diff --git a/include/render/pixel_format.h b/include/render/pixel_format.h
index f5b67d031..e3882e695 100644
--- a/include/render/pixel_format.h
+++ b/include/render/pixel_format.h
@@ -25,4 +25,7 @@ bool pixel_format_info_check_stride(const struct wlr_pixel_format_info *info,
 uint32_t convert_wl_shm_format_to_drm(enum wl_shm_format fmt);
 enum wl_shm_format convert_drm_format_to_wl_shm(uint32_t fmt);
 
+char *get_drm_format_description(uint32_t format);
+char *get_drm_modifier_description(uint64_t modifier);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/render/allocator/gbm.c b/render/allocator/gbm.c
index 149ff6b9e..4b7841787 100644
--- a/render/allocator/gbm.c
+++ b/render/allocator/gbm.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #include "render/allocator/gbm.h"
 #include "render/drm_format_set.h"
+#include "render/pixel_format.h"
 
 static const struct wlr_buffer_impl buffer_impl;
 
@@ -139,15 +140,13 @@ static struct wlr_gbm_buffer *create_buffer(struct wlr_gbm_allocator *alloc,
 		buffer->dmabuf.modifier = fallback_modifier;
 	}
 
-	char *format_name = drmGetFormatName(buffer->dmabuf.format);
-	char *modifier_name = drmGetFormatModifierName(buffer->dmabuf.modifier);
-	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Allocated %dx%d GBM buffer "
-		"with format %s (0x%08"PRIX32"), modifier %s (0x%016"PRIX64")",
+	char *format_desc = get_drm_format_description(buffer->dmabuf.format);
+	char *modifier_desc = get_drm_modifier_description(buffer->dmabuf.modifier);
+	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Allocated %dx%d GBM buffer with format %s, modifier %s",
 		buffer->base.width, buffer->base.height,
-		format_name ? format_name : "<unknown>", buffer->dmabuf.format,
-		modifier_name ? modifier_name : "<unknown>", buffer->dmabuf.modifier);
-	free(format_name);
-	free(modifier_name);
+		format_desc, modifier_desc);
+	free(format_desc);
+	free(modifier_desc);
 
 	return buffer;
 }
diff --git a/render/egl.c b/render/egl.c
index 70596c751..04726d930 100644
--- a/render/egl.c
+++ b/render/egl.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <wlr/util/region.h>
 #include <xf86drm.h>
 #include "render/egl.h"
+#include "render/pixel_format.h"
 #include "util/env.h"
 
 static enum wlr_log_importance egl_log_importance_to_wlr(EGLint type) {
@@ -100,10 +101,9 @@ static int get_egl_dmabuf_modifiers(struct wlr_egl *egl, EGLint format,
 	uint64_t **modifiers, EGLBoolean **external_only);
 
 static void log_modifier(uint64_t modifier, bool external_only) {
-	char *mod_name = drmGetFormatModifierName(modifier);
-	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "    %s (0x%016"PRIX64"): ✓ texture  %s render",
-		mod_name ? mod_name : "<unknown>", modifier, external_only ? "✗" : "✓");
-	free(mod_name);
+	char *mod_desc = get_drm_modifier_description(modifier);
+	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "    %s: ✓ texture  %s render", mod_desc, external_only ? "✗" : "✓");
+	free(mod_desc);
 }
 
 static void init_dmabuf_formats(struct wlr_egl *egl) {
@@ -166,10 +166,9 @@ static void init_dmabuf_formats(struct wlr_egl *egl) {
 		}
 
 		if (wlr_log_get_verbosity() >= WLR_DEBUG) {
-			char *fmt_name = drmGetFormatName(fmt);
-			wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "  %s (0x%08"PRIX32")",
-				fmt_name ? fmt_name : "<unknown>", fmt);
-			free(fmt_name);
+			char *fmt_desc = get_drm_format_description(fmt);
+			wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "  %s", fmt_desc);
+			free(fmt_desc);
 
 			log_modifier(DRM_FORMAT_MOD_INVALID, false);
 			if (modifiers_len == 0) {
diff --git a/render/pixel_format.c b/render/pixel_format.c
index b83069b81..8ad58ae32 100644
--- a/render/pixel_format.c
+++ b/render/pixel_format.c
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <drm_fourcc.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
+#include <xf86drm.h>
 #include "render/pixel_format.h"
 
 static const struct wlr_pixel_format_info pixel_format_info[] = {
@@ -211,3 +214,38 @@ bool pixel_format_info_check_stride(const struct wlr_pixel_format_info *fmt,
 	}
 	return true;
 }
+
+static char *format_str(const char *fmt, ...) {
+	va_list args;
+	va_start(args, fmt);
+	int len = vsnprintf(NULL, 0, fmt, args);
+	va_end(args);
+	if (len < 0) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	char *str = malloc(len + 1);
+	if (str == NULL) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	va_start(args, fmt);
+	vsnprintf(str, len + 1, fmt, args);
+	va_end(args);
+
+	return str;
+}
+
+char *get_drm_format_description(uint32_t format) {
+	char *name = drmGetFormatName(format);
+	char *str = format_str("%s (0x%08"PRIX32")", name ? name : "<unknown>", format);
+	free(name);
+	return str;
+}
+
+char *get_drm_modifier_description(uint64_t modifier) {
+	char *name = drmGetFormatModifierName(modifier);
+	char *str = format_str("%s (0x%016"PRIX64")", name ? name : "<unknown>", modifier);
+	free(name);
+	return str;
+}
diff --git a/render/vulkan/pixel_format.c b/render/vulkan/pixel_format.c
index 59be20415..e16cc0a46 100644
--- a/render/vulkan/pixel_format.c
+++ b/render/vulkan/pixel_format.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <vulkan/vulkan.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
-#include <xf86drm.h>
+#include "render/pixel_format.h"
 #include "render/vulkan.h"
 
 static const struct wlr_vk_format formats[] = {
@@ -333,12 +333,10 @@ static bool query_modifier_support(struct wlr_vk_device *dev,
 			snprintf(texture_status, sizeof(texture_status), "✓ texture");
 		}
 
-		char *modifier_name = drmGetFormatModifierName(m.drmFormatModifier);
-		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "    DMA-BUF modifier %s "
-			"(0x%016"PRIX64", %"PRIu32" planes): %s  %s",
-			modifier_name ? modifier_name : "<unknown>", m.drmFormatModifier,
-			m.drmFormatModifierPlaneCount, texture_status, render_status);
-		free(modifier_name);
+		char *modifier_desc = get_drm_modifier_description(m.drmFormatModifier);
+		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "    DMA-BUF modifier %s: %"PRIu32" planes, %s  %s",
+			modifier_desc, m.drmFormatModifierPlaneCount, texture_status, render_status);
+		free(modifier_desc);
 	}
 
 	free(modp.pDrmFormatModifierProperties);
@@ -353,10 +351,9 @@ void vulkan_format_props_query(struct wlr_vk_device *dev,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	char *format_name = drmGetFormatName(format->drm);
-	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "  %s (0x%08"PRIX32")",
-		format_name ? format_name : "<unknown>", format->drm);
-	free(format_name);
+	char *format_desc = get_drm_format_description(format->drm);
+	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "  %s", format_desc);
+	free(format_desc);
 
 	VkDrmFormatModifierPropertiesListEXT modp = {
 		.sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DRM_FORMAT_MODIFIER_PROPERTIES_LIST_EXT,
diff --git a/types/output/swapchain.c b/types/output/swapchain.c
index 12018a3c9..df33cfb1b 100644
--- a/types/output/swapchain.c
+++ b/types/output/swapchain.c
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
 #include <wlr/render/allocator.h>
 #include <wlr/render/swapchain.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
-#include <xf86drm.h>
 
 #include "render/drm_format_set.h"
+#include "render/pixel_format.h"
 #include "types/wlr_output.h"
 
 static struct wlr_swapchain *create_swapchain(struct wlr_output *output,
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ static struct wlr_swapchain *create_swapchain(struct wlr_output *output,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	char *format_name = drmGetFormatName(format->format);
-	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Choosing primary buffer format %s (0x%08"PRIX32") for output '%s'",
-		format_name ? format_name : "<unknown>", format->format, output->name);
-	free(format_name);
+	char *format_desc = get_drm_format_description(format->format);
+	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Choosing primary buffer format %s for output '%s'",
+		format_desc, output->name);
+	free(format_desc);
 
 	if (!allow_modifiers && (format->len != 1 || format->modifiers[0] != DRM_FORMAT_MOD_LINEAR)) {
 		if (!wlr_drm_format_has(format, DRM_FORMAT_MOD_INVALID)) {