diff --git a/src/nvim/lua/stdlib.c b/src/nvim/lua/stdlib.c
index 2d969357b4..788819ab03 100644
--- a/src/nvim/lua/stdlib.c
+++ b/src/nvim/lua/stdlib.c
@@ -216,6 +216,45 @@ static int nlua_str_utf_pos(lua_State *const lstate) FUNC_ATTR_NONNULL_ALL
   return 1;
 }
 
+/// Return the offset from the 1-indexed byte position to the first byte of the
+/// current character.
+///
+/// Expects a string and an int.
+///
+/// Returns the byte offset to the first byte of the current character
+/// pointed into by the offset.
+static int nlua_str_utf_start(lua_State *const lstate) FUNC_ATTR_NONNULL_ALL
+{
+  size_t s1_len;
+  const char *s1 = luaL_checklstring(lstate, 1, &s1_len);
+  long offset = luaL_checkinteger(lstate, 2);
+  if (offset < 0 || offset > (intptr_t)s1_len) {
+      return luaL_error(lstate, "index out of range");
+  }
+  int tail_offset = mb_head_off((char_u *)s1, (char_u *)s1 + (char_u)offset - 1);
+  lua_pushinteger(lstate, tail_offset);
+  return 1;
+}
+
+/// Return the offset from the 1-indexed byte position to the last
+/// byte of the current character.
+///
+/// Expects a string and an int.
+///
+/// Returns the byte offset to the last byte of the current character
+/// pointed into by the offset.
+static int nlua_str_utf_end(lua_State *const lstate) FUNC_ATTR_NONNULL_ALL
+{
+  size_t s1_len;
+  const char *s1 = luaL_checklstring(lstate, 1, &s1_len);
+  long offset = luaL_checkinteger(lstate, 2);
+  if (offset < 0 || offset > (intptr_t)s1_len) {
+      return luaL_error(lstate, "index out of range");
+  }
+  int tail_offset = mb_tail_off((char_u *)s1, (char_u *)s1 + (char_u)offset - 1);
+  lua_pushinteger(lstate, tail_offset);
+  return 1;
+}
 
 /// convert UTF-32 or UTF-16 indices to byte index.
 ///
@@ -439,6 +478,12 @@ void nlua_state_add_stdlib(lua_State *const lstate)
   // str_utf_pos
   lua_pushcfunction(lstate, &nlua_str_utf_pos);
   lua_setfield(lstate, -2, "str_utf_pos");
+  // str_utf_start
+  lua_pushcfunction(lstate, &nlua_str_utf_start);
+  lua_setfield(lstate, -2, "str_utf_start");
+  // str_utf_end
+  lua_pushcfunction(lstate, &nlua_str_utf_end);
+  lua_setfield(lstate, -2, "str_utf_end");
   // regex
   lua_pushcfunction(lstate, &nlua_regex);
   lua_setfield(lstate, -2, "regex");
diff --git a/src/nvim/mbyte.c b/src/nvim/mbyte.c
index bd680330ca..7ce4e2b4f5 100644
--- a/src/nvim/mbyte.c
+++ b/src/nvim/mbyte.c
@@ -1883,6 +1883,40 @@ int mb_tail_off(char_u *base, char_u *p)
   return i;
 }
 
+
+/// Return the offset from "p" to the first byte of the character it points
+/// into. Can start anywhere in a stream of bytes.
+///
+/// @param[in] base  Pointer to start of string
+/// @param[in] p     Pointer to byte for which to return the offset to the previous codepoint
+//
+/// @return 0 if invalid sequence, else offset to previous codepoint
+int mb_head_off(char_u *base, char_u *p)
+{
+  int i;
+  int j;
+
+  if (*p == NUL) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  // Find the first character that is not 10xx.xxxx
+  for (i = 0; p - i > base; i--) {
+    if ((p[i] & 0xc0) != 0x80) {
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Find the last character that is 10xx.xxxx
+  for (j = 0; (p[j + 1] & 0xc0) == 0x80; j++) {}
+
+  // Check for illegal sequence.
+  if (utf8len_tab[p[i]] == 1) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  return i;
+}
+
 /*
  * Find the next illegal byte sequence.
  */
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
index 8c691b1121..5f903e7d5f 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
@@ -179,6 +179,31 @@ describe('lua stdlib', function()
     end
   end)
 
+  it("vim.str_utf_start", function()
+    exec_lua([[_G.test_text = "xy åäö ɧ 汉语 ↥ 🤦x🦄 å بِيَّ"]])
+    local expected_positions = {0,0,0,0,-1,0,-1,0,-1,0,0,-1,0,0,-1,-2,0,-1,-2,0,0,-1,-2,0,0,-1,-2,-3,0,0,-1,-2,-3,0,0,0,-1,0,0,-1,0,-1,0,-1,0,-1,0,-1}
+    eq(expected_positions, exec_lua([[
+      local start_codepoint_positions = {}
+      for idx = 1, #_G.test_text do
+        table.insert(start_codepoint_positions, vim.str_utf_start(_G.test_text, idx))
+      end
+      return start_codepoint_positions
+    ]]))
+  end)
+
+  it("vim.str_utf_end", function()
+    exec_lua([[_G.test_text = "xy åäö ɧ 汉语 ↥ 🤦x🦄 å بِيَّ"]])
+    local expected_positions = {0,0,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,0,1,0,0,2,1,0,2,1,0,0,2,1,0,0,3,2,1,0,0,3,2,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,1,0 }
+    eq(expected_positions, exec_lua([[
+      local end_codepoint_positions = {}
+      for idx = 1, #_G.test_text do
+        table.insert(end_codepoint_positions, vim.str_utf_end(_G.test_text, idx))
+      end
+      return end_codepoint_positions
+    ]]))
+  end)
+
+
   it("vim.str_utf_pos", function()
     exec_lua([[_G.test_text = "xy åäö ɧ 汉语 ↥ 🤦x🦄 å بِيَّ"]])
     local expected_positions = { 1,2,3,4,6,8,10,11,13,14,17,20,21,24,25,29,30,34,35,36,38,39,41,43,45,47 }