diff --git a/lix/libutil/async-io.hh b/lix/libutil/async-io.hh
index 92a28dbc6..66400271c 100644
--- a/lix/libutil/async-io.hh
+++ b/lix/libutil/async-io.hh
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@
 #include "lix/libutil/ref.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/result.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/serialise.hh"
+#include <concepts>
 #include <kj/async-io.h>
 #include <kj/async-unix.h>
 #include <kj/async.h>
 #include <kj/common.h>
+#include <kj/function.h>
 #include <memory>
 #include <string_view>
 
@@ -273,4 +275,87 @@ struct AsyncPipe
  * multiple readers are allowed, but are serviced in some indeterminate order.
  */
 AsyncPipe newZeroCopyPipe();
+
+/**
+ * Adapts an `AsyncInputStream`-consuming promise created by a callback into a
+ * pair of `AsyncOutputStream` and a callback that awaits the wrapped promise.
+ * Errors flow to both the writer *and* the promise created by the callback we
+ * return here. Awaiting the callback also invalidates the transfer stream; if
+ * the writer isn't done by then it'll receive an exception on the next write.
+ */
+template<std::invocable<AsyncInputStream &> Fn>
+    requires requires(Fn fn, AsyncInputStream & i, AsyncIoRoot aio) {
+        []<typename T>(kj::Promise<Result<T>>) {}(fn(i));
+    }
+auto wrapInAsyncPipe(Fn && fn)
+{
+    using promise_type = std::invoke_result_t<Fn, AsyncInputStream &>;
+    using result_type = decltype(std::declval<promise_type>().wait(std::declval<kj::WaitScope &>()));
+
+    struct State
+    {
+        promise_type inner;
+        std::exception_ptr error;
+        bool finished = false;
+
+        State(Fn && fn, std::unique_ptr<AsyncInputStream> reader)
+            : inner(fn(*reader)
+                        .attach(std::move(reader))
+                        .then([this](auto result) {
+                            if (result.has_error()) {
+                                error = result.error();
+                            }
+                            return result;
+                        })
+                        .eagerlyEvaluate([this](kj::Exception && e) -> result_type {
+                            try {
+                                kj::throwFatalException(std::move(e));
+                            } catch (...) {
+                                error = std::current_exception();
+                                throw;
+                            }
+                        }))
+        {
+        }
+    };
+
+    struct Writer : AsyncOutputStream
+    {
+        ref<State> state;
+        std::unique_ptr<AsyncOutputStream> out;
+
+        Writer(ref<State> state, std::unique_ptr<AsyncOutputStream> out) : state(state), out(std::move(out)) {}
+
+        kj::Promise<Result<size_t>> write(const void * src, size_t size) override
+        try {
+            if (state->error) {
+                co_return result::failure(state->error);
+            } else if (state->finished) {
+                throw Error("stream already closed");
+            }
+            co_return LIX_TRY_AWAIT(out->write(src, size));
+        } catch (...) {
+            // do not report this exception if `error` was set; we want to give
+            // priority to `runInner` for error reporting since the pipe itself
+            // is of little interest. if `inner` fails the pipe will break, all
+            // subsequent writes to the pipe will throw. only the `inner` error
+            // is actually interesting in this case, broken pipe errors aren't.
+            if (state->error) {
+                co_return result::failure(state->error);
+            }
+            state->error = std::current_exception();
+            co_return result::current_exception();
+        }
+    };
+
+    auto [reader, writer] = newZeroCopyPipe();
+    auto state = make_ref<State>(std::forward<Fn>(fn), std::move(reader));
+    return std::pair{
+        std::make_unique<Writer>(state, std::move(writer)),
+        kj::Function<promise_type()>{[state]() {
+            state->finished = true;
+            return std::move(state->inner);
+        }},
+    };
+}
 }
diff --git a/tests/unit/libutil/async-io.cc b/tests/unit/libutil/async-io.cc
index 53b7e9810..4b0969acf 100644
--- a/tests/unit/libutil/async-io.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/libutil/async-io.cc
@@ -273,4 +273,57 @@ TEST(AsyncZeroCopyPipe, dropWriter)
     (void) auto(std::move(w));
     ASSERT_EQ(rp.wait(aio.kj.waitScope).value(), std::nullopt);
 }
+
+TEST(wrapInAsyncPipe, good)
+{
+    AsyncIoRoot aio;
+
+    auto fn = [](AsyncInputStream & in) { return in.drain(); };
+    auto [out, finish] = wrapInAsyncPipe(fn);
+    out->write("a", 1).wait(aio.kj.waitScope).value();
+    out->write("b", 1).wait(aio.kj.waitScope).value();
+    (void) auto(std::move(out));
+    ASSERT_EQ(finish().wait(aio.kj.waitScope).value(), "ab");
+}
+
+TEST(wrapInAsyncPipe, earlyReaderExit)
+{
+    AsyncIoRoot aio;
+
+    auto fn = [](AsyncInputStream & in) { return kj::Promise<Result<int>>{{1}}; };
+    auto [out, finish] = wrapInAsyncPipe(fn);
+    // should throw "broken pipe", but result is still good
+    ASSERT_THROW(out->write("a", 1).wait(aio.kj.waitScope).value(), Error);
+    ASSERT_EQ(finish().wait(aio.kj.waitScope).value(), 1);
+}
+
+TEST(wrapInAsyncPipe, earlyFinish)
+{
+    AsyncIoRoot aio;
+
+    auto fn = [](AsyncInputStream & in) { return kj::Promise<Result<int>>{kj::NEVER_DONE}; };
+    auto [out, finish] = wrapInAsyncPipe(fn);
+    auto p = finish();
+    ASSERT_THROW(out->write("a", 1).wait(aio.kj.waitScope).value(), Error);
+    ASSERT_FALSE(p.poll(aio.kj.waitScope));
+}
+
+TEST(wrapInAsyncPipe, readerError)
+{
+    AsyncIoRoot aio;
+
+    auto fn = [](AsyncInputStream & in) -> kj::Promise<Result<int>> {
+        try {
+            char buf;
+            TRY_AWAIT(in.read(&buf, 1));
+            throw UnimplementedError("marker");
+        } catch (...) {
+            co_return result::current_exception();
+        }
+    };
+    auto [out, finish] = wrapInAsyncPipe(fn);
+    out->write("a", 1).wait(aio.kj.waitScope).value();
+    ASSERT_THROW(out->write("a", 1).wait(aio.kj.waitScope).value(), UnimplementedError);
+    ASSERT_THROW(finish().wait(aio.kj.waitScope).value(), UnimplementedError);
+}
 }