diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 722b25b3..1c1ce310 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -37,6 +37,18 @@
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
+template<>
+struct option_type_name<TimestampedList<LineAndFlag>>
+{
+    static StringView name() { return "line-flags"; }
+};
+
+template<>
+struct option_type_name<TimestampedList<RangeAndFace>>
+{
+    static StringView name() { return "range-faces"; }
+};
+
 namespace
 {
 
diff --git a/src/coord.hh b/src/coord.hh
index 252496d1..2a55695a 100644
--- a/src/coord.hh
+++ b/src/coord.hh
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ struct CharCoord : LineAndColumn<CharCoord, LineCount, CharCount>
     [[gnu::always_inline]]
     constexpr CharCoord(LineCount line = 0, CharCount column = 0)
         : LineAndColumn(line, column) {}
+
+    static constexpr const char* option_type_name = "coord";
 };
 
 struct ByteCoordAndTarget : ByteCoord
diff --git a/src/insert_completer.hh b/src/insert_completer.hh
index 572e3be1..8868337b 100644
--- a/src/insert_completer.hh
+++ b/src/insert_completer.hh
@@ -37,9 +37,19 @@ using InsertCompleterDescList = Vector<InsertCompleterDesc, MemoryDomain::Option
 String option_to_string(const InsertCompleterDesc& opt);
 void option_from_string(StringView str, InsertCompleterDesc& opt);
 
+template<> struct option_type_name<InsertCompleterDesc>
+{
+    static constexpr StringView name() { return "completer"; }
+};
+
 using CompletionCandidate = std::tuple<String, String, String>;
 using CompletionList = PrefixedList<String, CompletionCandidate>;
 
+template<> struct option_type_name<CompletionList>
+{
+    static constexpr StringView name() { return "completions"; }
+};
+
 struct InsertCompletion
 {
     struct Candidate
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index a9d369be..004630d4 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -213,8 +213,8 @@ void register_options()
     reg.declare_option<CharCoord, check_scrolloff>(
         "scrolloff", "number of lines and columns to keep visible main cursor when scrolling",
         {0,0});
-    reg.declare_option("eolformat", "end of line format: crlf or lf", EolFormat::Lf);
-    reg.declare_option("BOM", "insert a byte order mark when writing buffer (none or utf8)",
+    reg.declare_option("eolformat", "end of line format", EolFormat::Lf);
+    reg.declare_option("BOM", "byte order mark to use when writing buffer",
                        ByteOrderMark::None);
     reg.declare_option("incsearch",
                        "incrementaly apply search/select/split regex",
diff --git a/src/option_manager.hh b/src/option_manager.hh
index 9fb57c8d..94340d10 100644
--- a/src/option_manager.hh
+++ b/src/option_manager.hh
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "vector.hh"
 
 #include <memory>
+#include <type_traits>
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
@@ -223,7 +224,7 @@ public:
                 return **it;
             throw runtime_error(format("option '{}' already declared with different type or flags", name));
         }
-        m_descs.emplace_back(new OptionDesc{name.str(), docstring.str(), flags});
+        m_descs.emplace_back(new OptionDesc{name.str(), format("({}): {}", option_type_name<T>::name(), docstring), flags});
         opts.emplace_back(new TypedCheckedOption<T, validator>{m_global_manager, *m_descs.back(), value});
         return *opts.back();
     }
diff --git a/src/option_types.hh b/src/option_types.hh
index ad35bd92..21f2acda 100644
--- a/src/option_types.hh
+++ b/src/option_types.hh
@@ -16,9 +16,25 @@
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
-inline String option_to_string(StringView opt) { return opt.str(); }
-inline void option_from_string(StringView str, String& opt) { opt = str.str(); }
-inline bool option_add(String& opt, StringView val) { opt += val; return not val.empty(); }
+template<typename T, typename = void> struct option_type_name;
+template<typename T> using void_t = void;
+
+template<typename T>
+struct option_type_name<T, void_t<decltype(T::option_type_name)>>
+{
+    static decltype(T::option_type_name) name() { return T::option_type_name; }
+};
+
+template<typename Enum>
+struct option_type_name<Enum, typename std::enable_if<std::is_enum<Enum>::value>::type>
+{
+    static String name()
+    {
+        constexpr StringView type = WithBitOps<Enum>::value ? "flags" : "enum";
+        auto name = enum_desc(Enum{});
+        return type + "(" + join(name | transform([](const EnumDesc<Enum>& d) { return d.name; }), '|') + ")";
+    }
+};
 
 inline String option_to_string(int opt) { return to_string(opt); }
 inline void option_from_string(StringView str, int& opt) { opt = str_to_int(str); }
@@ -28,6 +44,7 @@ inline bool option_add(int& opt, StringView str)
     opt += val;
     return val != 0;
 }
+template<> struct option_type_name<int> { static StringView name() { return "int"; } };
 
 inline String option_to_string(size_t opt) { return to_string(opt); }
 inline void option_from_string(StringView str, size_t& opt) { opt = str_to_int(str); }
@@ -42,6 +59,7 @@ inline void option_from_string(StringView str, bool& opt)
     else
         throw runtime_error("boolean values are either true, yes, false or no");
 }
+template<> struct option_type_name<bool> { static StringView name() { return "bool"; } };
 
 constexpr char list_separator = ':';
 
@@ -82,6 +100,12 @@ bool option_add(Vector<T, domain>& opt, StringView str)
     return not vec.empty();
 }
 
+template<typename T, MemoryDomain D>
+struct option_type_name<Vector<T, D>>
+{
+    static String name() { return option_type_name<T>::name() + StringView{"-list"}; }
+};
+
 template<typename Value, MemoryDomain domain>
 String option_to_string(const IdMap<Value, domain>& opt)
 {
@@ -114,6 +138,12 @@ void option_from_string(StringView str, IdMap<Value, domain>& opt)
     }
 }
 
+template<typename T, MemoryDomain D>
+struct option_type_name<IdMap<T, D>>
+{
+    static String name() { return format("str-to-{}-map", option_type_name<T>::name()); }
+};
+
 constexpr char tuple_separator = '|';
 
 template<size_t I, typename... Types>
diff --git a/src/regex.hh b/src/regex.hh
index f2457f4d..ab1c3f34 100644
--- a/src/regex.hh
+++ b/src/regex.hh
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ struct Regex : RegexBase
 
     const String& str() const { return m_str; }
 
+    static constexpr StringView option_type_name = "regex";
+
 private:
     String m_str;
 };
diff --git a/src/string.hh b/src/string.hh
index d7e0e56c..74fbb51a 100644
--- a/src/string.hh
+++ b/src/string.hh
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ public:
     void resize(ByteCount size, char c);
 
     static const String ms_empty;
+    static constexpr const char* option_type_name = "str";
 
     union Data
     {
@@ -305,6 +306,10 @@ inline String operator"" _str(const char* str, size_t)
 int str_to_int(StringView str); // throws on error
 Optional<int> str_to_int_ifp(StringView str);
 
+inline String option_to_string(StringView opt) { return opt.str(); }
+inline void option_from_string(StringView str, String& opt) { opt = str.str(); }
+inline bool option_add(String& opt, StringView val) { opt += val; return not val.empty(); }
+
 template<size_t N>
 struct InplaceString
 {