diff --git a/src/lib_ccx/utility.c b/src/lib_ccx/utility.c
index 00f213414..ac5bfc878 100644
--- a/src/lib_ccx/utility.c
+++ b/src/lib_ccx/utility.c
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
 int temp_debug = 0; // This is a convenience variable used to enable/disable debug on variable conditions. Find references to understand.
 volatile sig_atomic_t change_filename_requested = 0;
-
 extern int ccxr_verify_crc32(uint8_t *buf, int len);
 extern int ccxr_levenshtein_dist(const uint64_t *s1, const uint64_t *s2, unsigned s1len, unsigned s2len);
 extern int ccxr_levenshtein_dist_char(const char *s1, const char *s2, unsigned s1len, unsigned s2len);
@@ -269,6 +268,13 @@ void sleep_secs(int secs)
 #endif
 }
 
+#ifndef DISABLE_RUST
+extern int ccxr_hex_to_int(char high, char low);
+int hex_to_int(char high, char low)
+{
+	return ccxr_hex_to_int(high, low);
+}
+#else
 int hex_to_int(char high, char low)
 {
 	unsigned char h, l;
@@ -286,6 +292,8 @@ int hex_to_int(char high, char low)
 		return -1;
 	return h * 16 + l;
 }
+#endif
+
 int hex_string_to_int(char *string, int len)
 {
 	int total_return = 0;
@@ -302,7 +310,6 @@ int hex_string_to_int(char *string, int len)
 	}
 	return total_return;
 }
-
 #ifndef _WIN32
 void m_signal(int sig, void (*func)(int))
 {
diff --git a/src/rust/lib_ccxr/src/util/hex.rs b/src/rust/lib_ccxr/src/util/hex.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..370e30947
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/rust/lib_ccxr/src/util/hex.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/// Converts a single lowercase hex character to its integer value.
+/// Returns None if the character is not valid (0-9 or a-f).
+fn hex_char_to_val(c: char) -> Option<i32> {
+    match c {
+        '0'..='9' => Some(c as i32 - '0' as i32),
+        'a'..='f' => Some(c as i32 - 'a' as i32 + 10),
+        _ => None,
+    }
+}
+
+/// Converts two lowercase hex characters into a combined integer value.
+/// Returns None if either character is invalid.
+pub fn hex_to_int(high: char, low: char) -> Option<i32> {
+    let h = hex_char_to_val(high)?;
+    let l = hex_char_to_val(low)?;
+    Some(h * 16 + l)
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_hex_to_int() {
+        assert_eq!(hex_to_int('4', 'f'), Some(79));
+        assert_eq!(hex_to_int('0', '0'), Some(0));
+        assert_eq!(hex_to_int('f', 'f'), Some(255));
+        assert_eq!(hex_to_int('z', '1'), None); // invalid
+        assert_eq!(hex_to_int('A', 'F'), None); // uppercase not supported
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/rust/lib_ccxr/src/util/mod.rs b/src/rust/lib_ccxr/src/util/mod.rs
index 2d05f1221..ef0e092fa 100644
--- a/src/rust/lib_ccxr/src/util/mod.rs
+++ b/src/rust/lib_ccxr/src/util/mod.rs
@@ -9,40 +9,29 @@
 //! | `UNHAM_8_4`                                | [`decode_hamming_8_4`]         |
 //! | `unham_24_18`                              | [`decode_hamming_24_18`]       |
 //! | `levenshtein_dist`, levenshtein_dist_char` | [`levenshtein`](levenshtein()) |
-
 pub mod bits;
 pub mod encoders_helper;
 pub mod encoding;
+pub mod hex;
 pub mod levenshtein;
 pub mod log;
 pub mod time;
-
 use std::os::raw::c_char;
-
-/// Helper function that converts a Rust-String (`string`) to C-String (`buffer`).
-///
-/// # Safety
-///
-/// `buffer` must have enough allocated space for `string` to fit.
 pub fn write_string_into_pointer(buffer: *mut c_char, string: &str) {
     let buffer = unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts_mut(buffer as *mut u8, string.len() + 1) };
     buffer[..string.len()].copy_from_slice(string.as_bytes());
     buffer[string.len()] = b'\0';
 }
-
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
-
     #[test]
     fn test_write_string_into_pointer() {
         let test_string = "CCExtractor is the best";
         let mut buffer = vec![0u8; test_string.len() + 1];
         let buffer_ptr = buffer.as_mut_ptr() as *mut c_char;
-
         write_string_into_pointer(buffer_ptr, test_string);
-
         assert_eq!(&buffer[..test_string.len()], test_string.as_bytes());
-        assert_eq!(buffer[test_string.len()], 0); // Check null terminator
+        assert_eq!(buffer[test_string.len()], 0);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/rust/src/libccxr_exports/mod.rs b/src/rust/src/libccxr_exports/mod.rs
index f5016a95b..aebaf5210 100644
--- a/src/rust/src/libccxr_exports/mod.rs
+++ b/src/rust/src/libccxr_exports/mod.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ pub mod demuxer;
 pub mod demuxerdata;
 pub mod net;
 pub mod time;
+pub mod util;
 use crate::ccx_options;
 use lib_ccxr::util::log::*;
 use lib_ccxr::util::{bits::*, levenshtein::*};
diff --git a/src/rust/src/libccxr_exports/util.rs b/src/rust/src/libccxr_exports/util.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e6734f9e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/rust/src/libccxr_exports/util.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+use std::ffi::{c_char, c_int};
+
+/// Rust equivalent for `hex_to_int` function in C. Uses C-native types as input and output.
+///
+/// # Safety
+///
+/// `high` and `low` must be valid ASCII characters. Invalid characters will
+/// return -1 rather than causing undefined behavior.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn ccxr_hex_to_int(high: c_char, low: c_char) -> c_int {
+    lib_ccxr::util::hex::hex_to_int(high as u8 as char, low as u8 as char).unwrap_or(-1)
+}