diff --git a/include/libtorrent/lazy_entry.hpp b/include/libtorrent/lazy_entry.hpp
index a6b27782b..19294c2c1 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/lazy_entry.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/lazy_entry.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <vector>
 #include "libtorrent/assert.hpp"
 #include <boost/cstdint.hpp>
+#include <iosfwd>
 
 namespace libtorrent
 {
@@ -103,6 +104,12 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		lazy_entry* dict_find(char const* name);
 		lazy_entry const* dict_find(char const* name) const
 		{ return const_cast<lazy_entry*>(this)->dict_find(name); }
+		std::pair<char const*, lazy_entry const*> dict_at(int i) const
+		{
+			TORRENT_ASSERT(m_type == dict_t);
+			TORRENT_ASSERT(i < m_size);
+			return std::make_pair(m_data.dict[i].first, &m_data.dict[i].second);
+		}
 
 		int dict_size() const
 		{
@@ -128,6 +135,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(i < m_size);
 			return &m_data.list[i];
 		}
+		lazy_entry const* list_at(int i) const
+		{ return const_cast<lazy_entry*>(this)->list_at(i); }
 
 		int list_size() const
 		{
@@ -153,6 +162,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		int m_capacity; // if list or dictionary, allocated number of items
 	};
 
+	std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, lazy_entry const& e);
+
 };
 
 
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/peer_id.hpp b/include/libtorrent/peer_id.hpp
index a546c6e08..b91717c0a 100755
--- a/include/libtorrent/peer_id.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/peer_id.hpp
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 	class TORRENT_EXPORT big_number
 	{
-		// private type
-		struct private_pointer {};
 		// the number of bytes of the number
 		enum { number_size = 20 };
 	public:
@@ -57,16 +55,19 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		big_number() {}
 
-		big_number(std::string const& s)
+		explicit big_number(char const* s)
+		{
+			if (s == 0) clear();
+			else std::memcpy(m_number, s, size);
+		}
+
+		explicit big_number(std::string const& s)
 		{
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(s.size() >= 20);
 			int sl = int(s.size()) < size ? int(s.size()) : size;
 			std::memcpy(m_number, &s[0], sl);
 		}
 
-		// when initialized with 0
-		big_number(private_pointer*) { clear(); }
-
 		void clear()
 		{
 			std::fill(m_number,m_number+number_size,0);
diff --git a/src/lazy_bdecode.cpp b/src/lazy_bdecode.cpp
index b5b6b9db6..32aae2aec 100644
--- a/src/lazy_bdecode.cpp
+++ b/src/lazy_bdecode.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 */
 
 #include "libtorrent/lazy_entry.hpp"
+#include <iostream>
+#include <iomanip>
 
 namespace libtorrent
 {
@@ -239,5 +241,67 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		m_capacity = 0;
 		m_type = none_t;
 	}
+
+	std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, lazy_entry const& e)
+	{
+		switch (e.type())
+		{
+			case lazy_entry::none_t: return os << "none";
+			case lazy_entry::int_t: return os << e.int_value();
+			case lazy_entry::string_t:
+			{
+				bool printable = true;
+				char const* str = e.string_value();
+				for (int i = 0; i < e.string_length(); ++i)
+				{
+					using namespace std;
+					if (isprint(str[i])) continue;
+					printable = false;
+					break;
+				}
+				if (printable) return os << str;
+				for (int i = 0; i < e.string_length(); ++i)
+					os << std::hex << (int)str[i];
+			}
+			case lazy_entry::list_t:
+			{
+				os << "[";
+				bool one_liner = e.list_size() == 0
+					|| e.list_at(0)->type() == lazy_entry::int_t
+					|| (e.list_at(0)->type() == lazy_entry::string_t
+						&& e.list_at(0)->string_length() < 5);
+				if (!one_liner) os << "\n";
+				for (int i = 0; i < e.list_size(); ++i)
+				{
+					if (i == 0 && one_liner) os << " ";
+					os << *e.list_at(i);
+					if (i < e.list_size() - 1) os << (one_liner?", ":",\n");
+					else os << (one_liner?" ":"\n");
+				}
+				return os << "]";
+			}
+			case lazy_entry::dict_t:
+			{
+				os << "{";
+				bool one_liner = e.dict_size() == 0
+					|| e.dict_at(0).second->type() == lazy_entry::int_t
+					|| (e.dict_at(0).second->type() == lazy_entry::string_t
+						&& e.dict_at(0).second->string_length() < 4)
+					|| strlen(e.dict_at(0).first) < 10;
+				if (!one_liner) os << "\n";
+				for (int i = 0; i < e.dict_size(); ++i)
+				{
+					if (i == 0 && one_liner) os << " ";
+					std::pair<char const*, lazy_entry const*> ent = e.dict_at(i);
+					os << "'" << ent.first << "': " << *ent.second;
+					if (i < e.dict_size() - 1) os << (one_liner?", ":",\n");
+					else os << (one_liner?" ":"\n");
+				}
+				return os << "}";
+			}
+		}
+		return os;
+	}
+
 };
 
diff --git a/test/test_bencoding.cpp b/test/test_bencoding.cpp
index 34b83dc92..b15ec92d7 100644
--- a/test/test_bencoding.cpp
+++ b/test/test_bencoding.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "libtorrent/bencode.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/lazy_entry.hpp"
 #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
+#include <iostream>
 
 #include "test.hpp"
 
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ int test_main()
 		lazy_entry e;
 		int ret = lazy_bdecode(b, b + sizeof(b)-1, e);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(ret == 0);
+		std::cout << e << std::endl;
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.type() == lazy_entry::int_t);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.int_value() == 12453);
 	}
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ int test_main()
 		lazy_entry e;
 		int ret = lazy_bdecode(b, b + sizeof(b)-1, e);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(ret == 0);
+		std::cout << e << std::endl;
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.type() == lazy_entry::string_t);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.string_value() == std::string("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"));
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.string_length() == 26);
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@ int test_main()
 		lazy_entry e;
 		int ret = lazy_bdecode(b, b + sizeof(b)-1, e);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(ret == 0);
+		std::cout << e << std::endl;
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.type() == lazy_entry::list_t);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.list_size() == 2);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.list_at(0)->type() == lazy_entry::int_t);
@@ -108,6 +112,7 @@ int test_main()
 		lazy_entry e;
 		int ret = lazy_bdecode(b, b + sizeof(b)-1, e);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(ret == 0);
+		std::cout << e << std::endl;
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.type() == lazy_entry::dict_t);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.dict_size() == 3);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(e.dict_find("a")->type() == lazy_entry::int_t);