diff --git a/libr/core/cmd_debug.c b/libr/core/cmd_debug.c
index ef4cc56170..6ea648cea7 100644
--- a/libr/core/cmd_debug.c
+++ b/libr/core/cmd_debug.c
@@ -797,16 +797,25 @@ free (rf);
 			regname = r_reg_get_name (core->dbg->reg,
 				r_reg_get_name_idx (string));
 			if (!regname)
-				regname= string;
+				regname = string;
 			r = r_reg_get (core->dbg->reg, regname, -1); //R_REG_TYPE_GPR);
 			if (r) {
-				r_cons_printf ("0x%08"PFMT64x" ->", str,
-					r_reg_get_value (core->dbg->reg, r));
-				r_reg_set_value (core->dbg->reg, r,
-					r_num_math (core->num, arg+1));
-				r_debug_reg_sync (core->dbg, -1, R_TRUE);
-				r_cons_printf ("0x%08"PFMT64x"\n",
-					r_reg_get_value (core->dbg->reg, r));
+				if (r->flags) {
+					r_cons_printf ("0x%08"PFMT64x" ->",
+							r_reg_get_value (core->dbg->reg, r));
+					r_reg_set_bvalue (core->dbg->reg, r, arg+1);
+					r_debug_reg_sync (core->dbg, -1, R_TRUE);
+					r_cons_printf ("0x%08"PFMT64x"\n",
+							r_reg_get_value (core->dbg->reg, r));
+				} else {
+					r_cons_printf ("0x%08"PFMT64x" ->", str,
+							r_reg_get_value (core->dbg->reg, r));
+					r_reg_set_value (core->dbg->reg, r,
+							r_num_math (core->num, arg+1));
+					r_debug_reg_sync (core->dbg, -1, R_TRUE);
+					r_cons_printf ("0x%08"PFMT64x"\n",
+							r_reg_get_value (core->dbg->reg, r));
+				}
 			} else eprintf ("Unknown register '%s'\n", string);
 			free (string);
 			return;
diff --git a/libr/include/r_reg.h b/libr/include/r_reg.h
index 94fc293d0e..2ea1586e54 100644
--- a/libr/include/r_reg.h
+++ b/libr/include/r_reg.h
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ R_API float r_reg_get_fvalue(RReg *reg, RRegItem *item);
 R_API int r_reg_set_fvalue(RReg *reg, RRegItem *item, float value);
 R_API ut64 r_reg_get_pvalue(RReg *reg, RRegItem *item, int packidx);
 R_API char *r_reg_get_bvalue(RReg *reg, RRegItem *item);
+R_API ut64 r_reg_set_bvalue(RReg *reg, RRegItem *item, const char *str);
 R_API int r_reg_set_pvalue(RReg *reg, RRegItem *item, ut64 value, int packidx);
 
 /* byte arena */
diff --git a/libr/include/r_util.h b/libr/include/r_util.h
index ec618df0bf..83f7cae906 100644
--- a/libr/include/r_util.h
+++ b/libr/include/r_util.h
@@ -382,6 +382,7 @@ R_API int r_str_split(char *str, char ch);
 R_API char* r_str_replace(char *str, const char *key, const char *val, int g);
 #define r_str_cpy(x,y) memmove(x,y,strlen(y)+1);
 R_API int r_str_bits (char *strout, const ut8 *buf, int len, const char *bitz);
+R_API ut64 r_str_bits_from_string(const char *buf, const char *bitz);
 R_API int r_str_rwx(const char *str);
 R_API int r_str_replace_char (char *s, int a, int b);
 R_API const char *r_str_rwx_i(int rwx);
diff --git a/libr/reg/value.c b/libr/reg/value.c
index e1d0a13581..ad127ccf0b 100644
--- a/libr/reg/value.c
+++ b/libr/reg/value.c
@@ -122,6 +122,17 @@ R_API int r_reg_set_value(RReg *reg, RRegItem *item, ut64 value) {
 	return R_FALSE;
 }
 
+R_API ut64 r_reg_set_bvalue(RReg *reg, RRegItem *item, const char *str) {
+	ut64 num;
+	if (!item->flags)
+		return UT64_MAX;
+	num = r_str_bits_from_string (str, item->flags);
+	if (num == UT64_MAX) 
+		r_reg_set_value (reg, item, r_num_math (NULL, str));
+	else r_reg_set_value (reg, item, num);
+	return num;
+}
+
 R_API char *r_reg_get_bvalue(RReg *reg, RRegItem *item) {
 	char *out;
 	ut64 num;
diff --git a/libr/util/str.c b/libr/util/str.c
index b32052e564..ef3c8cd273 100644
--- a/libr/util/str.c
+++ b/libr/util/str.c
@@ -118,28 +118,21 @@ R_API int r_str_bits (char *strout, const ut8 *buf, int len, const char *bitz) {
  * function: r_str_bits_from_num
  * 
  */
-#if 0
-R_API ut64 r_str_bits_from_string(const char *buf, int len, const char *bitz) {
+R_API ut64 r_str_bits_from_string(const char *buf, const char *bitz) {
+	ut64 out = 0LL;
 	/* return the numberic value associated to a string (rflags) */
-	int i, j;
-	if (bitz) {
-		for (i=j=0; i<len && (!bitz||bitz[i]); i++) {
-			if (i>0 && (i%8)==0)
-				buf++;
-	                if (*buf&(1<<(i%8)))
-				strout[j++] = toupper (bitz[i]);
-		}
-	} else {
-		for (i=j=0; i<len; i++) {
-			if (i>0 && (i%8)==0)
-				buf++;
-			strout[j++] = (*buf&(1<<(7-(i%8))))?'1':'0';
+	for (; *buf; buf++) {
+		char *ch = strchr (bitz, toupper (*buf));
+		if (!ch) ch = strchr (bitz, tolower (*buf));
+		if (ch) {
+			int bit = (int)(size_t)(ch - bitz);
+			out |= (ut64)(1LL << bit);
+		} else {
+			return UT64_MAX;
 		}
 	}
-	strout[j] = 0;
-	return j;
+	return out;
 }
-#endif
 
 /* int c; ret = hex2int(&c, 'c'); */
 static int hex2int (ut8 *val, ut8 c) {