diff --git a/pkg/proc/native/ptrace_linux.go b/pkg/proc/native/ptrace_linux.go
index ab4f5372..849516d8 100644
--- a/pkg/proc/native/ptrace_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/proc/native/ptrace_linux.go
@@ -49,3 +49,31 @@ func PtracePeekUser(tid int, off uintptr) (uintptr, error) {
 	}
 	return val, nil
 }
+
+// ProcessVmRead calls process_vm_readv
+func ProcessVmRead(tid int, addr uintptr, data []byte) (int, error) {
+	len_iov := uint64(len(data))
+	local_iov := sys.Iovec{Base: &data[0], Len: len_iov}
+	remote_iov := sys.Iovec{Base: (*byte)(unsafe.Pointer(addr)), Len: len_iov}
+	p_local := uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&local_iov))
+	p_remote := uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&remote_iov))
+	n, _, err := syscall.Syscall6(sys.SYS_PROCESS_VM_READV, uintptr(tid), p_local, 1, p_remote, 1, 0)
+	if err != syscall.Errno(0) {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return int(n), nil
+}
+
+// ProcessVmWrite calls process_vm_writev
+func ProcessVmWrite(tid int, addr uintptr, data []byte) (int, error) {
+	len_iov := uint64(len(data))
+	local_iov := sys.Iovec{Base: &data[0], Len: len_iov}
+	remote_iov := sys.Iovec{Base: (*byte)(unsafe.Pointer(addr)), Len: len_iov}
+	p_local := uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&local_iov))
+	p_remote := uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&remote_iov))
+	n, _, err := syscall.Syscall6(sys.SYS_PROCESS_VM_WRITEV, uintptr(tid), p_local, 1, p_remote, 1, 0)
+	if err != syscall.Errno(0) {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return int(n), nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/proc/native/threads_linux.go b/pkg/proc/native/threads_linux.go
index c27971ea..5366c7d6 100644
--- a/pkg/proc/native/threads_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/proc/native/threads_linux.go
@@ -90,7 +90,14 @@ func (t *Thread) WriteMemory(addr uintptr, data []byte) (written int, err error)
 	if len(data) == 0 {
 		return
 	}
-	t.dbp.execPtraceFunc(func() { written, err = sys.PtracePokeData(t.ID, addr, data) })
+	// ProcessVmWrite can't poke read-only memory like ptrace, so don't
+	// even bother for small writes -- likely breakpoints and such.
+	if len(data) > sys.SizeofPtr {
+		written, _ = ProcessVmWrite(t.ID, addr, data)
+	}
+	if written == 0 {
+		t.dbp.execPtraceFunc(func() { written, err = sys.PtracePokeData(t.ID, addr, data) })
+	}
 	return
 }
 
@@ -101,9 +108,9 @@ func (t *Thread) ReadMemory(data []byte, addr uintptr) (n int, err error) {
 	if len(data) == 0 {
 		return
 	}
-	t.dbp.execPtraceFunc(func() { _, err = sys.PtracePeekData(t.ID, addr, data) })
-	if err == nil {
-		n = len(data)
+	n, _ = ProcessVmRead(t.ID, addr, data)
+	if n == 0 {
+		t.dbp.execPtraceFunc(func() { n, err = sys.PtracePeekData(t.ID, addr, data) })
 	}
 	return
 }