diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 2bf773d..5f35086 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -59,6 +59,15 @@ func main() {
 		panic("could not determine underlying type for enum")
 	}
 
+	visited := make(map[string]bool, 0)
+	for i := range enumValues{
+		if visited[enumValues[i].Value] == true{
+			panic("no duplicate values allowed in enum")
+		} else {
+			visited[enumValues[i].Value] = true
+		}
+	}
+
 	templates, err := template.New("").
 		Funcs(TemplateFunctions). // Custom functions
 		ParseFS(templates, "templates/*.tmpl")
diff --git a/templates/enum.tmpl b/templates/enum.tmpl
index 0680994..ace707a 100644
--- a/templates/enum.tmpl
+++ b/templates/enum.tmpl
@@ -47,8 +47,12 @@ func ({{ $lt }} {{ $t }}) String() string {
 	switch {{ $lt }} {
 	{{- range $index, $enum := $.EnumValues }}
 	case {{ $enum.Name }}:
+	{{- if eq $.BaseType "string" }}
+		return {{ $enum.Value }} 
+	{{- else }}
 		return "{{ stringer $enum.Name }}"
 	{{- end }}
+	{{- end }}
 	default:
 	{{- if $default := $.EnumDefaultValue }}
 		return {{ $default }}.String()