diff --git a/ipmitool/include/ipmitool/helper.h b/ipmitool/include/ipmitool/helper.h
index c8d1fff..470c61b 100644
--- a/ipmitool/include/ipmitool/helper.h
+++ b/ipmitool/include/ipmitool/helper.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ struct valstr {
 const char * val2str(uint16_t val, const struct valstr * vs);
 uint16_t str2val(const char * str, const struct valstr * vs);
 void print_valstr(const struct valstr * vs, const char * title, int loglevel);
+void print_valstr_2col(const struct valstr * vs, const char * title, int loglevel);
 
 
 uint16_t buf2short(uint8_t * buf);
diff --git a/ipmitool/lib/helper.c b/ipmitool/lib/helper.c
index 759bf74..adf3c72 100644
--- a/ipmitool/lib/helper.c
+++ b/ipmitool/lib/helper.c
@@ -178,6 +178,54 @@ print_valstr(const struct valstr * vs, const char * title, int loglevel)
 		lprintf(loglevel, "");
 }
 
+/* print_valstr_2col  -  print value string list in two columns to log or stdout
+ *
+ * @vs:		value string list to print
+ * @title:	name of this value string list
+ * @loglevel:	what log level to print, -1 for stdout
+ */
+void
+print_valstr_2col(const struct valstr * vs, const char * title, int loglevel)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	if (vs == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	if (title != NULL) {
+		if (loglevel < 0)
+			printf("\n%s:\n\n");
+		else
+			lprintf(loglevel, "\n%s:\n", title);
+	}
+
+	for (i = 0; vs[i].str != NULL; i++) {
+		if (vs[i+1].str == NULL) {
+			/* last one */
+			if (loglevel < 0) {
+				printf("  %4d  %-32s\n", vs[i].val, vs[i].str);
+			} else {
+				lprintf(loglevel, "  %4d  %-32s\n", vs[i].val, vs[i].str);
+			}
+		}
+		else {
+			if (loglevel < 0) {
+				printf("  %4d  %-32s    %4d  %-32s\n",
+				       vs[i].val, vs[i].str, vs[i+1].val, vs[i+1].str);
+			} else {
+				lprintf(loglevel, "  %4d  %-32s    %4d  %-32s\n",
+					vs[i].val, vs[i].str, vs[i+1].val, vs[i+1].str);
+			}
+			i++;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (loglevel < 0)
+		printf("\n");
+	else
+		lprintf(loglevel, "");
+}
+
 /* ipmi_csum  -  calculate an ipmi checksum
  *
  * @d:		buffer to check
diff --git a/ipmitool/lib/ipmi_sdr.c b/ipmitool/lib/ipmi_sdr.c
index 5d32d46..99f0b2d 100644
--- a/ipmitool/lib/ipmi_sdr.c
+++ b/ipmitool/lib/ipmi_sdr.c
@@ -3868,9 +3868,11 @@ ipmi_sdr_print_entity(struct ipmi_intf *intf, char *entitystr)
 	unsigned instance = 0;
 	int rc = 0;
 
-	if (entitystr == NULL) {
-		lprintf(LOG_ERR, "No Entity ID supplied");
-		return -1;
+	if (entitystr == NULL ||
+	    strncasecmp(entitystr, "help", 4) == 0 ||
+	    strncasecmp(entitystr, "list", 4) == 0) {
+		print_valstr_2col(entity_id_vals, "Entity IDs", -1);
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	if (sscanf(entitystr, "%u.%u", &id, &instance) != 2) {
@@ -3879,8 +3881,21 @@ ipmi_sdr_print_entity(struct ipmi_intf *intf, char *entitystr)
 		 * so set entity.instance = 0x7f to indicate this
 		 */
 		if (sscanf(entitystr, "%u", &id) != 1) {
-			lprintf(LOG_ERR, "Invalid entity: %s", entitystr);
-			return -1;
+			int i, j=0;
+
+			/* now try string input */
+			for (i = 0; entity_id_vals[i].str != NULL; i++) {
+				if (strncasecmp(entitystr, entity_id_vals[i].str,
+						__maxlen(entitystr, entity_id_vals[i].str)) == 0) {
+					entity.id = entity_id_vals[i].val;
+					entity.instance = 0x7f;
+					j=1;
+				}
+			}
+			if (j == 0) {
+				lprintf(LOG_ERR, "Invalid entity: %s", entitystr);
+				return -1;
+			}
 		} else {
 			entity.id = id;
 			entity.instance = 0x7f;