diff --git a/sys/dev/sysmon/sysmon_envsys_tables.c b/sys/dev/sysmon/sysmon_envsys_tables.c
index 61b71cbe70b3..ed4d823e4d84 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sysmon/sysmon_envsys_tables.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sysmon/sysmon_envsys_tables.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $NetBSD: sysmon_envsys_tables.c,v 1.6 2010/12/15 17:17:17 pgoyette Exp $ */
+/* $NetBSD: sysmon_envsys_tables.c,v 1.7 2011/06/19 03:09:43 pgoyette Exp $ */
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 2007 Juan Romero Pardines.
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
-__KERNEL_RCSID(0, "$NetBSD: sysmon_envsys_tables.c,v 1.6 2010/12/15 17:17:17 pgoyette Exp $");
+__KERNEL_RCSID(0, "$NetBSD: sysmon_envsys_tables.c,v 1.7 2011/06/19 03:09:43 pgoyette Exp $");
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
@@ -129,3 +129,29 @@ sme_find_table_entry(enum sme_descr_type table_id, int key)
 
 	return table;
 }
+const struct sme_descr_entry *
+sme_find_table_desc(enum sme_descr_type table_id, const char *str)
+{
+	const struct sme_descr_entry *table = NULL;
+
+	switch (table_id) {
+	case SME_DESC_UNITS:
+		table = sme_units_description;
+		break;
+	case SME_DESC_STATES:
+		table = sme_state_description;
+		break;
+	case SME_DESC_DRIVE_STATES:
+		table = sme_drivestate_description;
+		break;
+	case SME_DESC_BATTERY_CAPACITY:
+		table = sme_batterycap_description;
+		break;
+	}
+
+	for (; table->type != -1; table++)
+		if (strcmp(table->desc, str) == 0)
+			break;
+	return table;
+}
+
diff --git a/sys/dev/sysmon/sysmon_envsysvar.h b/sys/dev/sysmon/sysmon_envsysvar.h
index 66eec06645fc..da534c8cdc23 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sysmon/sysmon_envsysvar.h
+++ b/sys/dev/sysmon/sysmon_envsysvar.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $NetBSD: sysmon_envsysvar.h,v 1.39 2011/06/08 18:22:24 pgoyette Exp $ */
+/* $NetBSD: sysmon_envsysvar.h,v 1.40 2011/06/19 03:09:43 pgoyette Exp $ */
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 2007, 2008 Juan Romero Pardines.
@@ -145,5 +145,7 @@ int	sme_sensor_upuint32(prop_dictionary_t, const char *, uint32_t);
 int	sme_sensor_upstring(prop_dictionary_t, const char *, const char *);
 
 const struct sme_descr_entry *sme_find_table_entry(enum sme_descr_type, int);
+const struct sme_descr_entry * sme_find_table_desc(enum sme_descr_type,
+						   const char *);
 
 #endif /* _DEV_SYSMON_ENVSYSVAR_H_ */