diff --git a/src/core/CCIO.ml b/src/core/CCIO.ml
index e1469ee8..01f446d5 100644
--- a/src/core/CCIO.ml
+++ b/src/core/CCIO.ml
@@ -351,3 +351,47 @@ module File = struct
     let name = Filename.temp_file ?temp_dir prefix suffix in
     finally_ f name ~h:remove_noerr
 end
+
+let rand_digits_ =
+  let st = lazy (Random.State.make_self_init()) in
+  fun () ->
+    let rand = Random.State.bits (Lazy.force st) land 0xFFFFFF in
+    Printf.sprintf "%06x" rand
+
+let rmdir_ dir =
+  try ignore (Sys.command ("rm -r " ^ dir) : int)
+  with _ -> ()
+
+let with_temp_dir ?(mode=0o700) ?dir pat (f: string -> 'a) : 'a =
+  let dir = match dir with
+    | Some d -> d
+    | None   -> Filename.get_temp_dir_name ()
+  in
+  let raise_err msg = raise (Sys_error msg) in
+  let rec loop count =
+    if count < 0 then (
+      raise_err "mk_temp_dir: too many failing attemps"
+    ) else (
+      let dir = Filename.concat dir (pat ^ rand_digits_ ()) in
+      match Unix.mkdir dir mode with
+      | () ->
+        finally_ f dir ~h:rmdir_
+      | exception Unix.Unix_error (Unix.EEXIST, _, _) -> loop (count - 1)
+      | exception Unix.Unix_error (Unix.EINTR, _, _)  -> loop count
+      | exception Unix.Unix_error (e, _, _)           ->
+        raise_err ("mk_temp_dir: " ^ (Unix.error_message e))
+    )
+  in
+  loop 1000
+
+(*$R
+  let filename = with_temp_dir "test_containers"
+      (fun dir ->
+         let name = Filename.concat dir "test" in
+         CCIO.with_out name (fun oc -> output_string oc "content"; flush oc);
+         assert_bool ("file exists:"^name) (Sys.file_exists name);
+         name)
+  in
+  assert_bool ("file does not exist"^filename) (not (Sys.file_exists filename));
+  ()
+*)
diff --git a/src/core/CCIO.mli b/src/core/CCIO.mli
index 76f8a9b3..b4d39b5d 100644
--- a/src/core/CCIO.mli
+++ b/src/core/CCIO.mli
@@ -250,3 +250,19 @@ module File : sig
         See {!Filename.temp_file}.
         @since 0.17 *)
 end
+
+val with_temp_dir :
+  ?mode:int -> ?dir:string ->
+  string -> (string -> 'a) -> 'a
+(** Create a temporary directory, call the function, and then destroy the
+    directory afterwards. Usage [with_temp_dir pattern f].
+    @param pattern the naming pattern for the temporary directory.
+      Helps avoiding collisions.
+    @param mode mode for the directory
+    @param dir the directory under which to make a temporary directory (default [/tmp])
+
+    Note that this is implemented following the discussion at:
+    https://discuss.ocaml.org/t/how-to-create-a-temporary-directory-in-ocaml/1815/
+
+    @since NEXT_RELEASE
+ *)
diff --git a/src/core/CCString.mli b/src/core/CCString.mli
index 5632b169..74379a0f 100644
--- a/src/core/CCString.mli
+++ b/src/core/CCString.mli
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ val replace : ?which:[`Left|`Right|`All] -> sub:string -> by:string -> string ->
     @since 0.14 *)
 
 val is_sub : sub:string -> int -> string -> int -> sub_len:int -> bool
-(** [is_sub ~sub i s j ~len] returns [true] iff the substring of
-    [sub] starting at position [i] and of length [len] is a substring
+(** [is_sub ~sub i s j ~sub_len] returns [true] iff the substring of
+    [sub] starting at position [i] and of length [sub_len] is a substring
     of [s] starting at position [j]. *)
 
 val repeat : string -> int -> string