diff --git a/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp b/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp
index accdd96..b7be708 100644
--- a/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <xo/indentlog/print/ppindentinfo.hpp>
 #include <string_view>
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <cstdio>
 
 namespace xo {
     namespace scm {
@@ -119,6 +120,25 @@ namespace xo {
 
             /** replace contents with @p other, or prefix of up to @p capacity - 1 chars **/
             DString & assign(const DString & other);
+            ///@}
+            /** @defgroup dstring-general general methods **/
+            ///@{
+
+            /** format string into this DString using printf-style formatting.
+             *  Truncates if result exceeds capacity.
+             *  @return number of characters written (excluding null terminator)
+             **/
+            template <typename... Args>
+            size_type sprintf(const char * fmt, Args&&... args) {
+                int n = std::snprintf(chars_, capacity_, fmt, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+                if (n < 0) {
+                    size_ = 0;
+                    chars_[0] = '\0';
+                } else {
+                    size_ = (n < static_cast<int>(capacity_)) ? n : capacity_ - 1;
+                }
+                return size_;
+            }
 
             // TODO - behave like std::string, to the extent feasible
             //   insert
diff --git a/utest/DString.test.cpp b/utest/DString.test.cpp
index b5f70f1..213f502 100644
--- a/utest/DString.test.cpp
+++ b/utest/DString.test.cpp
@@ -260,6 +260,38 @@ namespace xo {
             REQUIRE(copy->capacity() == src->capacity());
             REQUIRE(std::strcmp(copy->chars(), src->chars()) == 0);
         }
+
+        TEST_CASE("DString-sprintf", "[object2][DString]")
+        {
+            ArenaConfig cfg { .name_ = "testarena",
+                              .size_ = 4*1024 };
+            DArena arena = DArena::map(cfg);
+            auto alloc = with_facet<AAllocator>::mkobj(&arena);
+
+            DString * s = DString::empty(alloc, 32);
+
+            auto n = s->sprintf("hello %s %d", "world", 42);
+
+            REQUIRE(n == 14);
+            REQUIRE(s->size() == 14);
+            REQUIRE(std::strcmp(s->chars(), "hello world 42") == 0);
+        }
+
+        TEST_CASE("DString-sprintf-truncate", "[object2][DString]")
+        {
+            ArenaConfig cfg { .name_ = "testarena",
+                              .size_ = 4*1024 };
+            DArena arena = DArena::map(cfg);
+            auto alloc = with_facet<AAllocator>::mkobj(&arena);
+
+            DString * s = DString::empty(alloc, 8);
+
+            auto n = s->sprintf("hello world");
+
+            REQUIRE(n == 7);
+            REQUIRE(s->size() == 7);
+            REQUIRE(std::strcmp(s->chars(), "hello w") == 0);
+        }
     } /*namespace ut*/
 } /*namespace xo*/