diff --git a/spec/std/string_spec.cr b/spec/std/string_spec.cr
index 905930463cfc..d079f7618948 100644
--- a/spec/std/string_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/std/string_spec.cr
@@ -1277,6 +1277,19 @@ describe "String" do
       "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".byte_index('z'.ord, -17).should be_nil
     }
 
+    it { "foo".byte_index('o').should eq(1) }
+    it { "foo bar booz".byte_index('o', 3).should eq(9) }
+    it { "foo".byte_index('a').should be_nil }
+    it { "foo".byte_index('a').should be_nil }
+    it { "foo".byte_index('o', 3).should be_nil }
+    it { "Hi, 💣".byte_index('💣').should eq(4) }
+    it {
+      "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".byte_index('z').should eq(2)
+      "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".byte_index('z', 3).should eq(3)
+      "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".byte_index('z', -4).should eq(13)
+      "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".byte_index('z', -17).should be_nil
+    }
+
     it "gets byte index of string" do
       "hello world".byte_index("he").should eq(0)
       "hello world".byte_index("lo").should eq(3)
diff --git a/src/string.cr b/src/string.cr
index 7c9eed3dd186..051247386956 100644
--- a/src/string.cr
+++ b/src/string.cr
@@ -3670,6 +3670,47 @@ class String
     nil
   end
 
+  # Returns the index of the _first_ occurrence of *char* in the string, or `nil` if not present.
+  # If *offset* is present, it defines the position to start the search.
+  #
+  # Negative *offset* can be used to start the search from the end of the string.
+  #
+  # ```
+  # "Hello, World".byte_index('o')          # => 4
+  # "Hello, World".byte_index('Z')          # => nil
+  # "Hello, World".byte_index('o', 5)       # => 8
+  # "Hi, 💣".byte_index('💣')                 # => 4
+  # "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".byte_index('z')      # => 2
+  # "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".byte_index('z', 3)   # => 3
+  # "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".byte_index('z', -4)  # => 13
+  # "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".byte_index('z', -17) # => nil
+  # ```
+  def byte_index(char : Char, offset = 0) : Int32?
+    offset += bytesize if offset < 0
+    return if offset < 0
+    return byte_index(char.ord, offset) if char.ascii?
+
+    # Simplified "Rabin-Karp" algorithm
+    search_hash = 0u32
+    search_mask = 0u32
+    char.each_byte do |byte|
+      search_hash <<= 8
+      search_hash |= byte
+      search_mask <<= 8
+      search_mask |= 0xff
+    end
+
+    hash = 0u32
+    offset.upto(bytesize - 1) do |i|
+      hash <<= 8
+      hash |= to_unsafe[i]
+      if (hash & search_mask) == search_hash
+        return i - (char.bytesize - 1)
+      end
+    end
+    nil
+  end
+
   # Returns the byte index of *search* in the string, or `nil` if the string is not present.
   # If *offset* is present, it defines the position to start the search.
   #
diff --git a/src/string_scanner.cr b/src/string_scanner.cr
index f08ad10e57b2..ff852670a626 100644
--- a/src/string_scanner.cr
+++ b/src/string_scanner.cr
@@ -172,15 +172,24 @@ class StringScanner
     if pattern.bytesize > @str.bytesize - @byte_offset
       nil
     elsif anchored
-      unsafe_str = String.new(@str.unsafe_byte_slice(@byte_offset))
-      if unsafe_str.starts_with?(pattern)
-        result = pattern.to_s
-        @last_match = StringMatchData.new(result)
-        @byte_offset += pattern.bytesize if advance
-        result
+      i = 0
+      # check string starts with char
+      unsafe_ptr = @str.to_unsafe + @byte_offset
+      pattern.each_byte do |byte|
+        return nil unless unsafe_ptr[i] == byte
+        i += 1
       end
-    else
-      match(pattern.to_s, advance: advance, anchored: false)
+      # ok, it starts
+      result = pattern.to_s
+      @last_match = StringMatchData.new(result)
+      @byte_offset += pattern.bytesize if advance
+      result
+    elsif (found = @str.byte_index(pattern, @byte_offset))
+      finish = found + pattern.bytesize
+      result = @str.byte_slice(@byte_offset, finish - @byte_offset)
+      @byte_offset = finish if advance
+      @last_match = StringMatchData.new(result)
+      result
     end
   end