diff --git a/examples/21_encoding/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/21_encoding/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a39767
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/21_encoding/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+add_executable (21_encoding_server server.cpp)
+target_link_libraries (21_encoding_server thallium)
+add_executable (21_encoding_client client.cpp)
+target_link_libraries (21_encoding_client thallium)
diff --git a/examples/21_encoding/client.cpp b/examples/21_encoding/client.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df9ea3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/21_encoding/client.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <thallium.hpp>
+#include "encoder.hpp"
+
+namespace tl = thallium;
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+    if(argc != 2) {
+        std::cerr << "Usage: " << argv[0] << " <address>" << std::endl;
+        exit(0);
+    }
+    tl::engine myEngine("tcp", THALLIUM_CLIENT_MODE);
+    tl::remote_procedure stream = myEngine.define("stream");
+    tl::endpoint server = myEngine.lookup(argv[1]);
+    encoder e;
+    stream.on(server)(e);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
diff --git a/examples/21_encoding/encoder.hpp b/examples/21_encoding/encoder.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d974656
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/21_encoding/encoder.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#include <iostream>
+
+class encoder {
+
+    public:
+
+    template<typename A>
+    void save(A& ar) const {
+        auto buffer = static_cast<char*>(ar.save_ptr(26));
+        for(int i = 0; i < 26; ++i) {
+            buffer[i] = 'A' + i;
+        }
+        ar.restore_ptr(buffer, 26);
+    }
+
+    template<typename A>
+    void load(A& ar) {
+        auto buffer = static_cast<char*>(ar.save_ptr(26));
+        for(int i = 0; i < 26; ++i) {
+            std::cout << buffer[i];
+        }
+        std::cout << std::endl;
+        ar.restore_ptr(buffer, 26);
+    }
+};
diff --git a/examples/21_encoding/server.cpp b/examples/21_encoding/server.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37d5546
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/21_encoding/server.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <thallium.hpp>
+#include "encoder.hpp"
+
+namespace tl = thallium;
+
+int main() {
+
+    tl::engine myEngine("tcp", THALLIUM_SERVER_MODE);
+    std::cout << "Server running at address " << myEngine.self() << std::endl;
+
+    std::function<void(const tl::request&, const encoder&)> stream =
+        [&myEngine](const tl::request& req, const encoder&) {
+            req.respond();
+        };
+
+    myEngine.define("stream", stream);
+    myEngine.wait_for_finalize();
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
diff --git a/examples/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
index ba31fb3..4bd1542 100644
--- a/examples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,3 +19,4 @@ add_subdirectory(17_partial)
 add_subdirectory(18_config)
 add_subdirectory(19_logging)
 add_subdirectory(20_timed_cb)
+add_subdirectory(21_encoding)
diff --git a/include/thallium/serialization/cereal/archives.hpp b/include/thallium/serialization/cereal/archives.hpp
index af19038..d9ca3c2 100644
--- a/include/thallium/serialization/cereal/archives.hpp
+++ b/include/thallium/serialization/cereal/archives.hpp
@@ -67,6 +67,14 @@ namespace thallium {
             return m_context;
         }
 
+        void* save_ptr(size_t size) {
+            return hg_proc_save_ptr(m_proc, size);
+        }
+
+        void restore_ptr(void* buf, size_t size) {
+            hg_proc_restore_ptr(m_proc, buf, size);
+        }
+
     private:
 
         hg_proc_t                          m_proc;
@@ -122,6 +130,14 @@ namespace thallium {
             return m_context;
         }
 
+        void* save_ptr(size_t size) {
+            return hg_proc_save_ptr(m_proc, size);
+        }
+
+        void restore_ptr(void* buf, size_t size) {
+            hg_proc_restore_ptr(m_proc, buf, size);
+        }
+
     private:
 
         hg_proc_t                          m_proc;
diff --git a/include/thallium/serialization/proc_input_archive.hpp b/include/thallium/serialization/proc_input_archive.hpp
index a656b9d..d2c03c1 100644
--- a/include/thallium/serialization/proc_input_archive.hpp
+++ b/include/thallium/serialization/proc_input_archive.hpp
@@ -161,6 +161,20 @@ class proc_input_archive : public input_archive {
     auto& get_context() {
         return m_context;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Calls hg_proc_save_ptr for manual encoding into the Mercury buffer.
+     */
+    void* save_ptr(size_t size) {
+        return hg_proc_save_ptr(m_proc, size);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Restore pointer after manual encoding.
+     */
+    void restore_ptr(void* buf, size_t size) {
+        hg_proc_restore_ptr(m_proc, buf, size);
+    }
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/include/thallium/serialization/proc_output_archive.hpp b/include/thallium/serialization/proc_output_archive.hpp
index 76b390f..3000484 100644
--- a/include/thallium/serialization/proc_output_archive.hpp
+++ b/include/thallium/serialization/proc_output_archive.hpp
@@ -153,6 +153,20 @@ class proc_output_archive : public output_archive {
     auto& get_context() {
         return m_context;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Calls hg_proc_save_ptr for manual encoding into the Mercury buffer.
+     */
+    void* save_ptr(size_t size) {
+        return hg_proc_save_ptr(m_proc, size);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Restore pointer after manual encoding.
+     */
+    void restore_ptr(void* buf, size_t size) {
+        hg_proc_restore_ptr(m_proc, buf, size);
+    }
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/spack.yaml b/spack.yaml
index 583f591..fc9a87f 100644
--- a/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 spack:
   specs:
   - mochi-margo ^mercury~boostsys~checksum ^libfabric fabrics=tcp,rxm
+  - pkg-config
   - cmake
   - cereal
   concretizer:
     unify: true
+    reuse: true
+  modules:
+    prefix_inspections:
+      lib: [LD_LIBRARY_PATH]
+      lib64: [LD_LIBRARY_PATH]
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index a74f962..68316cd 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ set (thallium-pkg "share/cmake/thallium")
 # library version set here (e.g. for shared libs).
 #
 set (THALLIUM_VERSION_MAJOR 0)
-set (THALLIUM_VERSION_MINOR 12)
+set (THALLIUM_VERSION_MINOR 13)
 set (THALLIUM_VERSION_PATCH 0)
 set (thallium-vers "${THALLIUM_VERSION_MAJOR}.${THALLIUM_VERSION_MINOR}")
 set (THALLIUM_VERSION "${thallium-vers}.${THALLIUM_VERSION_PATCH}")