diff --git a/src/python/pants/engine/addressable.py b/src/python/pants/engine/addressable.py
index 6cf6a421ac0..d4fe5888543 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/engine/addressable.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/engine/addressable.py
@@ -29,12 +29,13 @@ class TypeConstraint(AbstractClass):
   :class:`SubclassesOf`.
   """
 
-  def __init__(self, *types):
+  def __init__(self, *types, **kwargs):
     """Creates a type constraint centered around the given types.
 
     The type constraint is satisfied as a whole if satisfied for at least one of the given types.
 
     :param type *types: The focus of this type constraint.
+    :param str description: A description for this constraint if the list of types is too long.
     """
     if not types:
       raise ValueError('Must supply at least one type')
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ def __init__(self, *types):
       raise TypeError('Supplied types must be types. {!r}'.format(types))
 
     self._types = types
+    self._desc = kwargs.get('description', None)
 
   @property
   def types(self):
@@ -68,12 +70,24 @@ def __ne__(self, other):
     return not (self == other)
 
   def __str__(self):
+    if self._desc:
+      constrained_type = '({})'.format(self._desc)
+    else:
+      if len(self._types) == 1:
+        constrained_type = self._types[0].__name__
+      else:
+        constrained_type = '({})'.format(', '.join(t.__name__ for t in self._types))
     return '{variance_symbol}{constrained_type}'.format(variance_symbol=self._variance_symbol,
-                                                        constrained_type=self._types)
+                                                        constrained_type=constrained_type)
 
   def __repr__(self):
+    if self._desc:
+      constrained_type = self._desc
+    else:
+      constrained_type = ', '.join(t.__name__ for t in self._types)
     return ('{type_constraint_type}({constrained_type})'
-            .format(type_constraint_type=type(self).__name__, constrained_type=self._types))
+      .format(type_constraint_type=type(self).__name__,
+                    constrained_type=constrained_type))
 
 
 class SuperclassesOf(TypeConstraint):
diff --git a/tests/python/pants_test/engine/test_addressable.py b/tests/python/pants_test/engine/test_addressable.py
index ab531408b51..fe3d0dbb8fb 100644
--- a/tests/python/pants_test/engine/test_addressable.py
+++ b/tests/python/pants_test/engine/test_addressable.py
@@ -74,6 +74,19 @@ def test_disallows_unsplatted_lists(self):
     with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
       Exactly([1])
 
+  def test_str_and_repr(self):
+    exactly_b_types = Exactly(self.B, description='B types')
+    self.assertEquals("=(B types)", str(exactly_b_types))
+    self.assertEquals("Exactly(B types)", repr(exactly_b_types))
+
+    exactly_b = Exactly(self.B)
+    self.assertEquals("=B", str(exactly_b))
+    self.assertEquals("Exactly(B)", repr(exactly_b))
+
+    exactly_multiple = Exactly(self.A, self.B)
+    self.assertEquals("=(A, B)", str(exactly_multiple))
+    self.assertEquals("Exactly(A, B)", repr(exactly_multiple))
+
 
 class SubclassesOfTest(TypeConstraintTestBase):
   def test_none(self):