diff --git a/include/libtorrent/span.hpp b/include/libtorrent/span.hpp
index 583eb30f9..6d635eb37 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/span.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/span.hpp
@@ -90,6 +90,15 @@ namespace aux {
 		span(Cont& c) // NOLINT
 			: m_ptr(c.data()), m_len(c.size()) {}
 
+		// allow construction from const containers if T is const
+		// this allows const spans to be constructed from a temporary container
+		template <typename Cont
+			, typename U = typename std::remove_reference<decltype(*std::declval<Cont>().data())>::type
+			, typename = typename std::enable_if<aux::compatible_type<U, T>::value
+				&& std::is_const<T>::value>::type>
+		span(Cont const& c) // NOLINT
+			: m_ptr(c.data()), m_len(c.size()) {}
+
 		std::size_t size() const noexcept { return m_len; }
 		bool empty() const noexcept { return m_len == 0; }
 		T* data() const noexcept { return m_ptr; }
diff --git a/test/test_span.cpp b/test/test_span.cpp
index f3d87cfc5..b4433f693 100644
--- a/test/test_span.cpp
+++ b/test/test_span.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,18 @@ TORRENT_TEST(span_vector)
 	TEST_CHECK(a.size() == 4);
 }
 
+void do_span_temp_vector(span<char const> a)
+{
+	std::vector<char> v1 = {1,2,3,4};
+	TEST_CHECK(a == f(v1));
+	TEST_CHECK(a.size() == 4);
+}
+
+TORRENT_TEST(span_temp_vector)
+{
+	do_span_temp_vector(std::vector<char>{1,2,3,4});
+}
+
 TORRENT_TEST(span_std_array)
 {
 	std::array<char, 4> v1{{1,2,3,4}};