diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/media_object.h b/include/libcamera/internal/media_object.h
index c9d77511a991..3ebef938bc49 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/media_object.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/media_object.h
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ public:
 	unsigned int flags() const { return flags_; }
 	int setEnabled(bool enable);
 
+	std::string toString() const;
+
 private:
 	LIBCAMERA_DISABLE_COPY_AND_MOVE(MediaLink)
 
@@ -61,6 +63,8 @@ private:
 	unsigned int flags_;
 };
 
+std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &out, const MediaLink &link);
+
 class MediaPad : public MediaObject
 {
 public:
diff --git a/src/libcamera/media_object.cpp b/src/libcamera/media_object.cpp
index 1b191a1e4df8..fa2c44b0abb6 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/media_object.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/media_object.cpp
@@ -146,6 +146,31 @@ MediaLink::MediaLink(const struct media_v2_link *link, MediaPad *source,
 {
 }
 
+std::string MediaLink::toString() const
+{
+	std::stringstream ss;
+	ss << *this;
+
+	return ss.str();
+}
+
+/**
+ * \brief Insert a text representation of a Link into an output stream
+ * \param[in] out The output stream
+ * \param[in] r The MediaLink
+ * \return The output stream \a out
+ */
+std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &out, const MediaLink &link)
+{
+	out << "'"
+	    << link.source()->entity()->name() << "'["
+	    << link.source()->index() << "] -> '"
+	    << link.sink()->entity()->name() << "'["
+	    << link.sink()->index() << "]";
+
+	return out;
+}
+
 /**
  * \fn MediaLink::source()
  * \brief Retrieve the link's source pad