diff --git a/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_checkers.ml b/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_checkers.ml
index 616049580..b9e5bfaf2 100644
--- a/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_checkers.ml
+++ b/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_checkers.ml
@@ -40,14 +40,6 @@ let location_from_an lcxt an =
   | Ctl_parser_types.Stmt st -> location_from_stmt lcxt st
   | Ctl_parser_types.Decl d -> location_from_decl lcxt d
 
-let decl_name an =
-  match an with
-  | Ctl_parser_types.Decl dec ->
-      (match Clang_ast_proj.get_named_decl_tuple dec with
-       | Some (_, n) -> n.Clang_ast_t.ni_name
-       | None -> "")
-  | _ -> ""
-
 let tag_name_of_node an =
   match an with
   | Ctl_parser_types.Stmt stmt -> Clang_ast_proj.get_stmt_kind_string stmt
@@ -56,9 +48,9 @@ let tag_name_of_node an =
 let decl_ref_or_selector_name an =
   match CTL.next_state_via_transition an (Some CTL.PointerToDecl) with
   | Some (Ctl_parser_types.Decl ObjCMethodDecl _ as decl_an) ->
-      "The selector " ^ (decl_name decl_an)
+      "The selector " ^ (Ctl_parser_types.ast_node_name decl_an)
   | Some (Ctl_parser_types.Decl _ as decl_an) ->
-      "The reference " ^ (decl_name decl_an)
+      "The reference " ^ (Ctl_parser_types.ast_node_name decl_an)
   | _ -> failwith("decl_ref_or_selector_name must be called with a DeclRefExpr \
                    or an ObjCMessageExpr, but got " ^ (tag_name_of_node an))
 
diff --git a/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_checkers.mli b/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_checkers.mli
index efb81d1fd..7e53a19fa 100644
--- a/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_checkers.mli
+++ b/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_checkers.mli
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ val location_from_an :
 val location_from_decl :
   CLintersContext.context -> Clang_ast_t.decl -> Location.t
 
-val decl_name : Ctl_parser_types.ast_node -> string
-
 val ivar_name : Ctl_parser_types.ast_node -> string
 
 val cxx_ref_captured_in_block : Ctl_parser_types.ast_node -> string
diff --git a/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_errors.ml b/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_errors.ml
index 7da579f82..e6735a13a 100644
--- a/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_errors.ml
+++ b/infer/src/clang/cFrontend_errors.ml
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ let parsed_linters = ref []
 let evaluate_place_holder ph an =
   match ph with
   | "%ivar_name%" -> MF.monospaced_to_string (CFrontend_checkers.ivar_name an)
-  | "%decl_name%" -> MF.monospaced_to_string (CFrontend_checkers.decl_name an)
+  | "%decl_name%" -> MF.monospaced_to_string (Ctl_parser_types.ast_node_name an)
   | "%cxx_ref_captured_in_block%" ->
       MF.monospaced_to_string (CFrontend_checkers.cxx_ref_captured_in_block an)
   | "%decl_ref_or_selector_name%" ->
diff --git a/infer/src/clang/cTL.ml b/infer/src/clang/cTL.ml
index 39866572b..09e192e8f 100644
--- a/infer/src/clang/cTL.ml
+++ b/infer/src/clang/cTL.ml
@@ -150,10 +150,10 @@ module Debug = struct
                                       pp_formula phi
 
   let pp_ast ~ast_node_to_highlight ?(prettifier=Fn.id) fmt root =
-    let pp_node_info fmt an = match an with
-      | Stmt (ObjCMessageExpr (_, _, _, {omei_selector})) ->
-          Format.fprintf fmt "selector: \"%s\"" omei_selector
-      | _ -> Format.ifprintf fmt "" in
+    let pp_node_info fmt an =
+      let name = Ctl_parser_types.ast_node_name an in
+      let typ = Ctl_parser_types.ast_node_type an in
+      Format.fprintf fmt " %s %s" name typ in
     let rec pp_children pp_node wrapper fmt level nodes =
       match nodes with
       | [] -> ()
diff --git a/infer/src/clang/ctl_parser_types.ml b/infer/src/clang/ctl_parser_types.ml
index b5a128824..f098b62a7 100644
--- a/infer/src/clang/ctl_parser_types.ml
+++ b/infer/src/clang/ctl_parser_types.ml
@@ -17,6 +17,25 @@ type ast_node =
   | Stmt of Clang_ast_t.stmt
   | Decl of Clang_ast_t.decl
 
+let ast_node_name an =
+  let open Clang_ast_t in
+  match an with
+  | Decl dec ->
+      (match Clang_ast_proj.get_named_decl_tuple dec with
+       | Some (_, n) -> n.Clang_ast_t.ni_name
+       | None -> "")
+  | Stmt (DeclRefExpr (_, _, _, drti)) ->
+      (match drti.drti_decl_ref with
+       | Some dr ->
+           let ndi, _, _ = CAst_utils.get_info_from_decl_ref dr in
+           ndi.ni_name
+       | _ -> "")
+  | Stmt (ObjCIvarRefExpr(_, _, _, obj_c_ivar_ref_expr_info)) ->
+      let ndi, _, _ = CAst_utils.get_info_from_decl_ref obj_c_ivar_ref_expr_info.ovrei_decl_ref in
+      ndi.ni_name
+  | Stmt (ObjCMessageExpr (_, _, _, {omei_selector})) ->
+      omei_selector
+  | _ -> ""
 
 let infer_prefix = "__infer_ctl_"
 let report_when_const = "report_when"
@@ -27,7 +46,6 @@ let mode_const = "mode"
 
 exception ALParsingException of string
 
-
 (* Data structures for type parser.
    Correspondence with clang types inferred from
    StringRef BuiltinType::getName in
@@ -95,7 +113,6 @@ let builtin_kind_to_string t =
   | ObjCClass -> "Class"
   | ObjCSel -> "SEL"
 
-
 type abs_ctype =
   | BuiltIn of builtin_kind
 
@@ -149,3 +166,23 @@ let tmp_c_type_equal ?name_c_type c_type abs_ctype =
          Type compared: c_type = `%s`  abs_ctype =`%s`\n"
         name (abs_ctype_to_string abs_ctype);
       false
+
+(* to be extended with more types *)
+let typ_string_of_type_ptr type_ptr =
+  match CAst_utils.get_type type_ptr with
+  | Some Clang_ast_t.BuiltinType (_, bt) ->
+      Clang_ast_j.string_of_builtin_type_kind bt
+  | _ -> ""
+
+let ast_node_type an =
+  match an with
+  | Stmt stmt ->
+      (match Clang_ast_proj.get_expr_tuple stmt with
+       | Some (_, _, expr_info) ->
+           typ_string_of_type_ptr expr_info.ei_qual_type.qt_type_ptr
+       | _ -> "")
+  | Decl decl ->
+      (match CAst_utils.type_of_decl decl with
+       | Some type_ptr ->
+           typ_string_of_type_ptr type_ptr
+       | _ -> "")
diff --git a/infer/src/ctl_parser_types.mli b/infer/src/ctl_parser_types.mli
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af63a17a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/infer/src/ctl_parser_types.mli
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+(*
+ * Copyright (c) 2017 - present Facebook, Inc.
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the BSD style license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree. An additional grant
+ * of patent rights can be found in the PATENTS file in the same directory.
+ *)
+
+(* Types used by the ctl parser *)
+
+(** the kind of AST nodes where formulas are evaluated *)
+type ast_node =
+  | Stmt of Clang_ast_t.stmt
+  | Decl of Clang_ast_t.decl
+
+val ast_node_name : ast_node -> string
+
+val ast_node_type : ast_node -> string
+
+exception ALParsingException of string
+
+val infer_prefix : string
+val report_when_const : string
+val message_const : string
+val suggestion_const : string
+val severity_const : string
+val mode_const : string
+
+type abs_ctype
+
+val tmp_c_type_equal : ?name_c_type : string -> Clang_ast_t.c_type -> abs_ctype -> bool