diff --git a/ruby/private/binary.bzl b/ruby/private/binary.bzl
index 0eb23015..d0bf8618 100644
--- a/ruby/private/binary.bzl
+++ b/ruby/private/binary.bzl
@@ -65,13 +65,17 @@ Supports `$(location)` expansion for targets from `srcs`, `data` and `deps`.
         allow_single_file = True,
         default = "@rules_ruby//ruby/private:coverage.rb",
     ),
+    "_runfiles_helper": attr.label(
+        allow_single_file = True,
+        default = "@rules_ruby//ruby/runfiles:lib/bazel/runfiles.rb",
+    ),
     "coverage_filters": attr.string_list(
         doc = "Additional coverage filters to add to SimpleCov. Only applied during 'bazel coverage'.",
     ),
 }
 
 # buildifier: disable=function-docstring
-def generate_rb_binary_script(ctx, binary, bundler = False, args = [], env = {}, java_bin = "", jars_home_strip_suffix = "", coverage_helper = "", is_jruby = False):
+def generate_rb_binary_script(ctx, binary, bundler = False, args = [], env = {}, java_bin = "", jars_home_strip_suffix = "", coverage_helper = "", runfiles_helper = "", is_jruby = False):
     toolchain = ctx.toolchains["@rules_ruby//ruby:toolchain_type"]
     if ctx.attr.ruby != None:
         toolchain = ctx.attr.ruby[platform_common.ToolchainInfo]
@@ -129,6 +133,7 @@ def generate_rb_binary_script(ctx, binary, bundler = False, args = [], env = {},
             "{rlocation_function}": rlocation_function,
             "{locate_binary_in_runfiles}": locate_binary_in_runfiles,
             "{coverage_helper}": coverage_helper,
+            "{runfiles_helper}": runfiles_helper,
             "{is_jruby}": "true" if is_jruby else "",
         },
     )
@@ -153,6 +158,7 @@ def rb_binary_impl(ctx):
         ruby_toolchain = ctx.attr.ruby[platform_common.ToolchainInfo]
     tools = list(ruby_toolchain.files)
     tools.append(ctx.file._coverage_helper)
+    tools.append(ctx.file._runfiles_helper)
 
     if ruby_toolchain.version.startswith("jruby"):
         java_toolchain = ctx.toolchains["@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:runtime_toolchain_type"]
@@ -220,6 +226,7 @@ def rb_binary_impl(ctx):
         java_bin = java_bin,
         jars_home_strip_suffix = jars_home_strip_suffix,
         coverage_helper = _to_rlocation_path(ctx, ctx.file._coverage_helper),
+        runfiles_helper = _to_rlocation_path(ctx, ctx.file._runfiles_helper),
         is_jruby = ruby_toolchain.version.startswith("jruby"),
     )
 
diff --git a/ruby/private/binary/binary.cmd.tpl b/ruby/private/binary/binary.cmd.tpl
index 15e77207..8cd22392 100644
--- a/ruby/private/binary/binary.cmd.tpl
+++ b/ruby/private/binary/binary.cmd.tpl
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ set RUNFILES_MANIFEST_ONLY=1
 call :rlocation {ruby} ruby
 for %%a in ("!ruby!\..") do set PATH=%%~fa;%PATH%
 
+:: Set RUBYLIB to include the runfiles library.
+call :rlocation {runfiles_helper} _runfiles_helper_path
+for %%a in ("!_runfiles_helper_path!\..\..") do set "RUBYLIB=%%~fa;!RUBYLIB!"
+
 :: Find location of JAVA_HOME in runfiles.
 if "{java_bin}" neq "" (
   call :rlocation {java_bin} java_bin
diff --git a/ruby/private/binary/binary.sh.tpl b/ruby/private/binary/binary.sh.tpl
index ec331623..c14bdd24 100644
--- a/ruby/private/binary/binary.sh.tpl
+++ b/ruby/private/binary/binary.sh.tpl
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ realpath() (
 
 export RUNFILES_DIR="$(realpath "${RUNFILES_DIR:-$0.runfiles}")"
 
+# Set RUBYLIB to include the runfiles library.
+export RUBYLIB="$(dirname "$(dirname "$(rlocation "{runfiles_helper}")")")${RUBYLIB:+:${RUBYLIB}}"
+
 # Find location of Ruby in runfiles.
 export PATH=$(dirname $(rlocation {ruby})):$PATH
 
diff --git a/ruby/runfiles/BUILD b/ruby/runfiles/BUILD
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4954f1e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ruby/runfiles/BUILD
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+load("//ruby:defs.bzl", "rb_library", "rb_test")
+
+exports_files(["lib/bazel/runfiles.rb"])
+
+rb_library(
+    name = "runfiles",
+    srcs = ["lib/bazel/runfiles.rb"],
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
+
+rb_test(
+    name = "runfiles_test",
+    size = "small",
+    srcs = ["runfiles_test.rb"],
+    tags = ["manual"],
+)
diff --git a/ruby/runfiles/lib/bazel/runfiles.rb b/ruby/runfiles/lib/bazel/runfiles.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b8c275be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ruby/runfiles/lib/bazel/runfiles.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require 'pathname'
+
+module Bazel
+  # Resolves runtime paths to data dependencies using either a
+  # manifest file or a runfiles directory.
+  class Runfiles
+    def self.create(env = ENV)
+      manifest_file = env['RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE']
+      runfiles_dir = env['RUNFILES_DIR']
+
+      return new(ManifestBased.new(manifest_file)) if manifest_file && !manifest_file.empty?
+      return new(DirectoryBased.new(runfiles_dir)) if runfiles_dir && !runfiles_dir.empty?
+
+      create_from_program_name($PROGRAM_NAME)
+    end
+
+    def self.create_from_program_name(program_name)
+      if File.exist?("#{program_name}.runfiles_manifest")
+        new(ManifestBased.new("#{program_name}.runfiles_manifest"))
+      elsif File.exist?("#{program_name}.runfiles")
+        new(DirectoryBased.new("#{program_name}.runfiles"))
+      else
+        new(DirectoryBased.new(''))
+      end
+    end
+
+    def initialize(strategy)
+      @strategy = strategy
+    end
+
+    def rlocation(path)
+      raise ArgumentError, 'path must not be empty' if path.to_s.empty?
+
+      invalid_path = %r{\A\.\.[/\\]|[/\\]\.\.[/\\]|\A\.[/\\]|[/\\]\.[/\\]|[/\\]\.\z|[/\\][/\\]}
+      raise ArgumentError, "path is not valid: #{path.inspect}" if path.match?(invalid_path)
+
+      return path if Pathname.new(path).absolute?
+
+      @strategy.rlocation(path)
+    end
+
+    # Resolves paths by looking them up in a runfiles MANIFEST file.
+    class ManifestBased
+      def initialize(manifest_path)
+        @entries = parse_manifest(manifest_path)
+      end
+
+      def rlocation(path)
+        return @entries[path] if @entries.key?(path)
+
+        prefix = File.dirname(path)
+        while prefix != '.' && prefix != '/'
+          base = @entries[prefix]
+          return "#{base}#{path[prefix.length..]}" if base && !base.empty?
+
+          prefix = File.dirname(prefix)
+        end
+
+        nil
+      end
+
+      private
+
+      def parse_manifest(path)
+        entries = {}
+        return entries unless File.exist?(path)
+
+        File.foreach(path) do |line|
+          line.chomp!
+          next if line.empty?
+
+          key, value = parse_entry(line)
+          entries[key] = value
+        end
+
+        entries
+      end
+
+      def parse_entry(line)
+        escaped = line.delete_prefix!(' ')
+        key, _, value = line.partition(' ')
+        return [key, value] unless escaped
+
+        [unescape(key), unescape(value)]
+      end
+
+      def unescape(str)
+        str.gsub(/\\[snb]/, '\s' => ' ', '\n' => "\n", '\b' => '\\')
+      end
+    end
+
+    # Resolves paths by joining them onto a runfiles directory root.
+    class DirectoryBased
+      def initialize(runfiles_dir)
+        @runfiles_dir = runfiles_dir
+      end
+
+      def rlocation(path)
+        return nil if @runfiles_dir.empty?
+
+        File.join(@runfiles_dir, path)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/ruby/runfiles/runfiles_test.rb b/ruby/runfiles/runfiles_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d5e21633
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ruby/runfiles/runfiles_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require 'minitest/autorun'
+require 'tmpdir'
+require 'bazel/runfiles'
+
+class ManifestBasedTest < Minitest::Test
+  def setup
+    @dir = Dir.mktmpdir
+    @manifest = File.join(@dir, 'MANIFEST')
+  end
+
+  def teardown
+    FileUtils.rm_rf(@dir)
+  end
+
+  def strategy(contents)
+    File.write(@manifest, contents)
+    Bazel::Runfiles::ManifestBased.new(@manifest)
+  end
+
+  def test_exact_match
+    r = strategy("_main/pkg/file.txt /abs/pkg/file.txt\n")
+    assert_equal '/abs/pkg/file.txt', r.rlocation('_main/pkg/file.txt')
+  end
+
+  def test_prefix_walk
+    r = strategy("_main/pkg /abs/pkg\n")
+    assert_equal '/abs/pkg/sub/file.txt', r.rlocation('_main/pkg/sub/file.txt')
+  end
+
+  def test_missing_path_returns_nil
+    r = strategy("_main/pkg/file.txt /abs/pkg/file.txt\n")
+    assert_nil r.rlocation('_main/pkg/other.txt')
+  end
+
+  def test_empty_file_convention
+    r = strategy("_main/empty.txt\n")
+    assert_equal '', r.rlocation('_main/empty.txt')
+  end
+
+  def test_escaped_path_with_spaces
+    r = strategy(" _main/dir\\swith\\sspaces/file.txt /abs/dir\\swith\\sspaces/file.txt\n")
+    assert_equal '/abs/dir with spaces/file.txt', r.rlocation('_main/dir with spaces/file.txt')
+  end
+
+  def test_escaped_path_with_backslash_and_newline
+    r = strategy(" _main/a\\bs\\nb /abs/a\\bs\\nb\n")
+    assert_equal "/abs/a\\s\nb", r.rlocation("_main/a\\s\nb")
+  end
+
+  def test_escaped_empty_file
+    r = strategy(" _main/weird\\spath\n")
+    assert_equal '', r.rlocation('_main/weird path')
+  end
+
+  def test_prefix_with_empty_value_not_matched_as_directory
+    r = strategy("_main/empty.txt \n_main/empty.txt/child.rb /abs/child.rb\n")
+    assert_equal '/abs/child.rb', r.rlocation('_main/empty.txt/child.rb')
+  end
+end
+
+class DirectoryBasedTest < Minitest::Test
+  def setup
+    @dir = Dir.mktmpdir
+  end
+
+  def teardown
+    FileUtils.rm_rf(@dir)
+  end
+
+  def test_rlocation_joins_dir_and_path
+    r = Bazel::Runfiles::DirectoryBased.new(@dir)
+    assert_equal File.join(@dir, '_main/pkg/file.txt'), r.rlocation('_main/pkg/file.txt')
+  end
+
+  def test_rlocation_returns_nil_when_no_dir
+    r = Bazel::Runfiles::DirectoryBased.new('')
+    assert_nil r.rlocation('_main/pkg/file.txt')
+  end
+end
+
+class RunfilesTest < Minitest::Test
+  def setup
+    @dir = Dir.mktmpdir
+    @manifest = File.join(@dir, 'MANIFEST')
+    File.write(@manifest, "_main/a.txt /abs/a.txt\n")
+  end
+
+  def teardown
+    FileUtils.rm_rf(@dir)
+  end
+
+  def directory_runfiles(dir = @dir)
+    Bazel::Runfiles.new(Bazel::Runfiles::DirectoryBased.new(dir))
+  end
+
+  def test_empty_path_raises
+    assert_raises(ArgumentError) { directory_runfiles.rlocation('') }
+  end
+
+  def test_nil_path_raises
+    assert_raises(ArgumentError) { directory_runfiles.rlocation(nil) }
+  end
+
+  def test_absolute_path_returned_unchanged
+    assert_equal '/already/absolute.txt', directory_runfiles.rlocation('/already/absolute.txt')
+  end
+
+  def test_non_normalized_paths_raise
+    ['../foo', 'foo/../bar', './foo', 'foo/./bar', 'foo/.', 'foo//bar'].each do |path|
+      assert_raises(ArgumentError, "expected #{path.inspect} to raise") do
+        directory_runfiles.rlocation(path)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_absolute_without_drive_letter_raises
+    assert_raises(ArgumentError) { directory_runfiles.rlocation('\\foo') }
+  end
+
+  def test_create_picks_manifest_mode_when_manifest_file_set
+    r = Bazel::Runfiles.create('RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE' => @manifest)
+    assert_equal '/abs/a.txt', r.rlocation('_main/a.txt')
+  end
+
+  def test_create_picks_directory_mode_when_dir_set
+    r = Bazel::Runfiles.create('RUNFILES_DIR' => @dir)
+    assert_equal File.join(@dir, '_main/a.txt'), r.rlocation('_main/a.txt')
+  end
+
+  def test_create_prefers_manifest_over_directory
+    r = Bazel::Runfiles.create(
+      'RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE' => @manifest,
+      'RUNFILES_DIR' => @dir
+    )
+    assert_equal '/abs/a.txt', r.rlocation('_main/a.txt')
+  end
+end