diff --git a/src/base/bitunion.hh b/src/base/bitunion.hh
index 569d65031f..b2a2ba806d 100644
--- a/src/base/bitunion.hh
+++ b/src/base/bitunion.hh
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@
 #define __BASE_BITUNION_HH__
 
 #include <functional>
+#include <iostream>
 #include <type_traits>
+#include <typeinfo>
 
 #include "base/bitfield.hh"
 
@@ -414,4 +416,48 @@ namespace std
     };
 }
 
+
+namespace BitfieldBackend
+{
+namespace
+{
+    template<typename T>
+    std::ostream &
+    bitfieldBackendPrinter(std::ostream &os, const T &t)
+    {
+        os << t;
+        return os;
+    }
+
+    //Since BitUnions are generally numerical values and not character codes,
+    //these specializations attempt to ensure that they get cast to integers
+    //of the appropriate type before printing.
+    template <>
+    std::ostream &
+    bitfieldBackendPrinter(std::ostream &os, const char &t)
+    {
+        os << (const int)t;
+        return os;
+    }
+
+    template <>
+    std::ostream &
+    bitfieldBackendPrinter(std::ostream &os, const unsigned char &t)
+    {
+        os << (const unsigned int)t;
+        return os;
+    }
+}
+}
+
+//A default << operator which casts a bitunion to its underlying type and
+//passes it to BitfieldBackend::bitfieldBackendPrinter.
+template <typename T>
+std::ostream &
+operator << (std::ostream &os, const BitUnionType<T> &bu)
+{
+    return BitfieldBackend::bitfieldBackendPrinter(
+            os, (BitUnionBaseType<T>)bu);
+}
+
 #endif // __BASE_BITUNION_HH__
diff --git a/src/base/bituniontest.cc b/src/base/bituniontest.cc
index 8781d2d5ec..d7ed95bb87 100644
--- a/src/base/bituniontest.cc
+++ b/src/base/bituniontest.cc
@@ -270,3 +270,17 @@ TEST_F(BitUnionData, Templating)
     is64 = std::is_same<BitUnionBaseType<Dummy32>, uint64_t>::value;
     EXPECT_FALSE(is64);
 }
+
+TEST_F(BitUnionData, Output)
+{
+    sixtyFour = 1234567812345678;
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    ss << sixtyFour;
+    EXPECT_EQ(ss.str(), "1234567812345678");
+    ss.str("");
+
+    EmptyEight eight = 65;
+    ss << eight;
+    EXPECT_EQ(ss.str(), "65");
+    ss.str("");
+}