diff --git a/vlib/sync/channels.v b/vlib/sync/channels.v
index 1f1e630862..7802f84b0c 100644
--- a/vlib/sync/channels.v
+++ b/vlib/sync/channels.v
@@ -136,6 +136,10 @@ fn new_channel_st(n u32, st u32) &Channel {
 	return ch
 }
 
+pub fn (ch &Channel) auto_str(typename string) string {
+	return 'chan $typename{cap: $ch.cap, closed: $ch.closed}'
+}
+
 pub fn (mut ch Channel) close() {
 	open_val := u16(0)
 	if !C.atomic_compare_exchange_strong_u16(&ch.closed, &open_val, 1) {
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/auto_str_methods.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/auto_str_methods.v
index c814621c95..b8298de81c 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/auto_str_methods.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/auto_str_methods.v
@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_str_for_type(typ ast.Type) string {
 			ast.Interface {
 				g.gen_str_for_interface(sym.info, styp, str_fn_name)
 			}
+			ast.Chan {
+				g.gen_str_for_chan(sym.info, styp, str_fn_name)
+			}
 			else {
 				verror("could not generate string method $str_fn_name for type '$styp'")
 			}
@@ -489,6 +492,12 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_str_for_fn_type(info ast.FnType, styp string, str_fn_name str
 	g.auto_str_funcs.writeln('static string ${str_fn_name}() { return _SLIT("${g.fn_decl_str(info)}");}')
 }
 
+fn (mut g Gen) gen_str_for_chan(info ast.Chan, styp string, str_fn_name string) {
+	elem_type_name := util.strip_main_name(g.table.get_type_name(g.unwrap_generic(info.elem_type)))
+	g.type_definitions.writeln('static string ${str_fn_name}($styp x); // auto')
+	g.auto_str_funcs.writeln('static string ${str_fn_name}($styp x) { return sync__Channel_auto_str(x, _SLIT("$elem_type_name")); }')
+}
+
 [inline]
 fn styp_to_str_fn_name(styp string) string {
 	return styp.replace_each(['*', '', '.', '__', ' ', '__']) + '_str'
diff --git a/vlib/v/markused/markused.v b/vlib/v/markused/markused.v
index 11f82df8c2..7d75135889 100644
--- a/vlib/v/markused/markused.v
+++ b/vlib/v/markused/markused.v
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ pub fn mark_used(mut table ast.Table, pref &pref.Preferences, ast_files []&ast.F
 		'21.clone_static',
 		'21.first',
 		'21.last',
+		'21.pointers' /* TODO: handle generic methods calling array primitives more precisely in pool_test.v */,
 		'21.reverse',
 		'21.repeat',
 		'21.slice',
@@ -141,7 +142,9 @@ pub fn mark_used(mut table ast.Table, pref &pref.Preferences, ast_files []&ast.F
 			all_fn_root_names << k
 			continue
 		}
-		if k.ends_with('.str') {
+		// auto generated string interpolation functions, may
+		// call .str or .auto_str methods for user types:
+		if k.ends_with('.str') || k.ends_with('.auto_str') {
 			all_fn_root_names << k
 			continue
 		}
@@ -153,11 +156,25 @@ pub fn mark_used(mut table ast.Table, pref &pref.Preferences, ast_files []&ast.F
 			all_fn_root_names << k
 			continue
 		}
+		// sync:
+		if k == 'sync.new_channel_st' {
+			all_fn_root_names << k
+			continue
+		}
+		if k == 'sync.channel_select' {
+			all_fn_root_names << k
+			continue
+		}
+		if method_receiver_typename == '&sync.Channel' {
+			all_fn_root_names << k
+			continue
+		}
 		if k.ends_with('.lock') || k.ends_with('.unlock') || k.ends_with('.rlock')
 			|| k.ends_with('.runlock') {
 			all_fn_root_names << k
 			continue
 		}
+		// testing framework:
 		if pref.is_test {
 			if k.starts_with('test_') || k.contains('.test_') {
 				all_fn_root_names << k
@@ -169,6 +186,8 @@ pub fn mark_used(mut table ast.Table, pref &pref.Preferences, ast_files []&ast.F
 				continue
 			}
 		}
+		// public/exported functions can not be skipped,
+		// especially when producing a shared library:
 		if mfn.is_pub && pref.is_shared {
 			all_fn_root_names << k
 			continue
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/channels_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/channels_test.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..09c38070bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/channels_test.v
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+struct St1 {
+	val     int = 5
+	another chan f64
+}
+
+fn fn1(c chan St1) string {
+	println('1')
+	println(c)
+	x := <-c
+	println(x)
+	return x.str()
+}
+
+fn test_printing_of_channels() {
+	ch := chan St1{cap: 10}
+	fch := chan f64{cap: 100}
+	ch <- St1{
+		val: 1000
+		another: fch
+	}
+	res := (go fn1(ch)).wait()
+	println(res)
+	println(ch)
+	assert res.str().contains('another: ')
+	assert ch.str() == 'chan St1{cap: 10, closed: 0}'
+	assert fch.str() == 'chan f64{cap: 100, closed: 0}'
+	fch.close()
+	assert fch.str() == 'chan f64{cap: 100, closed: 1}'
+}