diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_dump.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_dump.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7e7a54293
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_dump.go
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+// +build debug
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/juju/errors"
+	"github.com/restic/restic"
+	"github.com/restic/restic/backend"
+	"github.com/restic/restic/pack"
+	"github.com/restic/restic/repository"
+)
+
+type CmdDump struct{}
+
+func init() {
+	_, err := parser.AddCommand("dump",
+		"dump data structures",
+		"The dump command dumps data structures from a repository as JSON documents",
+		&CmdDump{})
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+}
+
+func dumpIndex(r *repository.Repository, wr io.Writer) error {
+	fmt.Fprintln(wr, "foo")
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (cmd CmdDump) Usage() string {
+	return "[index|snapshots|trees|all]"
+}
+
+func prettyPrintJSON(wr io.Writer, item interface{}) error {
+	buf, err := json.MarshalIndent(item, "", "  ")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	_, err = wr.Write(append(buf, '\n'))
+	return err
+}
+
+func printSnapshots(repo *repository.Repository, wr io.Writer) error {
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(done)
+
+	for id := range repo.List(backend.Snapshot, done) {
+		snapshot, err := restic.LoadSnapshot(repo, id)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "LoadSnapshot(%v): %v", id.Str(), err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		fmt.Fprintf(wr, "snapshot_id: %v\n", id)
+
+		err = prettyPrintJSON(wr, snapshot)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func printTrees(repo *repository.Repository, wr io.Writer) error {
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(done)
+
+	trees := []backend.ID{}
+
+	for blob := range repo.Index().Each(done) {
+		if blob.Type != pack.Tree {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		trees = append(trees, blob.ID)
+	}
+
+	for _, id := range trees {
+		tree, err := restic.LoadTree(repo, id)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "LoadTree(%v): %v", id.Str(), err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		fmt.Fprintf(wr, "tree_id: %v\n", id)
+
+		prettyPrintJSON(wr, tree)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (cmd CmdDump) Execute(args []string) error {
+	if len(args) != 1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("type not specified, Usage: %s", cmd.Usage())
+	}
+
+	repo, err := OpenRepo()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	err = repo.LoadIndex()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	tpe := args[0]
+
+	switch tpe {
+	case "index":
+		return repo.Index().Dump(os.Stdout)
+	case "snapshots":
+		return printSnapshots(repo, os.Stdout)
+	case "trees":
+		return printTrees(repo, os.Stdout)
+	case "all":
+		fmt.Printf("snapshots:\n")
+		err := printSnapshots(repo, os.Stdout)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		fmt.Printf("\ntrees:\n")
+
+		err = printTrees(repo, os.Stdout)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		fmt.Printf("\nindex:\n")
+
+		err = repo.Index().Dump(os.Stdout)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	default:
+		return errors.Errorf("no such type %q", tpe)
+	}
+}