diff --git a/log.h b/log.h
index 83234e3e..d3a667a2 100644
--- a/log.h
+++ b/log.h
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ void set_log_implementation(void (*log_function)(int level, struct strbuf *buf))
 
 #define alloca_toprint(dstlen,buf,len)  toprint((char *)alloca((dstlen) == -1 ? toprint_len((const char *)(buf),(len), "``") + 1 : (dstlen)), (dstlen), (const char *)(buf), (len), "``")
 #define alloca_str_toprint(str)  toprint_str((char *)alloca(toprint_str_len(str, "``") + 1), -1, (str), "``")
+#define alloca_sockaddr(addr)    strbuf_str(strbuf_append_sockaddr(strbuf_alloca(40), (const struct sockaddr *)(addr)))
 
 #define __HERE__            ((struct __sourceloc){ .file = __FILE__, .line = __LINE__, .function = __FUNCTION__ })
 #define __NOWHERE__         ((struct __sourceloc){ .file = NULL, .line = 0, .function = NULL })
diff --git a/strbuf_helpers.c b/strbuf_helpers.c
index 9eace1e7..1fc480b4 100644
--- a/strbuf_helpers.c
+++ b/strbuf_helpers.c
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_NETINET_IN_H
+#include <netinet/in.h>
+#endif
 
 static inline strbuf _toprint(strbuf sb, char c)
 {
@@ -198,3 +201,71 @@ strbuf strbuf_append_exit_status(strbuf sb, int status)
 #endif
   return sb;
 }
+
+strbuf strbuf_append_sockaddr(strbuf sb, const struct sockaddr *addr)
+{
+  const char *fam = NULL;
+  switch (addr->sa_family) {
+  case AF_UNSPEC:    fam = "AF_UNSPEC"; break;
+  case AF_UNIX:	     fam = "AF_UNIX"; break;
+  case AF_INET:	     fam = "AF_INET"; break;
+  case AF_AX25:	     fam = "AF_AX25"; break;
+  case AF_IPX:	     fam = "AF_IPX"; break;
+  case AF_APPLETALK: fam = "AF_APPLETALK"; break;
+  case AF_NETROM:    fam = "AF_NETROM"; break;
+  case AF_BRIDGE:    fam = "AF_BRIDGE"; break;
+  case AF_ATMPVC:    fam = "AF_ATMPVC"; break;
+  case AF_X25:	     fam = "AF_X25"; break;
+  case AF_INET6:     fam = "AF_INET6"; break;
+  case AF_ROSE:	     fam = "AF_ROSE"; break;
+  case AF_DECnet:    fam = "AF_DECnet"; break;
+  case AF_NETBEUI:   fam = "AF_NETBEUI"; break;
+  case AF_SECURITY:  fam = "AF_SECURITY"; break;
+  case AF_KEY:	     fam = "AF_KEY"; break;
+  case AF_NETLINK:   fam = "AF_NETLINK"; break;
+  case AF_PACKET:    fam = "AF_PACKET"; break;
+  case AF_ASH:	     fam = "AF_ASH"; break;
+  case AF_ECONET:    fam = "AF_ECONET"; break;
+  case AF_ATMSVC:    fam = "AF_ATMSVC"; break;
+  case AF_SNA:	     fam = "AF_SNA"; break;
+  case AF_IRDA:	     fam = "AF_IRDA"; break;
+  case AF_PPPOX:     fam = "AF_PPPOX"; break;
+  case AF_WANPIPE:   fam = "AF_WANPIPE"; break;
+  case AF_LLC:	     fam = "AF_LLC"; break;
+  case AF_TIPC:	     fam = "AF_TIPC"; break;
+  case AF_BLUETOOTH: fam = "AF_BLUETOOTH"; break;
+  }
+  if (fam)
+    strbuf_puts(sb, fam);
+  else
+    strbuf_sprintf(sb, "[%d]", addr->sa_family);
+  switch (addr->sa_family) {
+  case AF_UNIX:
+    strbuf_putc(sb, ' ');
+    if (addr->sa_data[0])
+      strbuf_toprint_quoted_len(sb, addr->sa_data, "\"\"", sizeof addr->sa_data);
+    else {
+      strbuf_puts(sb, "abstract ");
+      strbuf_toprint_quoted_len(sb, addr->sa_data, "\"\"", sizeof addr->sa_data);
+    }
+    break;
+  case AF_INET: {
+      const struct sockaddr_in *addr_in = (const struct sockaddr_in *) addr;
+      strbuf_sprintf(sb, " %u.%u.%u.%u:%u",
+	  ((unsigned char *) &addr_in->sin_addr.s_addr)[0],
+	  ((unsigned char *) &addr_in->sin_addr.s_addr)[1],
+	  ((unsigned char *) &addr_in->sin_addr.s_addr)[2],
+	  ((unsigned char *) &addr_in->sin_addr.s_addr)[3],
+	  ntohs(addr_in->sin_port)
+	);
+    }
+    break;
+  default: {
+      int i;
+      for (i = 0; i < sizeof addr->sa_data; ++i)
+	strbuf_sprintf(sb, " %02x", addr->sa_data[i]);
+    }
+    break;
+  }
+  return sb;
+}
diff --git a/strbuf_helpers.h b/strbuf_helpers.h
index 498569ce..2b529c67 100644
--- a/strbuf_helpers.h
+++ b/strbuf_helpers.h
@@ -80,4 +80,10 @@ strbuf strbuf_append_shell_quotemeta(strbuf sb, const char *word);
  */
 strbuf strbuf_append_exit_status(strbuf sb, int status);
 
+/* Append a textual description of a struct sockaddr_in.
+ * @author Andrew Bettison <andrew@servalproject.com>
+ */
+struct sockaddr;
+strbuf strbuf_append_sockaddr(strbuf sb, const struct sockaddr *);
+
 #endif //__STRBUF_HELPERS_H__