXPECTS(ec == error::buffer_overflow, ec.message());
+        }
+    }
+
+    void
+    run() override
+    {
+        testSpanBody();
+    }
+};
+
+BEAST_DEFINE_TESTSUITE(span_body,http,beast);
+
+} // http
+} // beast