diff --git a/include/osmocom/crypt/auth.h b/include/osmocom/crypt/auth.h
index 2f2a8d33e..7064c9991 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/crypt/auth.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/crypt/auth.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 
 #include <osmocom/core/linuxlist.h>
+#include <osmocom/core/utils.h>
 
 #define OSMO_A5_MAX_KEY_LEN_BYTES (128/8)
 
@@ -17,7 +18,12 @@ enum osmo_sub_auth_type {
 	OSMO_AUTH_TYPE_UMTS	= 0x02,
 };
 
-/*! Authentication Algorithm */
+extern const struct value_string osmo_sub_auth_type_names[];
+static inline const char *osmo_sub_auth_type_name(enum osmo_sub_auth_type val)
+{ return get_value_string(osmo_sub_auth_type_names, val); }
+
+/*! Authentication Algorithm.
+ * See also osmo_auth_alg_name() and osmo_auth_alg_parse(). */
 enum osmo_auth_algo {
 	OSMO_AUTH_ALG_NONE,
 	OSMO_AUTH_ALG_COMP128v1,
diff --git a/src/gsm/auth_core.c b/src/gsm/auth_core.c
index 415669599..738e86090 100644
--- a/src/gsm/auth_core.c
+++ b/src/gsm/auth_core.c
@@ -221,4 +221,11 @@ enum osmo_auth_algo osmo_auth_alg_parse(const char *name)
 	return get_string_value(auth_alg_vals, name);
 }
 
+const struct value_string osmo_sub_auth_type_names[] = {
+	{ OSMO_AUTH_TYPE_NONE, "None" },
+	{ OSMO_AUTH_TYPE_GSM, "GSM" },
+	{ OSMO_AUTH_TYPE_UMTS, "UMTS" },
+	{ 0, NULL }
+};
+
 /*! @} */
diff --git a/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map b/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map
index 5598859a9..a72db524b 100644
--- a/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map
+++ b/src/gsm/libosmogsm.map
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ osmo_auth_3g_from_2g;
 osmo_auth_load;
 osmo_auth_register;
 osmo_auth_supported;
+osmo_sub_auth_type_names;
 
 osmo_rsl2sitype;
 osmo_sitype2rsl;