diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/ByteArrayMemory.java b/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/ByteArrayMemory.java
index 12de4dedd..dc0fdad99 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/ByteArrayMemory.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/ByteArrayMemory.java
@@ -386,22 +386,22 @@ public byte read(int addr) {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public byte[] readBytes(int addr, int len) {
+    public void readBytesInto(int addr, byte[] buf, int destOffset, int len) {
         checkBounds(addr, len, sizeInBytes(), WasmRuntimeException::new);
-        byte[] result = new byte[len];
-        int destOffset = 0;
+        if (destOffset < 0 || len > buf.length - destOffset) {
+            throw new IndexOutOfBoundsException();
+        }
         int remaining = len;
         int a = addr;
         while (remaining > 0) {
             int pageIdx = a >>> PAGE_SHIFT;
             int pageOffset = a & PAGE_MASK;
             int chunk = Math.min(remaining, PAGE_SIZE - pageOffset);
-            System.arraycopy(pages[pageIdx], pageOffset, result, destOffset, chunk);
+            System.arraycopy(pages[pageIdx], pageOffset, buf, destOffset, chunk);
             a += chunk;
             destOffset += chunk;
             remaining -= chunk;
         }
-        return result;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/ByteBufferMemory.java b/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/ByteBufferMemory.java
index dbcef602c..afe109e79 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/ByteBufferMemory.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/ByteBufferMemory.java
@@ -360,10 +360,11 @@ public byte read(int addr) {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public byte[] readBytes(int addr, int len) {
+    public void readBytesInto(int addr, byte[] buf, int destOffset, int len) {
         checkBounds(addr, len, sizeInBytes(), WasmRuntimeException::new);
-        byte[] result = new byte[len];
-        int destOffset = 0;
+        if (destOffset < 0 || len > buf.length - destOffset) {
+            throw new IndexOutOfBoundsException();
+        }
         int remaining = len;
         int a = addr;
         while (remaining > 0) {
@@ -371,12 +372,11 @@ public byte[] readBytes(int addr, int len) {
             int pageOffset = a & PAGE_MASK;
             int chunk = Math.min(remaining, PAGE_SIZE - pageOffset);
             pages[pageIdx].position(pageOffset);
-            pages[pageIdx].get(result, destOffset, chunk);
+            pages[pageIdx].get(buf, destOffset, chunk);
             a += chunk;
             destOffset += chunk;
             remaining -= chunk;
         }
-        return result;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/Memory.java b/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/Memory.java
index 7cf691d54..528e8feef 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/Memory.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/com/dylibso/chicory/runtime/Memory.java
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 
+/**
+ * Direct access to the memory (or a memory, if there are multiple) of the WASM virtual machine.
+ * <p>
+ * By design, WASM is little-endian and methods that read and write numeric data types reflect that. For example,
+ * {@link #writeI32(int, int)} writes out the 4 bytes of an integer, starting with the least significant, at the address.
+ */
 public interface Memory {
 
     /**
@@ -365,7 +371,42 @@ default void write(int addr, byte[] data) {
 
     byte read(int addr);
 
-    byte[] readBytes(int addr, int len);
+    /**
+     * Reads an arbitrary number of bytes returning a filled buffer.
+     *
+     * @param addr the start address
+     * @param len how many bytes to read
+     * @return the read bytes (length will be equal to {@code len})
+     * @throws WasmRuntimeException if the address and length specify an out-of-bounds memory range
+     */
+    default byte[] readBytes(int addr, int len) {
+        byte[] result = new byte[len];
+        readBytesInto(addr, result, 0, len);
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reads an arbitrary number of bytes, sending them to the destination buffer starting from the offset.
+     *
+     * @param addr the start address
+     * @param buf the output buffer
+     * @param destOffset the offset in the output buffer from which to start writing
+     * @param len how many bytes to read
+     * @throws IndexOutOfBoundsException if {@code offset + len > buf.length}
+     * @throws WasmRuntimeException if the address and length specify an out-of-bounds memory range
+     */
+    void readBytesInto(int addr, byte[] buf, int destOffset, int len);
+
+    /**
+     * Reads an arbitrary number of bytes, completely filling the destination buffer.
+     *
+     * @param addr the start address
+     * @param buf the output buffer, whose length will be the number of bytes read
+     * @throws WasmRuntimeException if the address and buffer length specify an out-of-bounds memory range
+     */
+    default void readBytesInto(int addr, byte[] buf) {
+        readBytesInto(addr, buf, 0, buf.length);
+    }
 
     void writeI32(int addr, int data);