diff --git a/design_dump.cc b/design_dump.cc
index e42347bcb..52627302f 100644
--- a/design_dump.cc
+++ b/design_dump.cc
@@ -145,6 +145,35 @@ ostream& operator << (ostream&o, ivl_switch_type_t val)
       return o;
 }
 
+ostream& operator << (ostream&fd, PortType::Enum val)
+{
+      switch (val) {
+	  case PortType::NOT_A_PORT:
+	    fd << "NOT_A_PORT";
+	    break;
+	  case PortType::PIMPLICIT:
+	    fd << "PIMPLICIT";
+	    break;
+	  case PortType::PINPUT:
+	    fd << "PINPUT";
+	    break;
+	  case PortType::POUTPUT:
+	    fd << "POUTPUT";
+	    break;
+	  case PortType::PINOUT:
+	    fd << "PINOUT";
+	    break;
+	  case PortType::PREF:
+	    fd << "PREF";
+	    break;
+	  default:
+	    fd << "PortType::Enum::?";
+	    break;
+      }
+
+      return fd;
+}
+
 ostream& ivl_type_s::debug_dump(ostream&o) const
 {
       o << typeid(*this).name();
diff --git a/netlist.h b/netlist.h
index 6cefc4c15..a373ff018 100644
--- a/netlist.h
+++ b/netlist.h
@@ -610,6 +610,7 @@ public:
     static Enum merged( Enum lhs, Enum rhs );
 };
 
+extern std::ostream& operator << (std::ostream&, PortType::Enum);
 
   /*
    * Information on actual ports (rather than port-connected signals) of