diff --git a/include/ucore/val_str.h b/include/ucore/val_str.h
index 860053e..9e180b5 100644
--- a/include/ucore/val_str.h
+++ b/include/ucore/val_str.h
@@ -8,17 +8,23 @@ struct UCValStr {
     const char *str;
 };
 
+struct UCStrStr {
+    const char *val;
+    const char *str;
+};
+
 /** Helper macro to define an entry in a UCValStr array */
 #define UC_VS_ENTRY(constant) {constant, #constant}
 #define UC_VS_TERMINATOR {-1, NULL}
+#define UC_SS_TERMINATOR {NULL, NULL}
 
-/** Find @val in @array.
- * The last .str in @array must be a NULL pointer.
+/** find @val in @array.
+ * the last .str in @array must be a null pointer.
  * (does a linear search)
  *
  * @param val value to find
  * @param array array to search
- * @return the string associated with @val or NULL
+ * @return the string associated with @val or null
  */
 const char *uc_val_2_str(unsigned int val, const struct UCValStr *array);
 
@@ -34,5 +40,14 @@ const char *uc_val_2_str_bs(unsigned int val,
                           const struct UCValStr *array,
                           size_t array_len);
 
+/** find @val in @array.
+ * the last .val in @array must be a null pointer.
+ * (does a linear search)
+ *
+ * @param val value to find, using strcmp
+ * @param array array to search
+ * @return the string associated with @val or null
+ */
+const char *uc_str_2_str(const char *val, const struct UCStrStr *array);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/val_str.c b/src/val_str.c
index dba9d7e..4ff0fe0 100644
--- a/src/val_str.c
+++ b/src/val_str.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include "ucore/val_str.h"
 #include "ucore/saturating_math.h"
@@ -25,13 +25,15 @@ const char *uc_val_2_str_bs(unsigned int val,
 {
     size_t i = array_len;
     const struct UCValStr *start = array;
+    const char *found = NULL;
 
     while (i != 0) {
         const struct UCValStr *curr;
         curr = &start[i / 2]; //middle 
 
         if (curr->val == val) {
-            return curr->str;
+            found = curr->str;
+            break;
         }
 
         if (curr->val < val) {
@@ -42,6 +44,21 @@ const char *uc_val_2_str_bs(unsigned int val,
         i = i / 2; 
     }
 
-    return NULL;
+    return found;
+}
+
+const char *uc_str_2_str(const char *val, const struct UCStrStr *array)
+{
+    const char *found = NULL;
+
+    while (array->val) {
+        if (strcmp(val, array->val) == 0) {
+            found = array->str;
+            break;
+        }
+        array++;
+    }
+
+    return found;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/test_val_str.c b/test/test_val_str.c
index d025da8..fb104bd 100644
--- a/test/test_val_str.c
+++ b/test/test_val_str.c
@@ -56,6 +56,19 @@ START_TEST (test_val_str_bsearch_even)
     fail_if(uc_val_2_str_bs(999 , vals , len) != NULL);
 END_TEST
 
+START_TEST (test_str_str_search)
+    struct UCStrStr vals[] = {
+        {"1", "A"},
+        {"2", "B"},
+        {"3", "C"},
+        UC_SS_TERMINATOR
+    };
+    ck_assert_str_eq(uc_str_2_str("1" , vals) , "A");
+    ck_assert_str_eq(uc_str_2_str("2" , vals) , "B");
+    ck_assert_str_eq(uc_str_2_str("3" , vals) , "C");
+
+    fail_if(uc_str_2_str("10", vals) != NULL);
+END_TEST
 
 Suite *val_str_suite(void)
 {
@@ -65,6 +78,8 @@ Suite *val_str_suite(void)
     tcase_add_test(tc, test_val_str_bsearch_odd);
     tcase_add_test(tc, test_val_str_bsearch_even);
 
+    tcase_add_test(tc, test_str_str_search);
+
     suite_add_tcase(s, tc);
 
     return s;