diff --git a/lib/xdg-app-ref.c b/lib/xdg-app-ref.c
index 05282c54..53bf776e 100644
--- a/lib/xdg-app-ref.c
+++ b/lib/xdg-app-ref.c
@@ -233,3 +233,18 @@ xdg_app_ref_get_kind (XdgAppRef *self)
 
   return priv->kind;
 }
+
+char *
+xdg_app_ref_format_ref  (XdgAppRef *self)
+{
+  XdgAppRefPrivate *priv = xdg_app_ref_get_instance_private (self);
+
+  if (priv->kind == XDG_APP_REF_KIND_APP)
+    return xdg_app_build_app_ref (priv->name,
+                                  priv->branch,
+                                  priv->arch);
+  else
+    return xdg_app_build_runtime_ref (priv->name,
+                                      priv->branch,
+                                      priv->arch);
+}
diff --git a/lib/xdg-app-ref.h b/lib/xdg-app-ref.h
index 1d160b18..e4c27811 100644
--- a/lib/xdg-app-ref.h
+++ b/lib/xdg-app-ref.h
@@ -58,5 +58,6 @@ XDG_APP_EXTERN const char *  xdg_app_ref_get_arch    (XdgAppRef      *self);
 XDG_APP_EXTERN const char *  xdg_app_ref_get_branch (XdgAppRef      *self);
 XDG_APP_EXTERN const char *  xdg_app_ref_get_commit  (XdgAppRef      *self);
 XDG_APP_EXTERN XdgAppRefKind xdg_app_ref_get_kind    (XdgAppRef      *self);
+XDG_APP_EXTERN char *        xdg_app_ref_format_ref  (XdgAppRef      *self);
 
 #endif /* __XDG_APP_REF_H__ */