diff --git a/WhiteMagic/MarshalCache.cs b/WhiteMagic/MarshalCache.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b34953
--- /dev/null
+++ b/WhiteMagic/MarshalCache.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+using System.Reflection;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+
+namespace WhiteMagic;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Computes and caches marshal-related metadata for type <typeparamref name="T"/>
+/// exactly once. <see cref="MemoryBase.Read{T}"/> and <see cref="MemoryBase.Write{T}"/>
+/// branch on these cached flags to decide between blittable <c>Span</c>/<c>MemoryMarshal</c>
+/// paths and the fallback marshal path.
+/// </summary>
+/// <typeparam name="T">The type to cache metadata for.</typeparam>
+public static class MarshalCache<T>
+{
+    /// <summary>The unmanaged size of <typeparamref name="T"/> in bytes.</summary>
+    public static readonly int Size;
+
+    /// <summary>The unmanaged size of <typeparamref name="T"/> as an unsigned integer.</summary>
+    public static readonly uint SizeU;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// <see langword="true"/> when <typeparamref name="T"/> has at least one field
+    /// decorated with <see cref="MarshalAsAttribute"/>, meaning it cannot be copied
+    /// via a simple pointer dereference.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static readonly bool TypeRequiresMarshal;
+
+    /// <summary><see langword="true"/> when <typeparamref name="T"/> is <see cref="IntPtr"/>.</summary>
+    public static readonly bool IsIntPtr;
+
+    /// <summary>The underlying type code of <typeparamref name="T"/>.</summary>
+    public static readonly TypeCode TypeCode;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The effective type that the marshaler uses. For an enum this is the underlying
+    /// integer type; for all other types it is <typeparamref name="T"/> itself.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static readonly Type RealType;
+
+    static MarshalCache()
+    {
+        TypeCode = Type.GetTypeCode(typeof(T));
+
+        if (typeof(T) == typeof(bool))
+        {
+            Size = 1;
+            RealType = typeof(T);
+        }
+        else if (typeof(T).IsEnum)
+        {
+            Type underlying = typeof(T).GetEnumUnderlyingType();
+            Size = Marshal.SizeOf(underlying);
+            RealType = underlying;
+            TypeCode = Type.GetTypeCode(underlying);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            Size = Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(T));
+            RealType = typeof(T);
+        }
+
+        SizeU = (uint)Size;
+        IsIntPtr = RealType == typeof(IntPtr);
+
+        TypeRequiresMarshal =
+            RealType.GetFields(BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.NonPublic)
+                .Any(f => f.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(MarshalAsAttribute), true).Length != 0);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/WhiteMagicTest/MarshalCacheTests.cs b/WhiteMagicTest/MarshalCacheTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6511eac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/WhiteMagicTest/MarshalCacheTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using WhiteMagic;
+
+namespace WhiteMagicTest;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Tests for <see cref="MarshalCache{T}"/>: blittable size, marshal-required flag,
+/// IsIntPtr, and computed-once behavior.
+/// </summary>
+public class MarshalCacheTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public void Size_for_int_is_4()
+    {
+        Assert.Equal(4, MarshalCache<int>.Size);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Size_for_byte_is_1()
+    {
+        Assert.Equal(1, MarshalCache<byte>.Size);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Size_for_IntPtr_matches_native_pointer_size()
+    {
+        Assert.Equal(IntPtr.Size, MarshalCache<IntPtr>.Size);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Size_for_bool_is_1()
+    {
+        Assert.Equal(1, MarshalCache<bool>.Size);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Size_for_enum_matches_underlying_type()
+    {
+        Assert.Equal(4, MarshalCache<DayOfWeek>.Size);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Size_for_blittable_struct_is_accurate()
+    {
+        Assert.Equal(8, MarshalCache<BlittableStruct>.Size);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TypeRequiresMarshal_is_false_for_blittable_types()
+    {
+        Assert.False(MarshalCache<int>.TypeRequiresMarshal);
+        Assert.False(MarshalCache<long>.TypeRequiresMarshal);
+        Assert.False(MarshalCache<BlittableStruct>.TypeRequiresMarshal);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TypeRequiresMarshal_is_true_for_types_with_MarshalAs_field()
+    {
+        Assert.True(MarshalCache<MarshalAsStruct>.TypeRequiresMarshal);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void IsIntPtr_is_true_for_IntPtr()
+    {
+        Assert.True(MarshalCache<IntPtr>.IsIntPtr);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void IsIntPtr_is_false_for_non_IntPtr_types()
+    {
+        Assert.False(MarshalCache<int>.IsIntPtr);
+        Assert.False(MarshalCache<long>.IsIntPtr);
+        Assert.False(MarshalCache<BlittableStruct>.IsIntPtr);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void All_properties_are_computed_once_and_cached()
+    {
+        int size1 = MarshalCache<int>.Size;
+        bool marshal1 = MarshalCache<int>.TypeRequiresMarshal;
+        bool intPtr1 = MarshalCache<int>.IsIntPtr;
+
+        int size2 = MarshalCache<int>.Size;
+        bool marshal2 = MarshalCache<int>.TypeRequiresMarshal;
+        bool intPtr2 = MarshalCache<int>.IsIntPtr;
+
+        Assert.Equal(size1, size2);
+        Assert.Equal(marshal1, marshal2);
+        Assert.Equal(intPtr1, intPtr2);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void SizeU_matches_Size_as_uint()
+    {
+        Assert.Equal((uint)MarshalCache<int>.Size, MarshalCache<int>.SizeU);
+    }
+
+    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
+    private struct BlittableStruct
+    {
+        public int X;
+        public int Y;
+    }
+
+    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
+    private struct MarshalAsStruct
+    {
+        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.ByValArray, SizeConst = 16)]
+        public byte[] Data;
+    }
+}