diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-bios-attr.c b/libfwupd/fwupd-bios-attr.c
index 711c804a5..5a204e146 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-bios-attr.c
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-bios-attr.c
@@ -326,6 +326,100 @@ fwupd_bios_attr_set_description(FwupdBiosAttr *self, const gchar *description)
 	priv->description = g_strdup(description);
 }
 
+/* determine if key is supposed to be positive */
+static gboolean
+fu_bios_attr_key_is_positive(const gchar *key)
+{
+	if (g_strrstr(key, "enable"))
+		return TRUE;
+	if (g_strcmp0(key, "true") == 0)
+		return TRUE;
+	if (g_strcmp0(key, "1") == 0)
+		return TRUE;
+	if (g_strcmp0(key, "on") == 0)
+		return TRUE;
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
+/* determine if key is supposed to be negative */
+static gboolean
+fu_bios_attr_key_is_negative(const gchar *key)
+{
+	if (g_strrstr(key, "disable"))
+		return TRUE;
+	if (g_strcmp0(key, "false") == 0)
+		return TRUE;
+	if (g_strcmp0(key, "0") == 0)
+		return TRUE;
+	if (g_strcmp0(key, "off") == 0)
+		return TRUE;
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
+/**
+ * fwupd_bios_attr_map_possible_value:
+ * @self: a #FwupdBiosAttr
+ * @key: the string to try to map
+ * @error: (nullable): optional return location for an error
+ *
+ * Attempts to map a user provided string into strings that a #FwupdBiosAttr can
+ * support.  The following heuristics are used:
+ * - Ignore case sensitivity
+ * - Map obviously "positive" phrases into a value that turns on the #FwupdBiosAttr
+ * - Map obviously "negative" phrases into a value that turns off the #FwupdBiosAttr
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer none): the possible value that maps or NULL if none if found
+ *
+ * Since: 1.8.4
+ **/
+const gchar *
+fwupd_bios_attr_map_possible_value(FwupdBiosAttr *self, const gchar *key, GError **error)
+{
+	FwupdBiosAttrPrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE(self);
+	gboolean positive_key = FALSE;
+	gboolean negative_key = FALSE;
+	g_autofree gchar *result = NULL;
+	g_autofree gchar *lower_key = NULL;
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail(FWUPD_IS_BIOS_ATTR(self), NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(priv->kind == FWUPD_BIOS_ATTR_KIND_ENUMERATION, NULL);
+
+	if (priv->possible_values->len == 0) {
+		g_set_error(error,
+			    FWUPD_ERROR,
+			    FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
+			    "%s doesn't contain any possible values",
+			    priv->name);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	lower_key = g_utf8_strdown(key, -1);
+	positive_key = fu_bios_attr_key_is_positive(lower_key);
+	negative_key = fu_bios_attr_key_is_negative(lower_key);
+	for (guint i = 0; i < priv->possible_values->len; i++) {
+		const gchar *possible = g_ptr_array_index(priv->possible_values, i);
+		g_autofree gchar *lower_possible = g_utf8_strdown(possible, -1);
+		gboolean positive_possible;
+		gboolean negative_possible;
+
+		/* perfect match */
+		if (g_strcmp0(lower_possible, lower_key) == 0)
+			return possible;
+		/* fuzzy match */
+		positive_possible = fu_bios_attr_key_is_positive(lower_possible);
+		negative_possible = fu_bios_attr_key_is_negative(lower_possible);
+		if ((positive_possible && positive_key) || (negative_possible && negative_key))
+			return possible;
+	}
+	g_set_error(error,
+		    FWUPD_ERROR,
+		    FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
+		    "%s doesn't map to any possible values for %s",
+		    key,
+		    priv->name);
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 /**
  * fwupd_bios_attr_has_possible_value:
  * @self: a #FwupdBiosAttr
diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-bios-attr.h b/libfwupd/fwupd-bios-attr.h
index 69d59d6bc..107d8762b 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-bios-attr.h
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-bios-attr.h
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ const gchar *
 fwupd_bios_attr_get_path(FwupdBiosAttr *self);
 const gchar *
 fwupd_bios_attr_get_description(FwupdBiosAttr *self);
+const gchar *
+fwupd_bios_attr_map_possible_value(FwupdBiosAttr *self, const gchar *key, GError **error);
 gboolean
 fwupd_bios_attr_has_possible_value(FwupdBiosAttr *self, const gchar *val);
 void
diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd.map b/libfwupd/fwupd.map
index 313d2baf9..7b9f42120 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd.map
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd.map
@@ -820,6 +820,7 @@ LIBFWUPD_1.8.4 {
     fwupd_bios_attr_get_type;
     fwupd_bios_attr_get_upper_bound;
     fwupd_bios_attr_has_possible_value;
+    fwupd_bios_attr_map_possible_value;
     fwupd_bios_attr_new;
     fwupd_bios_attr_set_current_value;
     fwupd_bios_attr_set_description;
diff --git a/src/fu-engine.c b/src/fu-engine.c
index 697bd8d17..3599d9a6e 100644
--- a/src/fu-engine.c
+++ b/src/fu-engine.c
@@ -767,10 +767,13 @@ fu_engine_update_bios_attr(FwupdBiosAttr *attr, const gchar *value, GError **err
  * error messages
  */
 static gboolean
-fu_engine_validate_bios_attr_input(FwupdBiosAttr *attr, const gchar *value, GError **error)
+fu_engine_validate_bios_attr_input(FwupdBiosAttr *attr, const gchar **value, GError **error)
 {
 	guint64 tmp = 0;
 
+	g_return_val_if_fail(*value != NULL, FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(value != NULL, FALSE);
+
 	if (attr == NULL) {
 		g_set_error_literal(error,
 				    FWUPD_ERROR,
@@ -786,7 +789,7 @@ fu_engine_validate_bios_attr_input(FwupdBiosAttr *attr, const gchar *value, GErr
 			    fwupd_bios_attr_get_name(attr));
 		return FALSE;
 	} else if (fwupd_bios_attr_get_kind(attr) == FWUPD_BIOS_ATTR_KIND_INTEGER) {
-		if (!fu_strtoull(value, &tmp, 0, G_MAXUINT64, error))
+		if (!fu_strtoull(*value, &tmp, 0, G_MAXUINT64, error))
 			return FALSE;
 		if (tmp < fwupd_bios_attr_get_lower_bound(attr)) {
 			g_set_error(error,
@@ -794,7 +797,7 @@ fu_engine_validate_bios_attr_input(FwupdBiosAttr *attr, const gchar *value, GErr
 				    FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
 				    "%s is too small (%" G_GUINT64_FORMAT
 				    "); expected at least %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT,
-				    value,
+				    *value,
 				    tmp,
 				    fwupd_bios_attr_get_lower_bound(attr));
 			return FALSE;
@@ -805,20 +808,20 @@ fu_engine_validate_bios_attr_input(FwupdBiosAttr *attr, const gchar *value, GErr
 				    FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
 				    "%s is too big (%" G_GUINT64_FORMAT
 				    "); expected no more than %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT,
-				    value,
+				    *value,
 				    tmp,
 				    fwupd_bios_attr_get_upper_bound(attr));
 			return FALSE;
 		}
 	} else if (fwupd_bios_attr_get_kind(attr) == FWUPD_BIOS_ATTR_KIND_STRING) {
-		tmp = strlen(value);
+		tmp = strlen(*value);
 		if (tmp < fwupd_bios_attr_get_lower_bound(attr)) {
 			g_set_error(error,
 				    FWUPD_ERROR,
 				    FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
 				    "%s is too short (%" G_GUINT64_FORMAT
 				    "); expected at least %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT,
-				    value,
+				    *value,
 				    tmp,
 				    fwupd_bios_attr_get_lower_bound(attr));
 			return FALSE;
@@ -829,20 +832,16 @@ fu_engine_validate_bios_attr_input(FwupdBiosAttr *attr, const gchar *value, GErr
 				    FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
 				    "%s is too long (%" G_GUINT64_FORMAT
 				    "); expected no more than %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT,
-				    value,
+				    *value,
 				    tmp,
 				    fwupd_bios_attr_get_upper_bound(attr));
 			return FALSE;
 		}
 	} else if (fwupd_bios_attr_get_kind(attr) == FWUPD_BIOS_ATTR_KIND_ENUMERATION) {
-		if (!fwupd_bios_attr_has_possible_value(attr, value)) {
-			g_set_error(error,
-				    FWUPD_ERROR,
-				    FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
-				    "%s is not a supported possible attribute value",
-				    value);
+		const gchar *result = fwupd_bios_attr_map_possible_value(attr, *value, error);
+		if (result == NULL)
 			return FALSE;
-		}
+		*value = result;
 	} else {
 		g_set_error_literal(error,
 				    FWUPD_ERROR,
@@ -869,11 +868,12 @@ fu_engine_modify_bios_attr(FuEngine *self, const gchar *key, const gchar *value,
 {
 	FwupdBiosAttr *attr = fu_context_get_bios_attr(self->ctx, key);
 	FwupdBiosAttr *pending;
+	const gchar *tmp = value;
 
-	if (!fu_engine_validate_bios_attr_input(attr, value, error))
+	if (!fu_engine_validate_bios_attr_input(attr, &tmp, error))
 		return FALSE;
 
-	if (!fu_engine_update_bios_attr(attr, value, error))
+	if (!fu_engine_update_bios_attr(attr, tmp, error))
 		return FALSE;
 
 	pending = fu_context_get_bios_attr(self->ctx, FWUPD_BIOS_ATTR_PENDING_REBOOT);
diff --git a/src/fu-self-test.c b/src/fu-self-test.c
index 7dfb10dac..8d4e452d1 100644
--- a/src/fu-self-test.c
+++ b/src/fu-self-test.c
@@ -4512,7 +4512,11 @@ fu_engine_modify_bios_attrs_func(void)
 	g_assert_no_error(error);
 	g_assert_true(ret);
 
-	ret = fu_engine_modify_bios_attr(engine, "Absolute", "Disable", &error);
+	ret = fu_engine_modify_bios_attr(engine, "Absolute", "off", &error);
+	g_assert_no_error(error);
+	g_assert_true(ret);
+
+	ret = fu_engine_modify_bios_attr(engine, "Absolute", "FOO", &error);
 	g_assert_false(ret);
 	g_assert_error(error, FWUPD_ERROR, FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED);
 	g_clear_error(&error);
diff --git a/src/fu-tool.c b/src/fu-tool.c
index b2811f794..6134afe94 100644
--- a/src/fu-tool.c
+++ b/src/fu-tool.c
@@ -3236,13 +3236,15 @@ fu_util_set_bios_attr(FuUtilPrivate *priv, gchar **values, GError **error)
 				  error))
 		return FALSE;
 
-	if (!fu_engine_modify_bios_attr(priv->engine, values[0], values[1], error))
+	if (!fu_engine_modify_bios_attr(priv->engine, values[0], values[1], error)) {
+		g_prefix_error(error, "failed to set '%s' using '%s': ", values[0], values[1]);
 		return FALSE;
+	}
 
 	if (!priv->as_json) {
-		g_autofree gchar *msg =
-		    g_strdup_printf(_("Set BIOS attribute '%s' to '%s'."), values[0], values[1]);
 		/* TRANSLATORS: Configured a BIOS setting to a value */
+		g_autofree gchar *msg =
+		    g_strdup_printf(_("Set BIOS attribute '%s' using '%s'."), values[0], values[1]);
 		g_print("\n%s\n", msg);
 	}
 	priv->completion_flags |= FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_NEEDS_REBOOT;
diff --git a/src/fu-util.c b/src/fu-util.c
index e0dc9596a..0aa1fd075 100644
--- a/src/fu-util.c
+++ b/src/fu-util.c
@@ -3809,13 +3809,15 @@ fu_util_set_bios_attr(FuUtilPrivate *priv, gchar **values, GError **error)
 					   values[0],
 					   values[1],
 					   priv->cancellable,
-					   error))
+					   error)) {
+		g_prefix_error(error, "failed to set '%s' using '%s': ", values[0], values[1]);
 		return FALSE;
+	}
 
 	if (!priv->as_json) {
-		g_autofree gchar *msg =
-		    g_strdup_printf(_("Set BIOS attribute '%s' to '%s'."), values[0], values[1]);
 		/* TRANSLATORS: Configured a BIOS setting to a value */
+		g_autofree gchar *msg =
+		    g_strdup_printf(_("Set BIOS attribute '%s' using '%s'."), values[0], values[1]);
 		g_print("\n%s\n", msg);
 	}
 	priv->completion_flags |= FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_NEEDS_REBOOT;