diff --git a/doc/includes/references.h b/doc/includes/references.h
index 0b75f5a9..a5e0144a 100644
--- a/doc/includes/references.h
+++ b/doc/includes/references.h
@@ -3389,7 +3389,7 @@ int mju_str2Type(const char* str);
 const char* mju_writeNumBytes(size_t nbytes);
 const char* mju_warningText(int warning, size_t info);
 int mju_isBad(mjtNum x);
-int mju_isZero(mjtNum* vec, int n);
+int mju_isZero(const mjtNum* vec, int n);
 mjtNum mju_standardNormal(mjtNum* num2);
 void mju_f2n(mjtNum* res, const float* vec, int n);
 void mju_n2f(float* res, const mjtNum* vec, int n);
diff --git a/include/mujoco/mujoco.h b/include/mujoco/mujoco.h
index 59d98ed1..86a79dd5 100644
--- a/include/mujoco/mujoco.h
+++ b/include/mujoco/mujoco.h
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ MJAPI const char* mju_warningText(int warning, size_t info);
 MJAPI int mju_isBad(mjtNum x);
 
 // Return 1 if all elements are 0.
-MJAPI int mju_isZero(mjtNum* vec, int n);
+MJAPI int mju_isZero(const mjtNum* vec, int n);
 
 // Standard normal random number generator (optional second number).
 MJAPI mjtNum mju_standardNormal(mjtNum* num2);
diff --git a/python/mujoco/introspect/functions.py b/python/mujoco/introspect/functions.py
index 7382f3aa..5aa97ca2 100644
--- a/python/mujoco/introspect/functions.py
+++ b/python/mujoco/introspect/functions.py
@@ -8343,7 +8343,7 @@ FUNCTIONS: Mapping[str, FunctionDecl] = dict([
              FunctionParameterDecl(
                  name='vec',
                  type=PointerType(
-                     inner_type=ValueType(name='mjtNum'),
+                     inner_type=ValueType(name='mjtNum', is_const=True),
                  ),
              ),
              FunctionParameterDecl(
diff --git a/src/engine/engine_util_misc.c b/src/engine/engine_util_misc.c
index 606922e1..79830e1c 100644
--- a/src/engine/engine_util_misc.c
+++ b/src/engine/engine_util_misc.c
@@ -1350,7 +1350,7 @@ int mju_isBad(mjtNum x) {
 
 
 // return 1 if all elements are 0
-int mju_isZero(mjtNum* vec, int n) {
+int mju_isZero(const mjtNum* vec, int n) {
   for (int i=0; i < n; i++) {
     if (vec[i] != 0) {
       return 0;
@@ -1362,6 +1362,32 @@ int mju_isZero(mjtNum* vec, int n) {
 
 
 
+// return 1 if all elements are 0
+int mju_isZeroByte(const unsigned char* vec, int n) {
+  size_t i = 0;
+
+  // unroll using 8-byte chunks
+  const uint64_t* vec64 = (const uint64_t*)vec;
+  size_t n64 = n / sizeof(uint64_t);
+  for (; i < n64; ++i) {
+    if (vec64[i]) {
+      return 0;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // remaining bytes
+  i *= sizeof(uint64_t);
+  for (; i < n; ++i) {
+    if (vec[i]) {
+      return 0;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return 1;
+}
+
+
+
 // set integer vector to 0
 void mju_zeroInt(int* res, int n) {
   memset(res, 0, n*sizeof(int));
diff --git a/src/engine/engine_util_misc.h b/src/engine/engine_util_misc.h
index c5e35e2c..56f57a8e 100644
--- a/src/engine/engine_util_misc.h
+++ b/src/engine/engine_util_misc.h
@@ -133,8 +133,11 @@ MJAPI const char* mju_warningText(int warning, size_t info);
 // return 1 if nan or abs(x)>mjMAXVAL, 0 otherwise
 MJAPI int mju_isBad(mjtNum x);
 
-// return 1 if all elements are 0
-MJAPI int mju_isZero(mjtNum* vec, int n);
+// return 1 if all elements are numerically 0 (-0.0 treated as zero)
+MJAPI int mju_isZero(const mjtNum* vec, int n);
+
+// return 1 if all elements are 0x00, can be ~2x faster than mju_isZero
+MJAPI int mju_isZeroByte(const unsigned char* vec, int n);
 
 // set integer vector to 0
 MJAPI void mju_zeroInt(int* res, int n);
diff --git a/test/benchmark/CMakeLists.txt b/test/benchmark/CMakeLists.txt
index 48a5a369..dc56b611 100644
--- a/test/benchmark/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/benchmark/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ mujoco_test(
   ADDITIONAL_LINK_LIBRARIES benchmark::benchmark absl::core_headers
 )
 
+mujoco_test(
+  iszero_benchmark_test
+  MAIN_TARGET benchmark::benchmark_main
+  ADDITIONAL_LINK_LIBRARIES benchmark::benchmark absl::core_headers
+)
+
 mujoco_test(
   solveLD_benchmark_test
   MAIN_TARGET benchmark::benchmark_main
diff --git a/test/benchmark/iszero_benchmark_test.cc b/test/benchmark/iszero_benchmark_test.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7cc283b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/benchmark/iszero_benchmark_test.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+// Copyright 2025 DeepMind Technologies Limited
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "benchmark/benchmark.h"
+#include <absl/base/attributes.h>
+#include <mujoco/mujoco.h>
+#include "src/engine/engine_util_misc.h"
+
+namespace mujoco {
+namespace {
+
+// Run benchmark for the isZero functions, for mjtNum directly or bytewise.
+ABSL_ATTRIBUTE_NO_TAIL_CALL static void IzZeroBenchmark(
+    benchmark::State& state, int n, bool bytewise) {
+  std::vector<mjtNum> data(n, 0);
+  data[n-1] = 1;
+
+  if (bytewise) {
+    for (auto s : state) {
+      int iszero =
+          mju_isZeroByte((const unsigned char*)data.data(), n * sizeof(mjtNum));
+      benchmark::DoNotOptimize(iszero);
+    }
+  } else {
+    for (auto s : state) {
+      int iszero = mju_isZero(data.data(), n);
+      benchmark::DoNotOptimize(iszero);
+    }
+  }
+
+  state.counters["items/s"] =
+      benchmark::Counter(state.iterations() * n, benchmark::Counter::kIsRate);
+}
+
+// Define benchmarks.
+void BM_isZeroByte_1e2(benchmark::State& state) {
+  IzZeroBenchmark(state, 100, true);
+}
+BENCHMARK(BM_isZeroByte_1e2);
+
+void BM_isZeroByte_1e5(benchmark::State& state) {
+  IzZeroBenchmark(state, 100000, true);
+}
+BENCHMARK(BM_isZeroByte_1e5);
+
+void BM_isZero_1e2(benchmark::State& state) {
+  IzZeroBenchmark(state, 100, false);
+}
+BENCHMARK(BM_isZero_1e2);
+
+void BM_isZero_1e5(benchmark::State& state) {
+  IzZeroBenchmark(state, 100000, false);
+}
+BENCHMARK(BM_isZero_1e5);
+
+}  // namespace
+}  // namespace mujoco
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+  benchmark::Initialize(&argc, argv);
+  benchmark::RunSpecifiedBenchmarks();
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/test/engine/engine_util_misc_test.cc b/test/engine/engine_util_misc_test.cc
index 94293693..f26fae3f 100644
--- a/test/engine/engine_util_misc_test.cc
+++ b/test/engine/engine_util_misc_test.cc
@@ -349,6 +349,17 @@ TEST_F(UtilMiscTest, MjuSparseLower2SymMapPartial) {
   EXPECT_THAT(AsVector(mat_res, res_nnz), ElementsAre(1, 2, 0, 2, 3, 0, 6));
 }
 
+TEST_F(UtilMiscTest, MjuIsZero) {
+  mjtNum vec[1] = {1};
+  EXPECT_EQ(mju_isZero(vec, 1), 0);
+  EXPECT_EQ(mju_isZero(vec, 0), 1);
+  vec[0] = 0;
+  EXPECT_EQ(mju_isZero(vec, 1), 1);
+  vec[0] = -0.0;
+  EXPECT_EQ(mju_isZero(vec, 1), 1);
+  EXPECT_EQ(mju_isZeroByte((const unsigned char*)vec, sizeof(mjtNum)), 0);
+}
+
 // --------------------------------- Interpolation -----------------------------
 
 using InterpolationTest = MujocoTest;