diff --git a/src/cpp/lua-module.cpp b/src/cpp/lua-module.cpp
index bfb0bf9..a5ffa3d 100644
--- a/src/cpp/lua-module.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/lua-module.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,19 @@ sol::object createChannel(sol::optional<int> capacity, sol::this_state lua) {
 
 SharedTable globalTable = GC::instance().create<SharedTable>();
 
+std::string userdataType(const sol::object& something) {
+    assert(something.get_type() == sol::type::userdata);
+    if (something.template is<SharedTable>()) {
+        return "effil.table";
+    } else if (something.template is<Channel>()) {
+        return "effil.channel";
+    } else if (something.template is<std::shared_ptr<Thread>>()) {
+        return "effil.thread";
+    } else {
+        return "userdata";
+    }
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 extern "C" int luaopen_libeffil(lua_State* L) {
@@ -50,7 +63,8 @@ extern "C" int luaopen_libeffil(lua_State* L) {
             "G", sol::make_object(lua, globalTable),
             "getmetatable", SharedTable::luaGetMetatable,
             "gc", GC::getLuaApi(lua),
-            "channel", createChannel
+            "channel", createChannel,
+            "userdata_type", userdataType
     );
     sol::stack::push(lua, publicApi);
     return 1;
diff --git a/src/cpp/shared-table.cpp b/src/cpp/shared-table.cpp
index d752c57..6155be0 100644
--- a/src/cpp/shared-table.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/shared-table.cpp
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ StoredArray SharedTable::luaCall(sol::this_state state, const sol::variadic_args
 sol::object SharedTable::luaToString(sol::this_state state) {
     DEFFINE_METAMETHOD_CALL_0("__tostring");
     std::stringstream ss;
-    ss << "effil::table (0x" << std::hex << this << ")";
+    ss << "effil.table: " << data_.get();
     return sol::make_object(state, ss.str());
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lua/effil.lua b/src/lua/effil.lua
index d3360e7..ef29b86 100644
--- a/src/lua/effil.lua
+++ b/src/lua/effil.lua
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ local api = {
     channel = capi.channel
 }
 
+api.type = function (something)
+    local t = type(something)
+    if (t ~= "userdata") then
+        return t
+    else
+        return capi.userdata_type(something)
+    end
+end
+
 local function run_thread(config, f, ...)
     return capi.thread(config.path, config.cpath, config.managed, config.step, f, ...)
 end
diff --git a/tests/lua/run_tests.lua b/tests/lua/run_tests.lua
index 2d6bc18..fdc470e 100755
--- a/tests/lua/run_tests.lua
+++ b/tests/lua/run_tests.lua
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ require 'thread'
 require 'shared_table'
 require 'gc'
 require 'channel'
+require 'type'
 
 -- Hack tests functions to print when test starts
 for suite_name, suite in pairs(_G) do
diff --git a/tests/lua/type.lua b/tests/lua/type.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..749c471
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lua/type.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+local effil = require 'effil'
+
+TestType = { tearDown = tearDown }
+
+function TestType:testType()
+    test.assertEquals(effil.type(1), "number")
+    test.assertEquals(effil.type("string"), "string")
+    test.assertEquals(effil.type(effil.table()), "effil.table")
+    test.assertEquals(effil.type(effil.channel()), "effil.channel")
+    test.assertEquals(effil.type(effil.thread(function() end)()), "effil.thread")
+end