diff --git a/repos/os/include/util/formatted_output.h b/repos/os/include/util/formatted_output.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dc4aa7651c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/os/include/util/formatted_output.h
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+/*
+ * \brief  Utilities for formatted text output
+ * \author Norman Feske
+ * \date   2022-03-14
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2022 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__OS__UTIL__FORMATTED_OUTPUT_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__OS__UTIL__FORMATTED_OUTPUT_H_
+
+#include <base/output.h>
+
+namespace Genode {
+
+	template <typename> struct Truncated;
+	template <typename> struct Repeated;
+	template <typename> struct Left_aligned;
+	template <typename> struct Right_aligned;
+
+	/**
+	 * Return the number of characters needed when rendering 'args' as text
+	 */
+	template <typename... ARGS>
+	static unsigned printed_length(ARGS &&... args)
+	{
+		struct _Output : Output
+		{
+			unsigned count = 0;
+			void out_char(char) override { count++; }
+		} _output;
+
+		print(_output, args...);
+		return _output.count;
+	}
+}
+
+
+template <typename T>
+struct Genode::Truncated
+{
+	unsigned const  _limit;
+	T        const &_arg;
+
+	Truncated(unsigned limit, T const &arg) : _limit(limit), _arg(arg) { }
+
+	void print(Output &out) const
+	{
+		struct _Output : Output
+		{
+			Output        &out;
+			unsigned const limit;
+			unsigned       count = 0;
+
+			void out_char(char c) override
+			{
+				if (count++ < limit)
+					out.out_char(c);
+			}
+
+			_Output(Output &out, unsigned limit) : out(out), limit(limit) { }
+
+		} _output(out, _limit);
+
+		Genode::print(_output, _arg);
+	}
+};
+
+
+template <typename T>
+struct Genode::Repeated
+{
+	unsigned const  _n;
+	T        const &_arg;
+
+	Repeated(unsigned n, T const &arg) : _n(n), _arg(arg) { }
+
+	void print(Output &out) const
+	{
+		for (unsigned i = 0; i < _n; i++)
+			Genode::print(out, _arg);
+	}
+};
+
+
+template <typename T>
+struct Genode::Left_aligned
+{
+	unsigned const  _n;
+	T        const &_arg;
+
+	Left_aligned(unsigned n, T const &arg) : _n(n), _arg(arg) { }
+
+	void print(Output &out) const
+	{
+		unsigned const len = min(printed_length(_arg), _n);
+		Genode::print(out, Truncated(len, _arg), Repeated(_n - len, Char(' ')));
+	}
+};
+
+
+template <typename T>
+struct Genode::Right_aligned
+{
+	unsigned const  _n;
+	T        const &_arg;
+
+	Right_aligned(unsigned n, T const &arg) : _n(n), _arg(arg) { }
+
+	void print(Output &out) const
+	{
+		unsigned const len = min(printed_length(_arg), _n);
+		Genode::print(out, Repeated(_n - len, Char(' ')), Truncated(len, _arg));
+	}
+};
+
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__OS__UTIL__FORMATTED_OUTPUT_H_ */