diff --git a/docs/changelog.txt b/docs/changelog.txt
index 01f026da5..c99446bf0 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.txt
+++ b/docs/changelog.txt
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ changelog.txt uses a syntax similar to RST, with a few special sequences:
 - Fixed special characters in `command-prompt` and other non-console in-game outputs on Linux/macOS (in tools using ``df2console``)
 - `die`: fixed windows crash in exit handling
 - `dwarfmonitor`, `manipulator`: fixed stress cutoffs
+- `ruby`: fixed calling conventions for vmethods that return strings (currently ``enabler.GetKeyDisplay()``)
 - `startdwarf`: fixed on 64-bit Linux
 
 ## Misc Improvements
diff --git a/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl b/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl
index ad5f4b239..2a12a1bea 100755
--- a/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl
+++ b/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl
@@ -462,8 +462,13 @@ sub render_class_vmethods {
             push @lines_rb, "def $name(" . join(', ', @argnames) . ')';
             indent_rb {
                 my $args = join('', map { ", $_" } @argargs);
-                my $call = "DFHack.vmethod_call(self, $voff$args)";
                 my $ret = $meth->findnodes('child::ret-type')->[0];
+                my $call;
+                if (!$ret or $ret->getAttribute('ld:meta') ne 'primitive') {
+                    $call = "DFHack.vmethod_call(self, $voff$args)";
+                } else {
+                    $call = "DFHack.vmethod_call_mem_return(self, $voff, rv$args)";
+                }
                 render_class_vmethod_ret($call, $ret);
             };
             push @lines_rb, 'end';
@@ -534,6 +539,18 @@ sub render_class_vmethod_ret {
         };
         push @lines_rb, "end._at(ptr) if ptr != 0";
     }
+    elsif ($retmeta eq 'primitive')
+    {
+        my $subtype = $ret->getAttribute('ld:subtype');
+        if ($subtype eq 'stl-string') {
+            push @lines_rb, "rv = DFHack::StlString.cpp_new";
+            push @lines_rb, $call;
+            push @lines_rb, "rv";
+        } else {
+            print "Unknown return subtype for $call\n";
+            push @lines_rb, "nil";
+        }
+    }
     else
     {
         print "vmethod unkret $call\n";
diff --git a/plugins/ruby/ruby-autogen-defs.rb b/plugins/ruby/ruby-autogen-defs.rb
index ca5d82393..10727894d 100644
--- a/plugins/ruby/ruby-autogen-defs.rb
+++ b/plugins/ruby/ruby-autogen-defs.rb
@@ -994,6 +994,14 @@ module DFHack
                         vmethod_arg(a3), vmethod_arg(a4), vmethod_arg(a5))
     end
 
+    def self.vmethod_call_mem_return(obj, voff, r0=0, a0=0, a1=0, a2=0, a3=0, a4=0)
+        this = obj._memaddr
+        vt = df.get_vtable_ptr(this)
+        fptr = df.memory_read_ptr(vt + voff)
+        vmethod_do_call(vmethod_arg(r0), fptr, this, vmethod_arg(a0), vmethod_arg(a1), vmethod_arg(a2),
+                        vmethod_arg(a3), vmethod_arg(a4))
+    end
+
     def self.vmethod_arg(arg)
         case arg
         when nil, false; 0