diff --git a/db/db_test.cc b/db/db_test.cc
index 6f2307889..7b45fd8e1 100644
--- a/db/db_test.cc
+++ b/db/db_test.cc
@@ -5937,6 +5937,8 @@ TEST_F(DBTest, PrefixScan) {
     snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "03______:");
     prefix = Slice(buf, 8);
     key = Slice(buf, 9);
+    ASSERT_EQ(key.difference_offset(prefix), 8);
+    ASSERT_EQ(prefix.difference_offset(key), 8);
     // db configs
     env_->count_random_reads_ = true;
     Options options = CurrentOptions();
diff --git a/include/rocksdb/slice.h b/include/rocksdb/slice.h
index 084e846e7..ae3139cfd 100644
--- a/include/rocksdb/slice.h
+++ b/include/rocksdb/slice.h
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ class Slice {
             (memcmp(data_, x.data_, x.size_) == 0));
   }
 
+  // Compare two slices and returns the first byte where they differ
+  size_t difference_offset(const Slice& b) const;
+
  // private: make these public for rocksdbjni access
   const char* data_;
   size_t size_;
@@ -125,6 +128,15 @@ inline int Slice::compare(const Slice& b) const {
   return r;
 }
 
+inline size_t Slice::difference_offset(const Slice& b) const {
+  size_t off = 0;
+  const size_t len = (size_ < b.size_) ? size_ : b.size_;
+  for (; off < len; off++) {
+    if (data_[off] != b.data_[off]) break;
+  }
+  return off;
+}
+
 }  // namespace rocksdb
 
 #endif  // STORAGE_ROCKSDB_INCLUDE_SLICE_H_