diff --git a/include/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.h b/include/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.h
index 097eef1d..1b9a9d55 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.h
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ class filesystem_v2 {
     impl_->dump(os, detail_level);
   }
 
+  std::string dump(int detail_level) const { return impl_->dump(detail_level); }
+
   folly::dynamic info_as_dynamic(int detail_level) const {
     return impl_->info_as_dynamic(detail_level);
   }
@@ -199,6 +201,7 @@ class filesystem_v2 {
     virtual int
     check(filesystem_check_level level, size_t num_threads) const = 0;
     virtual void dump(std::ostream& os, int detail_level) const = 0;
+    virtual std::string dump(int detail_level) const = 0;
     virtual folly::dynamic info_as_dynamic(int detail_level) const = 0;
     virtual folly::dynamic metadata_as_dynamic() const = 0;
     virtual std::string serialize_metadata_as_json(bool simple) const = 0;
diff --git a/src/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.cpp b/src/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.cpp
index 43d5426e..7a559707 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <functional>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <mutex>
+#include <sstream>
 #include <unordered_map>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -360,6 +361,7 @@ class filesystem_ final : public filesystem_v2::impl {
 
   int check(filesystem_check_level level, size_t num_threads) const override;
   void dump(std::ostream& os, int detail_level) const override;
+  std::string dump(int detail_level) const override;
   folly::dynamic info_as_dynamic(int detail_level) const override;
   folly::dynamic metadata_as_dynamic() const override;
   std::string serialize_metadata_as_json(bool simple) const override;
@@ -842,6 +844,13 @@ void filesystem_<LoggerPolicy>::dump(std::ostream& os, int detail_level) const {
              });
 }
 
+template <typename LoggerPolicy>
+std::string filesystem_<LoggerPolicy>::dump(int detail_level) const {
+  std::ostringstream oss;
+  dump(oss, detail_level);
+  return oss.str();
+}
+
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
 folly::dynamic
 filesystem_<LoggerPolicy>::info_as_dynamic(int detail_level) const {