diff --git a/uniseg/internal.scm b/uniseg/internal.scm
index cc55e40..9f0c2d3 100644
--- a/uniseg/internal.scm
+++ b/uniseg/internal.scm
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   #:use-module (ice-9 textual-ports)
   #:use-module (ice-9 exceptions)
   #:use-module (ice-9 i18n)
+  #:use-module (ice-9 pretty-print)
   #:use-module (web uri)
   #:use-module (web client)
   #:use-module (web request)
@@ -13,6 +14,8 @@
             @codepoint-range
             @comment
             @ws
+            cpk-values
+            cpk
             cons-hash-list!
             hex-string->integer
             format-exception-msg
@@ -95,4 +98,26 @@
    (with-input-from-file path
      (λ () (get-string-all (current-input-port)))) #\newline))
 
+;; kludge: emacs mis-renders this as a string, so...
+(define hash-semicolon-semicolon
+  (list->string '(#\# #\; #\;)))
 
+;; for debugging
+(define (cpk . vals)
+  "Peek at values for print debugging, but return 'em"
+  (display hash-semicolon-semicolon (current-error-port))
+  (display " cpk\n" (current-error-port))
+  (pretty-print vals (current-error-port))
+  ;; return the last value
+  (last vals))
+
+(define-syntax-rule (cpk-values print-these ... body)
+  ;; Like pk, but supporting multiple value return
+  (call-with-values
+      (lambda () body)
+    (lambda vals
+      (display hash-semicolon-semicolon (current-error-port))
+      (display " cpk-values\n" (current-error-port))
+      (pretty-print (list print-these ... '*values:* vals)
+                    (current-error-port))
+      (apply values vals))))