diff --git a/src/lib/format-util.hpp b/src/lib/format-util.hpp
index 32bc9ab27..3b6e835b0 100644
--- a/src/lib/format-util.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/format-util.hpp
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ namespace util {
   using lib::meta::can_lexical2string;
   using lib::meta::can_IterForEach;
   using lib::Symbol;
+  using util::removePrefix;
+  using util::removeSuffix;
   using util::isnil;
   using std::string;
   using std::move;
@@ -153,9 +155,14 @@ namespace util {
   /** @return a string denoting the type. */
   template<typename TY>
   inline string
-  tyStr (const TY* =0)
+  tyStr (const TY* obj=0)
   {
-    return "«"+ lib::test::demangleCxx (typeid(TY).name())+"»";
+    auto mangledType = obj? typeid(obj).name()
+                          : typeid(TY).name();
+    string typeName = lib::test::demangleCxx (mangledType);
+    removePrefix (typeName, "const ");
+    removeSuffix (typeName, " const*");
+    return "«"+ typeName +"»";
   }
   
   template<typename TY>
diff --git a/src/lib/util.hpp b/src/lib/util.hpp
index effff2312..ecef0d548 100644
--- a/src/lib/util.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/util.hpp
@@ -155,6 +155,36 @@ namespace util {
     return 0 == str.rfind(prefix, 0);
   }
   
+  /** check if string ends with the given suffix */
+  inline bool
+  endsWith (string const& str, string const& suffix)
+  {
+    size_t l = suffix.length();
+    if (l > str.length()) return false;
+    size_t pos = str.length() - l;
+    return pos == str.find(suffix, pos);
+  }
+  
+  inline bool
+  endsWith (string const& str, const char* suffix)
+  {
+    return endsWith (str, string(suffix));
+  }
+  
+  inline void
+  removePrefix (string& str, string const& prefix)
+  {
+    if (not startsWith (str,prefix)) return;
+    str = str.substr (prefix.length());
+  }
+  
+  inline void
+  removeSuffix (string& str, string const& suffix)
+  {
+    if (not endsWith (str,suffix)) return;
+    str.resize(str.length() - suffix.length());
+  }
+  
   
   /** shortcut for containment test on a map */
   template <typename MAP>