diff --git a/lib/cretonne/src/ir/valueloc.rs b/lib/cretonne/src/ir/valueloc.rs
index ea7dea39d9..db1ee2baf2 100644
--- a/lib/cretonne/src/ir/valueloc.rs
+++ b/lib/cretonne/src/ir/valueloc.rs
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 //! The register allocator assigns every SSA value to either a register or a stack slot. This
 //! assignment is represented by a `ValueLoc` object.
 
-use isa::RegUnit;
+use isa::{RegInfo, RegUnit};
 use ir::StackSlot;
+use std::fmt;
 
 /// Value location.
 #[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
@@ -23,6 +24,35 @@ impl Default for ValueLoc {
     }
 }
 
+impl ValueLoc {
+    /// Return an object that can display this value location, using the register info from the
+    /// target ISA.
+    pub fn display<'a, R: Into<Option<&'a RegInfo>>>(self, regs: R) -> DisplayValueLoc<'a> {
+        DisplayValueLoc(self, regs.into())
+    }
+}
+
+/// Displaying a `ValueLoc` correctly requires the associated `RegInfo` from the target ISA.
+/// Without the register info, register units are simply show as numbers.
+///
+/// The `DisplayValueLoc` type can display the contained `ValueLoc`.
+pub struct DisplayValueLoc<'a>(ValueLoc, Option<&'a RegInfo>);
+
+impl<'a> fmt::Display for DisplayValueLoc<'a> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+        match self.0 {
+            ValueLoc::Unassigned => write!(f, "-"),
+            ValueLoc::Reg(ru) => {
+                match self.1 {
+                    Some(regs) => write!(f, "{}", regs.display_regunit(ru)),
+                    None => write!(f, "%{}", ru),
+                }
+            }
+            ValueLoc::Stack(ss) => write!(f, "{}", ss),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Function argument location.
 ///
 /// The ABI specifies how arguments are passed to a function, and where return values appear after
@@ -56,3 +86,32 @@ impl Default for ArgumentLoc {
         ArgumentLoc::Unassigned
     }
 }
+
+impl ArgumentLoc {
+    /// Return an object that can display this argument location, using the register info from the
+    /// target ISA.
+    pub fn display<'a, R: Into<Option<&'a RegInfo>>>(self, regs: R) -> DisplayArgumentLoc<'a> {
+        DisplayArgumentLoc(self, regs.into())
+    }
+}
+
+/// Displaying a `ArgumentLoc` correctly requires the associated `RegInfo` from the target ISA.
+/// Without the register info, register units are simply show as numbers.
+///
+/// The `DisplayArgumentLoc` type can display the contained `ArgumentLoc`.
+pub struct DisplayArgumentLoc<'a>(ArgumentLoc, Option<&'a RegInfo>);
+
+impl<'a> fmt::Display for DisplayArgumentLoc<'a> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+        match self.0 {
+            ArgumentLoc::Unassigned => write!(f, "-"),
+            ArgumentLoc::Reg(ru) => {
+                match self.1 {
+                    Some(regs) => write!(f, "{}", regs.display_regunit(ru)),
+                    None => write!(f, "%{}", ru),
+                }
+            }
+            ArgumentLoc::Stack(offset) => write!(f, "{}", offset),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/cretonne/src/write.rs b/lib/cretonne/src/write.rs
index eca9909961..957f8a036d 100644
--- a/lib/cretonne/src/write.rs
+++ b/lib/cretonne/src/write.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 //! equivalent textual representation. This textual representation can be read back by the
 //! `cretonne-reader` crate.
 
-use ir::{Function, Ebb, Inst, Value, Type, ValueLoc};
+use ir::{Function, Ebb, Inst, Value, Type};
 use isa::TargetIsa;
 use std::fmt::{Result, Error, Write};
 use std::result;
@@ -177,11 +177,7 @@ fn write_instruction(w: &mut Write,
             if !func.locations.is_empty() {
                 let regs = isa.register_info();
                 for r in func.dfg.inst_results(inst) {
-                    match func.locations[r] {
-                        ValueLoc::Unassigned => write!(s, ",-")?,
-                        ValueLoc::Reg(ru) => write!(s, ",{}", regs.display_regunit(ru))?,
-                        ValueLoc::Stack(ss) => write!(s, ",{}", ss)?,
-                    }
+                    write!(s, ",{}", func.locations[r].display(&regs))?
                 }
             }
             write!(s, "]")?;