diff --git a/SHAMap.h b/SHAMap.h
index 51d1611eb9..dab368edec 100644
--- a/SHAMap.h
+++ b/SHAMap.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ public:
 
 	// Convert to/from wire format (256-bit nodeID, 1-byte depth)
 	void addIDRaw(Serializer &s) const;
+	std::string getRawString() const;
 	static int getRawIDLength(void) { return 33; }
 	SHAMapNode(const void *ptr, int len);
 };
diff --git a/SHAMapNodes.cpp b/SHAMapNodes.cpp
index 9c15b8798e..d4955d8b04 100644
--- a/SHAMapNodes.cpp
+++ b/SHAMapNodes.cpp
@@ -111,6 +111,13 @@ void SHAMapNode::addIDRaw(Serializer &s) const
 	s.add8(mDepth);
 }
 
+std::string SHAMapNode::getRawString() const
+{
+	Serializer s(33);
+	addIDRaw(s);
+	return s.getString();
+}
+
 SHAMapNode SHAMapNode::getChildNodeID(int m) const
 { // This can be optimized to avoid the << if needed
 	assert((m>=0) && (m<16));
diff --git a/Serializer.h b/Serializer.h
index 48b91c6565..5a8c600893 100644
--- a/Serializer.h
+++ b/Serializer.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ class Serializer
 	void* getDataPtr() { return &mData.front(); }
 	const std::vector<unsigned char>& peekData() const { return mData; }
 	std::vector<unsigned char> getData() const { return mData; }
+	std::string getString() const { return std::string(reinterpret_cast<const char *>(getDataPtr()), getLength());  }
 	void secureErase() { memset(&(mData.front()), 0, mData.size()); erase(); }
 	void erase() { mData.clear(); }
 	int removeLastByte();