diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index e76297f..4a54802 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -50,6 +50,23 @@
  */
 const char *get_value_string(const struct value_string *vs, uint32_t val)
 {
+	const char *str = get_value_string_or_null(vs, val);
+	if (str)
+		return str;
+
+	snprintf(namebuf, sizeof(namebuf), "unknown 0x%x", val);
+	namebuf[sizeof(namebuf) - 1] = '\0';
+	return namebuf;
+}
+
+/*! \brief get human-readable string or NULL for given value
+ *  \param[in] vs Array of value_string tuples
+ *  \param[in] val Value to be converted
+ *  \returns pointer to human-readable string or NULL if val is not found
+ */
+const char *get_value_string_or_null(const struct value_string *vs,
+				     uint32_t val)
+{
 	int i;
 
 	for (i = 0;; i++) {
@@ -59,9 +76,7 @@
 			return vs[i].str;
 	}
 
-	snprintf(namebuf, sizeof(namebuf), "unknown 0x%x", val);
-	namebuf[sizeof(namebuf) - 1] = '\0';
-	return namebuf;
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 /*! \brief get numeric value for given human-readable string