diff --git a/lib/fmt/fmt.ww b/lib/fmt/fmt.ww
index a3f73b31..f48fa022 100644
--- a/lib/fmt/fmt.ww
+++ b/lib/fmt/fmt.ww
@@ -753,3 +753,57 @@ export fn bsprintf(buf: []u8, fmt: str, args: field...) (str | io.closed) = {
 	case io.closed => { let c: io.closed; return c; };
 	};
 };
+
+// asprintf — render `fmt`/`args` into a heap-allocated str through
+// memio.dynamic, then shrink to a tight allocation so the caller's
+// free(r.ptr, r.len) matches the underlying mmap length. Mirrors
+// wrappers.ha:29 modulo:
+//
+//   - Bare `str` return. Hare returns `(str | nomem)`; ww has no
+//     `nomem` variant — os.alloc faults on OOM per lib/os.ww's
+//     contract.
+//   - The `io.closed` arm of fprintf is statically unreachable
+//     here (memio.dynamicwrite never returns io.closed, memio.ww:163),
+//     but the type checker still requires the match; both arms have
+//     empty bodies. Same effect as Hare's `case size => void`.
+//   - Shrink-to-fit copy. memio.dynamic's `cap` doubles past `pos`
+//     during growth (memio.ww:193); the close path frees the
+//     cap-sized mapping (memio.ww:179). Returning memio.string(&m)
+//     directly would either leak the cap-vs-len slack (skip close)
+//     or dangle the returned view (close first). Copying into a
+//     fresh `view.len`-sized alloc lets the caller free with
+//     `r.len`, matching strings.dup's tight-alloc contract.
+//
+// Caller frees with `os.free(r.ptr, r.len: u64)` when `r.len > 0`;
+// skip the free when `r.len == 0` — same empty-output shape as
+// strings.dup (no allocation took place).
+export fn asprintf(fmt: str, args: field...) str = {
+	let m: memio.state;
+	let s: io.stream;
+	memio.dynamic(&m, &s);
+	let wres: (i32 | io.closed) = fprintf(&s, fmt, args...);
+	match (wres) {
+	case let n: i32 => {};
+	case io.closed => {};
+	};
+	let view: str = memio.string(&m);
+	let out: str;
+	out.ptr = nil;
+	out.len = 0;
+	if (view.len == 0) {
+		let cres: (void | io.closed) = io.close(&s);
+		match (cres) { case void => {}; case io.closed => {}; };
+		return out;
+	};
+	let tight: *u8 = os.alloc(view.len: u64): *u8;
+	let i: i32 = 0;
+	for (i < view.len) {
+		tight[i] = view.ptr[i];
+		i += 1;
+	};
+	let cres: (void | io.closed) = io.close(&s);
+	match (cres) { case void => {}; case io.closed => {}; };
+	out.ptr = tight;
+	out.len = view.len;
+	return out;
+};
diff --git a/lib/fmt/fmttest.ww b/lib/fmt/fmttest.ww
index e13f4472..0257f31c 100644
--- a/lib/fmt/fmttest.ww
+++ b/lib/fmt/fmttest.ww
@@ -445,6 +445,41 @@ fn closedstream(s: *io.stream) void = {
 	};
 };
 
+// asprintf — heap-allocated render through memio.dynamic + shrink-to-fit.
+// Caller frees via os.free(r.ptr, r.len) when r.len > 0.
+
+@test fn asprintf_basic() void = {
+	let r: str = fmt.asprintf("{} {}", "hi", 42i64);
+	if (!streq(r, "hi 42")) { fail(); };
+	os.free(r.ptr: *void, r.len: u64);
+};
+
+// Output > memio.dynamic's initial 8B cap to exercise the
+// double-and-copy grow path; 34B target traverses 8→16→32→64.
+@test fn asprintf_growth() void = {
+	let r: str = fmt.asprintf("hello {} world {} value {}", "alpha", "beta", "gamma");
+	if (!streq(r, "hello alpha world beta value gamma")) { fail(); };
+	os.free(r.ptr: *void, r.len: u64);
+};
+
+// Empty format pins the no-allocation path: memio.dynamic.grow never
+// fires (cap stays 0), and the asprintf shrink-to-fit path returns
+// {nil, 0} without calling os.alloc. Free is skipped — matches the
+// strings.dup empty-input contract.
+@test fn asprintf_empty() void = {
+	let r: str = fmt.asprintf("");
+	if (r.len != 0) { fail(); };
+};
+
+// Indexed placeholder + modifier through asprintf — confirms the full
+// {n:mods} parser path works through the heap-allocated sink, not just
+// the memio.fixed (bsprintf) and memio.dynamic-via-fprintf paths.
+@test fn asprintf_indexed_mods() void = {
+	let r: str = fmt.asprintf("{1:_05}", "zzz", 42i64);
+	if (!streq(r, "00042")) { fail(); };
+	os.free(r.ptr: *void, r.len: u64);
+};
+
 export fn main() i32 = {
 	signalled = 1; fprintbarestr();
 	signalled = 2; fprintintstr();
@@ -472,5 +507,9 @@ export fn main() i32 = {
 	signalled = 24; fprintf_bool_rune();
 	signalled = 25; bsprintf_trunc();
 	signalled = 26; bsprintf_width_trunc();
+	signalled = 27; asprintf_basic();
+	signalled = 28; asprintf_growth();
+	signalled = 29; asprintf_empty();
+	signalled = 30; asprintf_indexed_mods();
 	return 0;
 };