diff --git a/renderdoc/api/replay/capture_options.h b/renderdoc/api/replay/capture_options.h
index a54badc92..f56f43448 100644
--- a/renderdoc/api/replay/capture_options.h
+++ b/renderdoc/api/replay/capture_options.h
@@ -39,6 +39,37 @@ struct CaptureOptions
   CaptureOptions();
 #endif
 
+  DOCUMENT(R"(Encode the current options to a string suitable for passing around between processes.
+
+:return: The encoded string, suitable for passing to :meth:`DecodeFromString`.
+:rtype: ``str``
+)");
+  inline rdcstr EncodeAsString() const
+  {
+    rdcstr optstr;
+    optstr.reserve(sizeof(CaptureOptions) * 2 + 1);
+    byte *b = (byte *)this;
+    for(size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(CaptureOptions); i++)
+    {
+      optstr.push_back(char('a' + ((b[i] >> 4) & 0xf)));
+      optstr.push_back(char('a' + ((b[i]) & 0xf)));
+    }
+
+    return optstr;
+  }
+
+  DOCUMENT("Decode the options from a string, as returned by :meth:`EncodeAsString`.");
+  inline void DecodeFromString(const rdcstr &str)
+  {
+    if(str.size() < sizeof(CaptureOptions))
+      return;
+
+    // serialise from string with two chars per byte
+    byte *b = (byte *)this;
+    for(size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(CaptureOptions); i++)
+      *(b++) = (byte(str[i * 2 + 0] - 'a') << 4) | byte(str[i * 2 + 1] - 'a');
+  }
+
   DOCUMENT(R"(Allow the application to enable vsync.
 
 Default - enabled
diff --git a/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_libentry.cpp b/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_libentry.cpp
index 22723ed1c..ff0436ee9 100644
--- a/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_libentry.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_libentry.cpp
@@ -28,14 +28,6 @@
 
 void dlopen_hook_init();
 
-void readCapOpts(const char *str, CaptureOptions *opts)
-{
-  // serialise from string with two chars per byte
-  byte *b = (byte *)opts;
-  for(size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(CaptureOptions); i++)
-    *(b++) = (byte(str[i * 2 + 0] - 'a') << 4) | byte(str[i * 2 + 1] - 'a');
-}
-
 // DllMain equivalent
 void library_loaded()
 {
@@ -61,10 +53,10 @@ void library_loaded()
 
     if(opts)
     {
-      string optstr = opts;
-
       CaptureOptions optstruct;
-      readCapOpts(optstr.c_str(), &optstruct);
+      optstruct.DecodeFromString(opts);
+
+      RDCLOG("Using delay for debugger %u", optstruct.delayForDebugger);
 
       RenderDoc::Inst().SetCaptureOptions(optstruct);
     }
diff --git a/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_process.cpp b/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_process.cpp
index 8c5f90823..c7638514a 100644
--- a/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_process.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_process.cpp
@@ -516,16 +516,7 @@ uint32_t Process::LaunchAndInjectIntoProcess(const char *app, const char *workin
 #endif
   }
 
-  string optstr;
-  {
-    optstr.reserve(sizeof(CaptureOptions) * 2 + 1);
-    byte *b = (byte *)&opts;
-    for(size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(CaptureOptions); i++)
-    {
-      optstr.push_back(char('a' + ((b[i] >> 4) & 0xf)));
-      optstr.push_back(char('a' + ((b[i]) & 0xf)));
-    }
-  }
+  string optstr = opts.EncodeAsString();
 
   modifications.push_back(EnvironmentModification(EnvMod::Append, EnvSep::Platform,
                                                   "LD_LIBRARY_PATH", binpath.c_str()));
diff --git a/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_process.cpp b/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_process.cpp
index ea6b55647..4b511b717 100644
--- a/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_process.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_process.cpp
@@ -746,15 +746,6 @@ uint32_t Process::InjectIntoProcess(uint32_t pid, const rdcarray<EnvironmentModi
 
     // serialise to string with two chars per byte
     string optstr;
-    {
-      optstr.reserve(sizeof(CaptureOptions) * 2 + 1);
-      byte *b = (byte *)&opts;
-      for(size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(CaptureOptions); i++)
-      {
-        optstr.push_back(char('a' + ((b[i] >> 4) & 0xf)));
-        optstr.push_back(char('a' + ((b[i]) & 0xf)));
-      }
-    }
 
     wchar_t *paramsAlloc = new wchar_t[2048];
 
@@ -1404,16 +1395,7 @@ bool Process::StartGlobalHook(const char *pathmatch, const char *logfile, const
   paramsAlloc.resize(2048);
 
   // serialise to string with two chars per byte
-  string optstr;
-  {
-    optstr.reserve(sizeof(CaptureOptions) * 2 + 1);
-    byte *b = (byte *)&opts;
-    for(size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(CaptureOptions); i++)
-    {
-      optstr.push_back(char('a' + ((b[i] >> 4) & 0xf)));
-      optstr.push_back(char('a' + ((b[i]) & 0xf)));
-    }
-  }
+  string optstr = opts.EncodeAsString();
 
   wstring wlogfile = logfile == NULL ? L"" : StringFormat::UTF82Wide(string(logfile));
   wstring wpathmatch = StringFormat::UTF82Wide(string(pathmatch));
diff --git a/renderdoccmd/renderdoccmd.cpp b/renderdoccmd/renderdoccmd.cpp
index 302aa6b90..e6fa7b8a1 100644
--- a/renderdoccmd/renderdoccmd.cpp
+++ b/renderdoccmd/renderdoccmd.cpp
@@ -56,17 +56,6 @@ rdcarray<rdcstr> convertArgs(const std::vector<std::string> &args)
   return ret;
 }
 
-void readCapOpts(const std::string &str, CaptureOptions *opts)
-{
-  if(str.length() < sizeof(CaptureOptions))
-    return;
-
-  // serialise from string with two chars per byte
-  byte *b = (byte *)opts;
-  for(size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(CaptureOptions); i++)
-    *(b++) = (byte(str[i * 2 + 0] - 'a') << 4) | byte(str[i * 2 + 1] - 'a');
-}
-
 void DisplayRendererPreview(IReplayController *renderer, uint32_t width, uint32_t height)
 {
   if(renderer == NULL)
@@ -805,7 +794,7 @@ struct CapAltBitCommand : public Command
   virtual int Execute(cmdline::parser &parser, const CaptureOptions &)
   {
     CaptureOptions cmdopts;
-    readCapOpts(parser.get<string>("capopts").c_str(), &cmdopts);
+    cmdopts.DecodeFromString(parser.get<string>("capopts"));
 
     RENDERDOC_InitGlobalEnv(m_Env, rdcarray<rdcstr>());
 
diff --git a/renderdoccmd/renderdoccmd_win32.cpp b/renderdoccmd/renderdoccmd_win32.cpp
index cc4d551a5..6248d90e0 100644
--- a/renderdoccmd/renderdoccmd_win32.cpp
+++ b/renderdoccmd/renderdoccmd_win32.cpp
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ struct GlobalHookCommand : public Command
     string debuglog = parser.get<string>("debuglog");
 
     CaptureOptions cmdopts;
-    readCapOpts(parser.get<string>("capopts").c_str(), &cmdopts);
+    cmdopts.DecodeFromString(parser.get<string>("capopts"));
 
     // make sure the user doesn't accidentally run this with 'a' as a parameter or something.
     // "a.exe" is over 4 characters so this limit should not be a problem.