diff --git a/common/util.c b/common/util.c
index 293959c20..c6190a413 100644
--- a/common/util.c
+++ b/common/util.c
@@ -112,6 +112,25 @@ position_get_from_str(const char *pos)
     return Off;
 }
 
+char *
+position_to_str(position_t p)
+{
+    switch(p)
+    {
+      case Top:
+        return a_strdup("top");
+      case Bottom:
+        return a_strdup("bottom");
+      case Right:
+        return a_strdup("right");
+      case Left:
+        return a_strdup("left");
+      case Auto:
+        return a_strdup("auto");
+    }
+    return a_strdup("off");
+}
+
 /** \brief safe limited strdup.
  *
  * Copies at most min(<tt>n-1</tt>, \c l) characters from \c src into a newly
diff --git a/common/util.h b/common/util.h
index 122af3f15..940b1eac3 100644
--- a/common/util.h
+++ b/common/util.h
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ void _warn(int, const char *, const char *, ...)
     __attribute__ ((format(printf, 3, 4)));
 
 position_t position_get_from_str(const char *);
+char * position_to_str(position_t);
 fuzzy_t fuzzy_get_from_str(const char *);
 double compute_new_value_from_arg(const char *, double);
 void *name_func_lookup(const char *, const name_func_link_t *);