diff --git a/include/xdump.h b/include/xdump.h
index 34108b3b..9c88a833 100644
--- a/include/xdump.h
+++ b/include/xdump.h
@@ -42,11 +42,13 @@
 struct xdstr {
     natid cnum;			/* dump for this country */
     int divine;			/* is this a deity dump? */
+    int human;			/* dump human-readable format */
     void (*pr)(char *fmt, ...);	/* callback for printing dump */
 };
 
-struct xdstr *xdinit(struct xdstr *, natid, void (*)(char *, ...));
+struct xdstr *xdinit(struct xdstr *, natid, int, void (*)(char *, ...));
 extern void xdhdr(struct xdstr *, char *, int);
+extern void xdcolhdr(struct xdstr *, struct castr[]);
 extern void xdflds(struct xdstr *, struct castr[], void *);
 extern struct valstr *xdeval(struct valstr *, struct xdstr *, struct castr *, void *, int);
 extern char *xdprval(struct xdstr *, struct valstr *, char *);
diff --git a/src/lib/commands/xdump.c b/src/lib/commands/xdump.c
index 30e0d073..6b9f0444 100644
--- a/src/lib/commands/xdump.c
+++ b/src/lib/commands/xdump.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ xdump(void)
     if (!p || !*p)
 	return RET_SYN;
 
-    xdinit(&xd, player->cnum, pr);
+    xdinit(&xd, player->cnum, 0, pr);
     natp = getnatp(player->cnum);
     type = isdigit(p[0]) ? atoi(p) : ef_byname(p);
     if (type < 0 || type >= EF_MAX)
diff --git a/src/lib/common/xdump.c b/src/lib/common/xdump.c
index b2117249..768b9388 100644
--- a/src/lib/common/xdump.c
+++ b/src/lib/common/xdump.c
@@ -76,20 +76,23 @@
 #include <config.h>
 
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <limits.h>
 #include "file.h"
 #include "nat.h"
 #include "xdump.h"
 
 /*
  * Initialize XD to dump for country CNUM.
+ * If HUMAN, dump in human-readable format.
  * Dump is to be delivered through callback PR.
  * Return XD.
  */
 struct xdstr *
-xdinit(struct xdstr *xd, natid cnum, void (*pr)(char *fmt, ...))
+xdinit(struct xdstr *xd, natid cnum, int human, void (*pr)(char *fmt, ...))
 {
     xd->cnum = cnum;
     xd->divine = getnatp(cnum)->nat_stat == STAT_GOD;
+    xd->human = human;
     xd->pr = pr;
     return xd;
 }
@@ -110,14 +113,38 @@ xdeval(struct valstr *val, struct xdstr *xd,
 }
 
 /*
- * Dump VAL prefixed with SEP, return " ".
- * VAL must be evaluated.
+ * Dump string STR to XD with funny characters escaped.
+ * Dump at most N characters.
  */
-char *
-xdprval(struct xdstr *xd, struct valstr *val, char *sep)
+static void
+xdpresc(struct xdstr *xd, char *str, size_t n)
 {
     unsigned char *s, *e, *l;
 
+    s = (unsigned char *)str;
+    l = s + n;
+    for (;;) {
+	for (e = s;
+	     e < l && *e != '"' && *e != '\\' && isgraph(*e);
+	     ++e)
+	    ;
+	xd->pr("%.*s", (int)(e-s), s);
+	if (e < l && *e)
+	    xd->pr("\\%03o", *e++);
+	else
+	    break;
+	s = e;
+    }
+}
+
+/*
+ * Dump VAL prefixed with SEP to XD, in machine readable format.
+ * VAL must be evaluated.
+ * Return " ".
+ */
+static char *
+xdprval_nosym(struct xdstr *xd, struct valstr *val, char *sep)
+{
     if (CANT_HAPPEN(val->val_cat != NSC_VAL)) {
 	xd->pr("%snil", sep);
 	return " ";
@@ -131,23 +158,9 @@ xdprval(struct xdstr *xd, struct valstr *val, char *sep)
 	xd->pr("%s%#g", sep, val->val_as.dbl);
 	break;
     case NSC_STRING:
-	s = (unsigned char *)val->val_as.str.base;
-	if (s) {
+	if (val->val_as.str.base) {
 	    xd->pr("%s\"", sep);
-	    l = s + val->val_as.str.maxsz;
-	    /* FIXME maxsz == INT_MAX ! */
-	    for (;;) {
-		for (e = s;
-		     e < l && *e != '"' && *e != '\\' && isgraph(*e);
-		     ++e)
-		    ;
-		xd->pr("%.*s", (int)(e-s), s);
-		if (e < l && *e)
-		    xd->pr("\\%03o", *e++);
-		else
-		    break;
-		s = e;
-	    }
+	    xdpresc(xd, val->val_as.str.base, val->val_as.str.maxsz);
 	    xd->pr("\"");
 	} else
 	    xd->pr("%snil", sep);
@@ -159,6 +172,70 @@ xdprval(struct xdstr *xd, struct valstr *val, char *sep)
     return " ";
 }
 
+/*
+ * Dump symbol with value KEY from symbol table TYPE to XD.
+ * Prefix with SEP, return " ".
+ */
+static char *
+xdprsym(struct xdstr *xd, int key, int type, char *sep)
+{
+    char *sym = symbol_by_value(key, ef_ptr(type, 0));
+
+    if (CANT_HAPPEN(!sym))
+	xd->pr("%s%ld", sep, key);
+    else {
+	xd->pr("%s", sep);
+	xdpresc(xd, sym, INT_MAX);
+    }
+    return " ";
+}
+
+/*
+ * Dump VAL prefixed with SEP to XD, return " ".
+ * VAL must be evaluated.
+ * CA describes the field from which the value was fetched.
+ */
+static char *
+xdprval_sym(struct xdstr *xd, struct valstr *val, struct castr *ca, char *sep)
+{
+    unsigned long bit;
+    struct castr *ca_sym = ef_cadef(ca->ca_table);
+
+    if (CANT_HAPPEN(val->val_cat != NSC_VAL)) {
+	xd->pr("%snil", sep);
+	return " ";
+    }
+
+    if (!xd->human || val->val_type != NSC_LONG
+	|| ca->ca_table == EF_BAD || ca_sym != symbol_ca)
+	return xdprval_nosym(xd, val, sep);
+
+    if (ca->ca_flags & NSC_BITS) {
+	xd->pr("%s(", sep);
+	sep = "";
+	for (bit = 1; bit; bit <<= 1) {
+	    if (bit & val->val_as.lng)
+		sep = xdprsym(xd, bit, ca->ca_table, sep);
+	}
+	xd->pr(")");
+	return " ";
+    }
+
+    return xdprsym(xd, val->val_as.lng, ca->ca_table, sep);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Dump VAL prefixed with SEP to XD, return " ".
+ * XD must not be human-readable.
+ * VAL must be evaluated.
+ */
+char *
+xdprval(struct xdstr *xd, struct valstr *val, char *sep)
+{
+    CANT_HAPPEN(xd->human);
+    return xdprval_nosym(xd, val, sep);
+}
+
 /*
  * Dump field values of a context object to XD.
  * CA[] describes fields.
@@ -180,26 +257,67 @@ xdflds(struct xdstr *xd, struct castr ca[], void *ptr)
 	j = 0;
 	do {
 	    xdeval(&val, xd, &ca[i], ptr, j);
-	    sep = xdprval(xd, &val, sep);
+	    sep = xdprval_sym(xd, &val, &ca[i], sep);
 	} while (++j < n);
     }
 }
 
 /*
- * Dump header for dump NAME.
+ * Dump header for dump NAME to XD.
  * If META, it's for the meta-data dump rather than the data dump.
  */
 void
 xdhdr(struct xdstr *xd, char *name, int meta)
 {
-    xd->pr("XDUMP %s%s %ld\n", meta ? "meta " : "", name, (long)time(NULL));
+    if (xd->human) {
+	xd->pr("config %s\n", name);
+    } else
+	xd->pr("XDUMP %s%s %ld\n",
+	       meta ? "meta " : "",
+	       name, (long)time(NULL));
 }
 
-/* Dump footer for a dump that dumped N objects.  */
+/*
+ * Dump column header to XD.
+ * CA[] describes fields.
+ * Does nothing unless XD is human-readable.
+ */
+void
+xdcolhdr(struct xdstr *xd, struct castr ca[])
+{
+    int i, j, n;
+    char *sep = "";
+
+    if (!xd->human)
+	return;
+
+    for (i = 0; ca[i].ca_name; ++i) {
+	if (ca[i].ca_flags & NSC_DEITY && !xd->divine)
+	    continue;
+	if (ca[i].ca_flags & NSC_EXTRA)
+	    continue;
+	n = ca[i].ca_type != NSC_STRINGY ? ca[i].ca_len : 0;
+	if (n) {
+	    for (j = 0; j < n; j++) {
+		xd->pr("%s%s(%d)",sep, ca[i].ca_name, j);
+		sep = " ";
+	    }
+	} else {
+	    xd->pr("%s%s", sep, ca[i].ca_name);
+	    sep = " ";
+	}
+    }
+    xd->pr("\n");
+}
+
+/* Dump footer for a dump that dumped N objects to XD.  */
 void
 xdftr(struct xdstr *xd, int n)
 {
-    xd->pr("/%d\n", n);
+    if (xd->human)
+	xd->pr("/config\n");
+    else
+	xd->pr("/%d\n", n);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -217,6 +335,7 @@ xdmeta(struct xdstr *xd, int type)
 	return RET_SYN;
 
     xdhdr(xd, ef_nameof(type), 1);
+    xdcolhdr(xd, ca);
 
     for (i = 0; ca[i].ca_name; i++) {
 	if (ca[i].ca_flags & NSC_DEITY && !xd->divine)