diff --git a/builtins.go b/builtins.go
index 9d1b950..2b063c7 100644
--- a/builtins.go
+++ b/builtins.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package jsonnet
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"math"
 	"sort"
 
@@ -152,6 +153,19 @@ func builtinLength(e *evaluator, xp potentialValue) (value, error) {
 	return makeValueNumber(float64(num)), nil
 }
 
+func builtinToString(e *evaluator, xp potentialValue) (value, error) {
+	x, err := e.evaluate(xp)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	err = e.i.manifestJSON(e.trace, x, false, "", &buf)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return makeValueString(buf.String()), nil
+}
+
 func builtinMakeArray(e *evaluator, szp potentialValue, funcp potentialValue) (value, error) {
 	sz, err := e.evaluateNumber(szp)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -432,6 +446,7 @@ var uopBuiltins = []*UnaryBuiltin{
 // TODO(sbarzowski) eliminate duplication in function names (e.g. build map from array or constants)
 var funcBuiltins = map[string]evalCallable{
 	"length":          &UnaryBuiltin{name: "length", function: builtinLength, parameters: ast.Identifiers{"x"}},
+	"toString":        &UnaryBuiltin{name: "toString", function: builtinToString, parameters: ast.Identifiers{"x"}},
 	"makeArray":       &BinaryBuiltin{name: "makeArray", function: builtinMakeArray, parameters: ast.Identifiers{"sz", "func"}},
 	"primitiveEquals": &BinaryBuiltin{name: "primitiveEquals", function: primitiveEquals, parameters: ast.Identifiers{"sz", "func"}},
 	"objectFieldsEx":  &BinaryBuiltin{name: "objectFields", function: builtinObjectFieldsEx, parameters: ast.Identifiers{"obj", "hidden"}},
diff --git a/interpreter.go b/interpreter.go
index b5d7604..095ac40 100644
--- a/interpreter.go
+++ b/interpreter.go
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ func unparseString(v string) string {
 	for _, c := range v {
 		switch c {
 		case '"':
-			buf.WriteString("\n")
+			buf.WriteString("\\\"")
 		case '\\':
 			buf.WriteString("\\\\")
 		case '\b':
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString.golden b/testdata/std.toString.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9458e0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"\"xxx\""
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString.input b/testdata/std.toString.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1b09a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString.input
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+std.toString("xxx")
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString2.golden b/testdata/std.toString2.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1026c25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString2.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"2"
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString2.input b/testdata/std.toString2.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0490c86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString2.input
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+std.toString(2)
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString3.golden b/testdata/std.toString3.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3890492
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString3.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"{ }"
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString3.input b/testdata/std.toString3.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..01a535e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString3.input
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+std.toString({})
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString4.golden b/testdata/std.toString4.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b4a823
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString4.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"[ ]"
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString4.input b/testdata/std.toString4.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81ec321
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString4.input
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+std.toString([])
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString5.golden b/testdata/std.toString5.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57d4eaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString5.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+RUNTIME ERROR: x
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString5.input b/testdata/std.toString5.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ee592a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString5.input
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+std.toString(error "x")
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString6.golden b/testdata/std.toString6.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..12ed933
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString6.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"{\"x\": [{\"y\": [ ]}]}"
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString6.input b/testdata/std.toString6.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1853f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString6.input
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+std.toString({x: [{y: []}]})
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString7.golden b/testdata/std.toString7.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5e248ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString7.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"[{\"a\": [42, 42, { }], \"b\": 1337}, 42, \"text\", 42]"
diff --git a/testdata/std.toString7.input b/testdata/std.toString7.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f9a53d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/std.toString7.input
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+std.toString([{a: [42, 42, {}], ["b"]: 1337}, 42, "text", 42])
diff --git a/testdata/string.golden b/testdata/string.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93a8e1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/string.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"xxx"
diff --git a/testdata/string.input b/testdata/string.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93a8e1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/string.input
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"xxx"
diff --git a/testdata/string2.golden b/testdata/string2.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9458e0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/string2.golden
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"\"xxx\""
diff --git a/testdata/string2.input b/testdata/string2.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9458e0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/string2.input
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"\"xxx\""