diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 04323bc..f24c265 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ r3_tree_compile(n);
 // dump the compiled tree
 r3_tree_dump(n, 0);
 
+// dump the compiled tree to a string
+sds tree_dump = sdsempty();
+tree_dump = r3_tree_dump_str(n, 0, tree_dump);
+
 // match a route
 node *matched_node = r3_tree_match(n, "/foo/bar", strlen("/foo/bar"), NULL);
 if (matched_node) {
diff --git a/include/r3.h b/include/r3.h
index 1d8508d..fae4a0d 100644
--- a/include/r3.h
+++ b/include/r3.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #include "r3_define.h"
 #include "str_array.h"
+#include "sds.h"
 
 
 #define node_edge_pattern(node,i) node->edges[i]->pattern
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
     void * data; // route ptr
 
-    char * host; // the request host 
+    char * host; // the request host
     int    host_len;
 
     char * remote_addr;
@@ -129,6 +130,8 @@ node * r3_tree_insert_pathl_(node *tree, char *path, int path_len, route * route
 
 void r3_tree_dump(node * n, int level);
 
+sds r3_tree_dump_str(node *n, int level, sds output);
+
 int r3_tree_render_file(node * tree, char * format, char * filename);
 
 int r3_tree_render_dot(node * tree);
diff --git a/include/r3_str.h b/include/r3_str.h
index f83bfcf..5ec8604 100644
--- a/include/r3_str.h
+++ b/include/r3_str.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #define STR_H
 
 #include "r3.h"
+#include "sds.h"
 #include "config.h"
 
 int slug_count(char * p, int len);
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@ void str_repeat(char *s, char *c, int len);
 
 void print_indent(int level);
 
+sds concat_indent(sds s, int level);
+
 #ifndef HAVE_STRDUP
 char *strdup(const char *s);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/node.c b/src/node.c
index 23dcddc..1d4631f 100644
--- a/src/node.c
+++ b/src/node.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "r3.h"
 #include "r3_str.h"
 #include "str_array.h"
+#include "sds.h"
 #include "zmalloc.h"
 
 // String value as the index http://judy.sourceforge.net/doc/JudySL_3x.htm
@@ -650,6 +651,39 @@ void r3_tree_dump(node * n, int level) {
     }
 }
 
+sds r3_tree_dump_str(node *n, int level, sds output) {
+    output = concat_indent(output, level);
+
+    output = sdscatprintf(output, "(o)");
+
+    if ( n->combined_pattern ) {
+        output = sdscatprintf(output, " regexp:%s", n->combined_pattern);
+    }
+
+    output = sdscatprintf(output, " endpoint:%d", n->endpoint);
+
+    if (n->data) {
+        output = sdscatprintf(output, " data:%p", n->data);
+    }
+    output = sdscatprintf(output, "\n");
+
+    for ( int i = 0 ; i < n->edge_len ; i++ ) {
+        edge * e = n->edges[i];
+        print_indent(level + 1);
+        output = sdscatprintf(output, "|-\"%s\"", e->pattern);
+
+        if (e->opcode ) {
+            output = sdscatprintf(output, " opcode:%d", e->opcode);
+        }
+
+        if ( e->child ) {
+            output = sdscatprintf(output, "\n");
+            r3_tree_dump_str( e->child, level + 1, output);
+        }
+        output = sdscatprintf(output, "\n");
+    }
+}
+
 
 /**
  * return 0 == equal
diff --git a/src/str.c b/src/str.c
index c794761..b2dd034 100644
--- a/src/str.c
+++ b/src/str.c
@@ -219,6 +219,15 @@ void print_indent(int level) {
     }
 }
 
+sds concat_indent(sds s, int level) {
+    int len = level * 2;
+    while(len--) {
+        s = sdscatprintf(s, " ");
+    }
+
+    return s;
+}
+
 #ifndef HAVE_STRDUP
 char *zstrdup(const char *s) {
     char *out;