diff --git a/include/QF/cexpr.h b/include/QF/cexpr.h
index b8bc734f5..665595d92 100644
--- a/include/QF/cexpr.h
+++ b/include/QF/cexpr.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 struct exprval_s;
 struct exprctx_s;
+struct va_ctx_s;
 
 typedef struct binop_s {
 	int         op;
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ typedef struct unop_s {
 typedef struct exprtype_s {
 	const char *name;
 	size_t      size;
+	const char *(*get_string) (const struct exprval_s *val, struct va_ctx_s *va_ctx);
 	binop_t    *binops;
 	unop_t     *unops;
 	void       *data;
@@ -114,6 +116,7 @@ int cexpr_parse_enum (exprenum_t *enm, const char *str,
 binop_t *cexpr_find_cast (exprtype_t *dst_type, exprtype_t *src_type) __attribute__((pure));
 exprval_t *cexpr_value (exprtype_t *type, exprctx_t *ctx);
 exprval_t *cexpr_value_reference (exprtype_t *type, void *data, exprctx_t *ctx);
+const char *cexpr_enum_get_string (const exprval_t *val, struct va_ctx_s *va_ctx) __attribute__((pure));
 int cexpr_eval_string (const char *str, exprctx_t *context);
 void cexpr_error(exprctx_t *ctx, const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__((format(PRINTF,2,3)));
 
diff --git a/libs/util/cexpr-type.c b/libs/util/cexpr-type.c
index 9c62dec40..2df8bfdce 100644
--- a/libs/util/cexpr-type.c
+++ b/libs/util/cexpr-type.c
@@ -28,11 +28,14 @@
 # include "config.h"
 #endif
 #include <math.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 #include "QF/cexpr.h"
 #include "QF/cmem.h"
 #include "QF/mathlib.h"
 #include "QF/plist.h"
+#include "QF/sys.h"
+#include "QF/va.h"
 #include "QF/simd/vec4f.h"
 
 #include "libs/util/cexpr-parse.h"
@@ -99,6 +102,12 @@ int_mod (const exprval_t *val1, const exprval_t *val2, exprval_t *result,
 	*(int *) result->value = c + (mask & b);
 }
 
+static const char *
+int_get_string (const exprval_t *val, va_ctx_t *va_ctx)
+{
+	return va (va_ctx, "%d", *(int *) val->value);
+}
+
 binop_t int_binops[] = {
 	{ SHL, &cexpr_int, &cexpr_int, int_shl },
 	{ SHR, &cexpr_int, &cexpr_int, int_shr },
@@ -128,6 +137,7 @@ exprtype_t cexpr_int = {
 	.size = sizeof (int),
 	.binops = int_binops,
 	.unops = int_unops,
+	.get_string = int_get_string,
 };
 
 BINOP(uint, shl, unsigned, <<)
@@ -153,6 +163,12 @@ UNOP(uint, neg, unsigned, -)
 UNOP(uint, tnot, unsigned, !)
 UNOP(uint, bnot, unsigned, ~)
 
+static const char *
+uint_get_string (const exprval_t *val, va_ctx_t *va_ctx)
+{
+	return va (va_ctx, "%u", *(unsigned *) val->value);
+}
+
 binop_t uint_binops[] = {
 	{ SHL, &cexpr_uint, &cexpr_uint, uint_shl },
 	{ SHR, &cexpr_uint, &cexpr_uint, uint_shr },
@@ -183,6 +199,7 @@ exprtype_t cexpr_uint = {
 	.size = sizeof (unsigned),
 	.binops = uint_binops,
 	.unops = uint_unops,
+	.get_string = uint_get_string,
 };
 
 BINOP(size_t, shl, unsigned, <<)
@@ -221,6 +238,12 @@ UNOP(size_t, neg, unsigned, -)
 UNOP(size_t, tnot, unsigned, !)
 UNOP(size_t, bnot, unsigned, ~)
 
+static const char *
+size_t_get_string (const exprval_t *val, va_ctx_t *va_ctx)
+{
+	return va (va_ctx, "%zd", *(size_t *) val->value);
+}
+
 binop_t size_t_binops[] = {
 	{ SHL, &cexpr_size_t, &cexpr_size_t, size_t_shl },
 	{ SHR, &cexpr_size_t, &cexpr_size_t, size_t_shr },
@@ -252,6 +275,7 @@ exprtype_t cexpr_size_t = {
 	.size = sizeof (size_t),
 	.binops = size_t_binops,
 	.unops = size_t_unops,
+	.get_string = size_t_get_string,
 };
 
 BINOP(float, add, float, +)
@@ -309,6 +333,12 @@ UNOP(float, pos, float, +)
 UNOP(float, neg, float, -)
 UNOP(float, tnot, float, !)
 
+static const char *
+float_get_string (const exprval_t *val, va_ctx_t *va_ctx)
+{
+	return va (va_ctx, "%.9g", *(float *) val->value);
+}
+
 binop_t float_binops[] = {
 	{ '+', &cexpr_float, &cexpr_float, float_add },
 	{ '-', &cexpr_float, &cexpr_float, float_sub },
@@ -337,6 +367,7 @@ exprtype_t cexpr_float = {
 	.size = sizeof (float),
 	.binops = float_binops,
 	.unops = float_unops,
+	.get_string = float_get_string,
 };
 
 BINOP(double, add, double, +)
@@ -375,6 +406,12 @@ UNOP(double, pos, double, +)
 UNOP(double, neg, double, -)
 UNOP(double, tnot, double, !)
 
+static const char *
+double_get_string (const exprval_t *val, va_ctx_t *va_ctx)
+{
+	return va (va_ctx, "%.17g", *(double *) val->value);
+}
+
 binop_t double_binops[] = {
 	{ '+', &cexpr_double, &cexpr_double, double_add },
 	{ '-', &cexpr_double, &cexpr_double, double_sub },
@@ -401,6 +438,7 @@ exprtype_t cexpr_double = {
 	.size = sizeof (double),
 	.binops = double_binops,
 	.unops = double_unops,
+	.get_string = double_get_string,
 };
 
 BINOP(vector, add, vec4f_t, +)
@@ -518,6 +556,13 @@ vector_swizzle (const exprval_t *val1, const exprval_t *val2,
 UNOP(vector, pos, vec4f_t, +)
 UNOP(vector, neg, vec4f_t, -)
 
+static const char *
+vector_get_string (const exprval_t *val, va_ctx_t *va_ctx)
+{
+	vec4f_t     vec = *(vec4f_t *) val->value;
+	return va (va_ctx, VEC4F_FMT, VEC4_EXP (vec));
+}
+
 static void
 vector_tnot (const exprval_t *val, exprval_t *result, exprctx_t *ctx)
 {
@@ -550,6 +595,7 @@ exprtype_t cexpr_vector = {
 	.size = sizeof (vec4f_t),
 	.binops = vector_binops,
 	.unops = vector_unops,
+	.get_string = vector_get_string,
 };
 
 static void
@@ -572,6 +618,13 @@ quaternion_vector_mul (const exprval_t *val1, const exprval_t *val2,
 	*c = qvmulf (a, b);
 }
 
+static const char *
+quaternion_get_string (const exprval_t *val, va_ctx_t *va_ctx)
+{
+	vec4f_t     vec = *(vec4f_t *) val->value;
+	return va (va_ctx, VEC4F_FMT, VEC4_EXP (vec));
+}
+
 binop_t quaternion_binops[] = {
 	{ '+', &cexpr_quaternion, &cexpr_quaternion, vector_add },
 	{ '-', &cexpr_quaternion, &cexpr_quaternion, vector_sub },
@@ -592,6 +645,7 @@ exprtype_t cexpr_quaternion = {
 	.size = sizeof (vec4f_t),
 	.binops = quaternion_binops,
 	.unops = quaternion_unops,
+	.get_string = quaternion_get_string,
 };
 
 exprtype_t cexpr_exprval = {
@@ -743,3 +797,21 @@ cexpr_parse_enum (exprenum_t *enm, const char *str, const exprctx_t *ctx,
 	context.result = &result;
 	return cexpr_eval_string (str, &context);
 }
+
+VISIBLE const char *
+cexpr_enum_get_string (const exprval_t *val, va_ctx_t *va_ctx)
+{
+	exprenum_t *enm = val->type->data;
+	exprsym_t  *symbols = enm->symtab->symbols;
+	for (exprsym_t *sym = symbols; sym->name; sym++) {
+		// if there are duplicate values, choose the *later* value
+		if (sym[1].name
+			&& memcmp (sym->value, sym[1].value, val->type->size) == 0) {
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (memcmp (sym->value, val->value, val->type->size) == 0) {
+			return sym->name;
+		}
+	}
+	return "";
+}
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vkgen/vkenum.r b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vkgen/vkenum.r
index cc22577a5..7725c6b34 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vkgen/vkenum.r
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vkgen/vkenum.r
@@ -95,9 +95,11 @@ skip_value(string name)
 	if (strip_bit) {
 		fprintf (output_file, "\t.binops = flag_binops,\n");
 		fprintf (output_file, "\t.unops = flag_unops,\n");
+		fprintf (output_file, "\t.get_string = cexpr_flags_get_string,\n");
 	} else {
 		fprintf (output_file, "\t.binops = enum_binops,\n");
 		fprintf (output_file, "\t.unops = 0,\n");
+		fprintf (output_file, "\t.get_string = cexpr_enum_get_string,\n");
 	}
 	fprintf (output_file, "\t.data = &%s_enum,\n", [self name]);
 	fprintf (output_file, "};\n");