diff --git a/epan/address_to_str.c b/epan/address_to_str.c
index 15dd8cd599..ac3be78b5a 100644
--- a/epan/address_to_str.c
+++ b/epan/address_to_str.c
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 #include "value_string.h"
 #include "addr_resolv.h"
 #include "wsutil/pint.h"
+#include "wsutil/str_util.h"
 #include "atalk-utils.h"
 #include "sna-utils.h"
 #include "osi-utils.h"
@@ -628,8 +629,12 @@ address_to_str_buf(const address *addr, gchar *buf, int buf_len)
     case AT_AX25:
         addrdata = (const guint8 *)addr->data;
         g_snprintf(buf, buf_len, "%c%c%c%c%c%c-%02d",
-                (addrdata[0] >> 1) & 0x7f, (addrdata[1] >> 1) & 0x7f, (addrdata[2] >> 1) & 0x7f,
-                (addrdata[3] >> 1) & 0x7f, (addrdata[4] >> 1) & 0x7f, (addrdata[5] >> 1) & 0x7f,
+                printable_char_or_period(addrdata[0] >> 1),
+                printable_char_or_period(addrdata[1] >> 1),
+                printable_char_or_period(addrdata[2] >> 1),
+                printable_char_or_period(addrdata[3] >> 1),
+                printable_char_or_period(addrdata[4] >> 1),
+                printable_char_or_period(addrdata[5] >> 1),
                 (addrdata[6] >> 1) & 0x0f );
         break;
     case AT_IEEE_802_15_4_SHORT:
diff --git a/wsutil/str_util.c b/wsutil/str_util.c
index c171edfa6e..83558c156d 100644
--- a/wsutil/str_util.c
+++ b/wsutil/str_util.c
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ isdigit_string(guchar *str)
 #endif
 
 /* Given a size, return its value in a human-readable format */
-gchar *format_size(gint64 size, format_size_flags_e flags) {
+gchar *
+format_size(gint64 size, format_size_flags_e flags)
+{
 	GString *human_str = g_string_new("");
 	int power = 1000;
 	int pfx_off = 0;
@@ -178,3 +180,9 @@ gchar *format_size(gint64 size, format_size_flags_e flags) {
 	g_string_free(human_str, FALSE);
 	return g_strchomp(ret_val);
 }
+
+gchar
+printable_char_or_period(gchar c)
+{
+	return g_ascii_isprint(c) ? c : '.';
+}
diff --git a/wsutil/str_util.h b/wsutil/str_util.h
index 971fa3542d..43a60dca9d 100644
--- a/wsutil/str_util.h
+++ b/wsutil/str_util.h
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ typedef enum {
 WS_DLL_PUBLIC
 gchar *format_size(gint64 size, format_size_flags_e flags);
 
+WS_DLL_PUBLIC
+gchar printable_char_or_period(gchar c);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }