diff --git a/library/include/PolyVoxUtil/Serialization.h b/library/include/PolyVoxUtil/Serialization.h
index e7899cef..a0186fc1 100644
--- a/library/include/PolyVoxUtil/Serialization.h
+++ b/library/include/PolyVoxUtil/Serialization.h
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ namespace PolyVox
 {	
 	POLYVOX_API BlockVolume<uint8>* loadVolumeRaw(std::istream& stream);
 	POLYVOX_API void saveVolumeRaw(std::ostream& stream, BlockVolume<uint8>& volume);
+
+	POLYVOX_API BlockVolume<uint8>* loadVolumeRle(std::istream& stream);
+	POLYVOX_API void saveVolumeRle(std::ostream& stream, BlockVolume<uint8>& volume);
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/library/source/PolyVoxUtil/Serialization.cpp b/library/source/PolyVoxUtil/Serialization.cpp
index 34b2a9e6..68a2e51b 100644
--- a/library/source/PolyVoxUtil/Serialization.cpp
+++ b/library/source/PolyVoxUtil/Serialization.cpp
@@ -77,4 +77,112 @@ namespace PolyVox
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	//Note: we don't do much error handling in here - exceptions will simply be propergated up to the caller.
+	//FIXME - think about pointer ownership issues. Or could return volume by value if the copy constructor is shallow
+	BlockVolume<uint8>* loadVolumeRle(istream& stream)
+	{
+		//Read volume dimensions
+		uint8 volumeWidthPower = 0;
+		uint8 volumeHeightPower = 0;
+		uint8 volumeDepthPower = 0;
+		stream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&volumeWidthPower), sizeof(volumeWidthPower));
+		stream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&volumeHeightPower), sizeof(volumeHeightPower));
+		stream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&volumeDepthPower), sizeof(volumeDepthPower));
+		
+		//FIXME - need to support non cubic volumes
+		BlockVolume<uint8>* volume = new BlockVolume<uint8>(volumeWidthPower);
+
+		uint16 volumeWidth = 0x0001 << volumeWidthPower;
+		uint16 volumeHeight = 0x0001 << volumeHeightPower;
+		uint16 volumeDepth = 0x0001 << volumeDepthPower;
+
+		//Read data
+		BlockVolumeIterator<uint8> volIter(*volume);
+		bool firstTime = true;
+		uint32 runLength = 0;
+		uint8 value = 0;
+		stream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&value), sizeof(value));
+		stream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&runLength), sizeof(runLength));
+		for(uint16 z = 0; z < volumeDepth; ++z)
+		{
+			for(uint16 y = 0; y < volumeHeight; ++y)
+			{
+				for(uint16 x = 0; x < volumeWidth; ++x)
+				{	
+					volIter.setPosition(x,y,z);
+					if(runLength != 0)
+					{
+						volIter.setVoxel(value);
+						runLength--;
+					}
+					else
+					{
+						stream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&value), sizeof(value));
+						stream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&runLength), sizeof(runLength));
+
+						volIter.setVoxel(value);
+						runLength--;
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		return volume;
+	}
+
+	void saveVolumeRle(std::ostream& stream, BlockVolume<uint8>& volume)
+	{
+		//Write volume dimensions
+		uint16 volumeWidth = volume.getSideLength();
+		uint16 volumeHeight = volume.getSideLength();
+		uint16 volumeDepth  = volume.getSideLength();
+
+		uint8 volumeWidthPower = logBase2(volumeWidth);
+		uint8 volumeHeightPower = logBase2(volumeHeight);
+		uint8 volumeDepthPower = logBase2(volumeDepth);
+
+		stream.write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&volumeWidthPower), sizeof(volumeWidthPower));
+		stream.write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&volumeHeightPower), sizeof(volumeHeightPower));
+		stream.write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&volumeDepthPower), sizeof(volumeDepthPower));
+
+		//Write data
+		BlockVolumeIterator<uint8> volIter(volume);
+		uint8 current = 0;
+		uint32 runLength = 0;
+		bool firstTime = true;
+		for(uint16 z = 0; z < volumeDepth; ++z)
+		{
+			for(uint16 y = 0; y < volumeHeight; ++y)
+			{
+				for(uint16 x = 0; x < volumeWidth; ++x)
+				{		
+					volIter.setPosition(x,y,z);
+					uint8 value = volIter.getVoxel();
+					if(firstTime)
+					{
+						current = value;
+						runLength = 1;
+						firstTime = false;
+					}
+					else
+					{
+						if(value == current)
+						{
+							runLength++;
+						}
+						else
+						{
+							stream.write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&current), sizeof(current));
+							stream.write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&runLength), sizeof(runLength));
+							current = value;
+							runLength = 1;
+						}
+					}					
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		stream.write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&current), sizeof(current));
+		stream.write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&runLength), sizeof(runLength));
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file