diff --git a/app/core/gimpimagefile.c b/app/core/gimpimagefile.c
index 13256cde7e..536921f5d8 100644
--- a/app/core/gimpimagefile.c
+++ b/app/core/gimpimagefile.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
 #include "config/gimpcoreconfig.h"
 
+#include "gegl/gimp-gegl.h"
 #include "gegl/gimp-gegl-utils.h"
 
 #include "gimp.h"
@@ -973,9 +974,7 @@ gimp_thumbnail_set_info_from_image (GimpThumbnail *thumbnail,
                                     const gchar   *mime_type,
                                     GimpImage     *image)
 {
-  GimpEnumDesc  *desc;
-  const Babl    *format;
-  GimpImageType  type;
+  const Babl *format;
 
   /*  peek the thumbnail to make sure that mtime and filesize are set  */
   gimp_thumbnail_peek_image (thumbnail);
@@ -983,15 +982,11 @@ gimp_thumbnail_set_info_from_image (GimpThumbnail *thumbnail,
   format = gimp_image_get_layer_format (image,
                                         gimp_image_has_alpha (image));
 
-  type = gimp_babl_format_get_image_type (format);
-
-  desc = gimp_enum_get_desc (g_type_class_peek (GIMP_TYPE_IMAGE_TYPE), type);
-
   g_object_set (thumbnail,
                 "image-mimetype",   mime_type,
                 "image-width",      gimp_image_get_width  (image),
                 "image-height",     gimp_image_get_height (image),
-                "image-type",       desc->value_desc,
+                "image-type",       gimp_babl_get_description (format),
                 "image-num-layers", gimp_image_get_n_layers (image),
                 NULL);
 }
diff --git a/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-title.c b/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-title.c
index 2cc4c28711..b0a86bc070 100644
--- a/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-title.c
+++ b/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-title.c
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 
 #include "config/gimpdisplayconfig.h"
 
+#include "gegl/gimp-gegl.h"
+
 #include "core/gimpcontainer.h"
 #include "core/gimpdrawable.h"
 #include "core/gimpimage.h"
@@ -135,17 +137,6 @@ gimp_display_shell_title_image_type (GimpImage *image)
   return name;
 }
 
-static const gchar *
-gimp_display_shell_title_drawable_type (GimpDrawable *drawable)
-{
-  const gchar *name = "";
-
-  gimp_enum_get_value (GIMP_TYPE_IMAGE_TYPE,
-                       gimp_drawable_type (drawable), NULL, NULL, &name, NULL);
-
-  return name;
-}
-
 static gint print (gchar       *buf,
                    gint         len,
                    gint         start,
@@ -248,10 +239,11 @@ gimp_display_shell_format_title (GimpDisplayShell *shell,
             case 'T': /* drawable type */
               {
                 GimpDrawable *drawable = gimp_image_get_active_drawable (image);
+                const Babl   *format   = gimp_drawable_get_format (drawable);
 
                 if (drawable)
                   i += print (title, title_len, i, "%s",
-                              gimp_display_shell_title_drawable_type (drawable));
+                              gimp_babl_get_description (format));
               }
               break;
 
diff --git a/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.c b/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.c
index 717553153a..9d7a1e54ae 100644
--- a/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.c
+++ b/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.c
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@
 #include "gimpoperationreplacemode.h"
 #include "gimpoperationantierasemode.h"
 
+#include "gimp-intl.h"
+
 
 static void  gimp_gegl_notify_tile_cache_size (GimpBaseConfig *config);
 
@@ -179,6 +181,63 @@ gimp_gegl_init (Gimp *gimp)
   g_type_class_ref (GIMP_TYPE_OPERATION_ANTI_ERASE_MODE);
 }
 
+static const struct
+{
+  const gchar *name;
+  const gchar *description;
+}
+babl_descriptions[] =
+{
+  { "R'G'B' u8",  N_("RGB") },
+  { "R'G'B'A u8", N_("RGB-alpha") },
+  { "Y' u8",      N_("Grayscale") },
+  { "Y'A u8",     N_("Grayscale-alpha") },
+  { "R' u8",      N_("Red component") },
+  { "G' u8",      N_("Green component") },
+  { "B' u8",      N_("Blue component") },
+  { "A u8",       N_("Alpha component") }
+};
+
+static GHashTable *babl_description_hash = NULL;
+
+const gchar *
+gimp_babl_get_description (const Babl *babl)
+{
+  const gchar *description;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (babl != NULL, NULL);
+
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (! babl_description_hash))
+    {
+      gint i;
+
+      babl_description_hash = g_hash_table_new (g_str_hash,
+                                                g_str_equal);
+
+      for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (babl_descriptions); i++)
+        g_hash_table_insert (babl_description_hash,
+                             (gpointer) babl_descriptions[i].name,
+                             gettext (babl_descriptions[i].description));
+    }
+
+  if (babl_format_is_palette (babl))
+    {
+      if (babl_format_has_alpha (babl))
+        return _("Indexed-alpha");
+      else
+        return _("Indexed");
+    }
+
+  description = g_hash_table_lookup (babl_description_hash,
+                                     babl_get_name (babl));
+
+  if (description)
+    return description;
+
+  return g_strconcat ("ERROR: unknown Babl format ",
+                      babl_get_name (babl), NULL);
+}
+
 static void
 gimp_gegl_notify_tile_cache_size (GimpBaseConfig *config)
 {
diff --git a/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.h b/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.h
index 532f17814b..6f07440603 100644
--- a/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.h
+++ b/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.h
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@
 #define __GIMP_GEGL_H__
 
 
-void   gimp_gegl_init (Gimp *gimp);
+void          gimp_gegl_init            (Gimp       *gimp);
+
+const gchar * gimp_babl_get_description (const Babl *babl);
 
 
 #endif /* __GIMP_GEGL_H__ */