diff --git a/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp b/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp
index 6f3fa4ec..39890498 100644
--- a/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp
+++ b/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp
@@ -164,6 +164,11 @@ namespace xo {
                 return size_;
             }
 
+            /** lexicographically compare two strings.
+             *  @return <0 if lhs < rhs, 0 if equal, >0 if lhs > rhs
+             **/
+            static int compare(const DString & lhs, const DString & rhs) noexcept;
+
             // TODO - behave like std::string, to the extent feasible
             //   insert
             //   insert_range
@@ -181,7 +186,6 @@ namespace xo {
             // find_first_not_of
             // find_last_of
             // find_last_not_of
-            // compare
             // starts_with
             // end_with
             // contains
diff --git a/xo-object2/src/object2/DString.cpp b/xo-object2/src/object2/DString.cpp
index 8787f687..d96f712b 100644
--- a/xo-object2/src/object2/DString.cpp
+++ b/xo-object2/src/object2/DString.cpp
@@ -84,6 +84,12 @@ namespace xo {
             return *this;
         }
 
+        int
+        DString::compare(const DString & lhs, const DString & rhs) noexcept
+        {
+            return ::strcmp(lhs.chars_, rhs.chars_);
+        }
+
         auto
         DString::fixup_size() noexcept -> size_type
         {
diff --git a/xo-object2/utest/DString.test.cpp b/xo-object2/utest/DString.test.cpp
index 226d63c8..c779c42f 100644
--- a/xo-object2/utest/DString.test.cpp
+++ b/xo-object2/utest/DString.test.cpp
@@ -292,6 +292,25 @@ namespace xo {
             REQUIRE(s->size() == 7);
             REQUIRE(std::strcmp(s->chars(), "hello w") == 0);
         }
+
+        TEST_CASE("DString-compare", "[object2][DString]")
+        {
+            ArenaConfig cfg { .name_ = "testarena",
+                              .size_ = 4*1024 };
+            DArena arena = DArena::map(cfg);
+            auto alloc = with_facet<AAllocator>::mkobj(&arena);
+
+            DString * s1 = DString::from_cstr(alloc, "apple");
+            DString * s2 = DString::from_cstr(alloc, "apple");
+            DString * s3 = DString::from_cstr(alloc, "banana");
+            DString * s4 = DString::from_cstr(alloc, "aardvark");
+
+            REQUIRE(DString::compare(*s1, *s2) == 0);
+            REQUIRE(DString::compare(*s1, *s3) < 0);
+            REQUIRE(DString::compare(*s3, *s1) > 0);
+            REQUIRE(DString::compare(*s1, *s4) > 0);
+            REQUIRE(DString::compare(*s4, *s1) < 0);
+        }
     } /*namespace ut*/
 } /*namespace xo*/