diff --git a/urjtag/ChangeLog b/urjtag/ChangeLog
index 2583838a..c8051a18 100644
--- a/urjtag/ChangeLog
+++ b/urjtag/ChangeLog
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
   * src/cmd/cmd_bfin.c: Replace one-insn-a-file option with dynamic instruction
     counting so multi-instructions are properly parsed.
 
+  * include/urjtag/tap_register.h, src/tap/register.c: Add new helper functions
+    for setting tap registers based on hex/bit strings.
+  * src/cmd/cmd_dr.c: Drop parsing code in favor of new helper functions.
+
 2010-01-28  Arnim Laeuger  <arniml>
 
   * src/bus/mpc837x.c, src/bus/buses_list.h, src/bus/Makefile.am,
diff --git a/urjtag/include/urjtag/tap_register.h b/urjtag/include/urjtag/tap_register.h
index 610cb5e3..81a35866 100644
--- a/urjtag/include/urjtag/tap_register.h
+++ b/urjtag/include/urjtag/tap_register.h
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ urj_tap_register_t *urj_tap_register_alloc (int len);
 urj_tap_register_t *urj_tap_register_duplicate (const urj_tap_register_t *tr);
 void urj_tap_register_free (urj_tap_register_t *tr);
 urj_tap_register_t *urj_tap_register_fill (urj_tap_register_t *tr, int val);
+int urj_tap_register_set_string (urj_tap_register_t *tr, const char *str);
+int urj_tap_register_set_value (urj_tap_register_t *tr, uint64_t val);
 const char *urj_tap_register_get_string (const urj_tap_register_t *tr);
 uint64_t urj_tap_register_get_value (const urj_tap_register_t *tr);
 /** @return 0 or 1 on success; -1 on error */
diff --git a/urjtag/src/cmd/cmd_dr.c b/urjtag/src/cmd/cmd_dr.c
index a7510540..9e6cb435 100644
--- a/urjtag/src/cmd/cmd_dr.c
+++ b/urjtag/src/cmd/cmd_dr.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include <sysdep.h>
 
+#include <inttypes.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -85,28 +86,9 @@ cmd_dr_run (urj_chain_t *chain, char *params[])
             dir = 1;
         else
         {
-            unsigned int bit;
-            if (strspn (params[1], "01") != strlen (params[1]))
-            {
-                urj_error_set (URJ_ERROR_SYNTAX,
-                               "bit patterns should be 0s and 1s, not '%s'",
-                               params[1]);
-                return URJ_STATUS_FAIL;
-            }
-
-            r = dr->in;
-            if (r->len != strlen (params[1]))
-            {
-                urj_error_set (URJ_ERROR_OUT_OF_BOUNDS,
-                               _("%s: register length %d mismatch: %zd"),
-                               "dr", r->len, strlen (params[1]));
-                return URJ_STATUS_FAIL;
-            }
-            for (bit = 0; params[1][bit]; bit++)
-            {
-                r->data[r->len - 1 - bit] = (params[1][bit] == '1');
-            }
-
+            int ret = urj_tap_register_set_string (dr->in, params[1]);
+            if (ret != URJ_STATUS_OK)
+                return ret;
             dir = 0;
         }
     }
@@ -115,7 +97,9 @@ cmd_dr_run (urj_chain_t *chain, char *params[])
         r = dr->out;
     else
         r = dr->in;
-    urj_log (URJ_LOG_LEVEL_NORMAL, _("%s\n"), urj_tap_register_get_string (r));
+    urj_log (URJ_LOG_LEVEL_NORMAL, "%s (0x%0*" PRIX64 ")\n",
+             urj_tap_register_get_string (r), r->len / 4,
+             urj_tap_register_get_value (r));
 
     return URJ_STATUS_OK;
 }
@@ -126,12 +110,14 @@ cmd_dr_help (void)
     urj_log (URJ_LOG_LEVEL_NORMAL,
              _("Usage: %s [DIR]\n"
                "Usage: %s BITSTRING\n"
+               "Usage: %s HEXSTRING\n"
                "Display input or output data register content or set current register.\n"
                "\n"
                "DIR           requested data register; possible values: 'in' for\n"
                "              input and 'out' for output; default is 'out'\n"
-               "BITSTRING     set current data register with BITSTRING (e.g. 01010)\n"),
-             "dr", "dr");
+               "BITSTRING     set current data register with BITSTRING (e.g. 01010)\n"
+               "HEXSTRING     set current data register with HEXSTRING (e.g. 0x123)\n"),
+             "dr", "dr", "dr");
 }
 
 const urj_cmd_t urj_cmd_dr = {
diff --git a/urjtag/src/tap/register.c b/urjtag/src/tap/register.c
index 269bbee9..0c012c8b 100644
--- a/urjtag/src/tap/register.c
+++ b/urjtag/src/tap/register.c
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
  *
  */
 
+#include <sysdep.h>
+
+#include <inttypes.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -108,6 +111,69 @@ urj_tap_register_fill (urj_tap_register_t *tr, int val)
     return tr;
 }
 
+int
+urj_tap_register_set_string (urj_tap_register_t *tr, const char *str)
+{
+    if (strncmp (str, "0x", 2) == 0)
+    {
+        /* Hex values */
+        uint64_t val;
+
+        if (sscanf (str, "%"PRIX64, &val) != 1)
+        {
+            urj_error_set (URJ_ERROR_SYNTAX,
+                           _("invalid hex string '%s'"),
+                           str);
+            return URJ_STATUS_FAIL;
+        }
+        return urj_tap_register_set_value (tr, val);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        /* Bit string */
+        unsigned int bit;
+
+        if (strspn (str, "01") != strlen (str))
+        {
+            urj_error_set (URJ_ERROR_SYNTAX,
+                           _("bit patterns should be 0s and 1s, not '%s'"),
+                           str);
+            return URJ_STATUS_FAIL;
+        }
+        else if (tr->len != strlen (str))
+        {
+            urj_error_set (URJ_ERROR_OUT_OF_BOUNDS,
+                           _("register length %d mismatch: %zd"),
+                           tr->len, strlen (str));
+            return URJ_STATUS_FAIL;
+        }
+
+        for (bit = 0; str[bit]; ++bit)
+            tr->data[tr->len - 1 - bit] = (str[bit] == '1');
+
+        return URJ_STATUS_OK;
+    }
+}
+
+int
+urj_tap_register_set_value (urj_tap_register_t *tr, uint64_t val)
+{
+    unsigned int bit;
+
+    if (val >> tr->len)
+    {
+        urj_error_set (URJ_ERROR_OUT_OF_BOUNDS,
+                       _("register value 0x%"PRIX64" will not fit in %d bits"),
+                       val, tr->len);
+        return URJ_STATUS_FAIL;
+    }
+
+    for (bit = 0; bit < tr->len; ++bit)
+        tr->data[tr->len - 1 - bit] = !!(val & (1 << (tr->len - 1 - bit)));
+
+    return URJ_STATUS_OK;
+}
+
 const char *
 urj_tap_register_get_string (const urj_tap_register_t *tr)
 {