diff --git a/etcdctlv3/command/error.go b/etcdctlv3/command/error.go
index 61b6f3e00..264332928 100644
--- a/etcdctlv3/command/error.go
+++ b/etcdctlv3/command/error.go
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ const (
 	ExitBadConnection
 	ExitInvalidInput // for txn, watch command
 	ExitBadFeature   // provided a valid flag with an unsupported value
-	ExitBadArgs      = 128
+	ExitInterrupted
+	ExitIO
+	ExitBadArgs = 128
 )
 
 func ExitWithError(code int, err error) {
diff --git a/etcdctlv3/command/snapshot_command.go b/etcdctlv3/command/snapshot_command.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..27ab3610b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etcdctlv3/command/snapshot_command.go
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+// Copyright 2016 CoreOS, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package command
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/Godeps/_workspace/src/golang.org/x/net/context"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/clientv3"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/etcdserver/api/v3rpc"
+)
+
+// NewSnapshotCommand returns the cobra command for "snapshot".
+func NewSnapshotCommand() *cobra.Command {
+	return &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "snapshot [filename]",
+		Short: "Snapshot streams a point-in-time snapshot of the store",
+		Run:   snapshotCommandFunc,
+	}
+}
+
+// snapshotCommandFunc watches for the length of the entire store and records
+// to a file.
+func snapshotCommandFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+	switch {
+	case len(args) == 0:
+		snapshotToStdout(mustClient(cmd))
+	case len(args) == 1:
+		snapshotToFile(mustClient(cmd), args[0])
+	default:
+		err := fmt.Errorf("snapshot takes at most one argument")
+		ExitWithError(ExitBadArgs, err)
+	}
+}
+
+// snapshotToStdout streams a snapshot over stdout
+func snapshotToStdout(c *clientv3.Client) {
+	// must explicitly fetch first revision since no retry on stdout
+	wapi := clientv3.NewWatcher(c)
+	defer wapi.Close()
+	wr := <-wapi.WatchPrefix(context.TODO(), "", 1)
+	if len(wr.Events) > 0 {
+		wr.CompactRevision = 1
+	}
+	if rev := snapshot(os.Stdout, c, wr.CompactRevision); rev != 0 {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("snapshot interrupted by compaction %v", rev)
+		ExitWithError(ExitInterrupted, err)
+	}
+}
+
+// snapshotToFile atomically writes a snapshot to a file
+func snapshotToFile(c *clientv3.Client, path string) {
+	partpath := path + ".part"
+	f, err := os.Create(partpath)
+	defer f.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		exiterr := fmt.Errorf("could not open %s (%v)", partpath, err)
+		ExitWithError(ExitBadArgs, exiterr)
+	}
+	rev := int64(1)
+	for rev != 0 {
+		f.Seek(0, 0)
+		f.Truncate(0)
+		rev = snapshot(f, c, rev)
+	}
+	f.Sync()
+	if err := os.Rename(partpath, path); err != nil {
+		exiterr := fmt.Errorf("could not rename %s to %s (%v)", partpath, path, err)
+		ExitWithError(ExitIO, exiterr)
+	}
+}
+
+// snapshot reads all of a watcher; returns compaction revision if incomplete
+// TODO: stabilize snapshot format
+func snapshot(w io.Writer, c *clientv3.Client, rev int64) int64 {
+	wapi := clientv3.NewWatcher(c)
+	defer wapi.Close()
+
+	// get all events since revision (or get non-compacted revision, if
+	// rev is too far behind)
+	wch := wapi.WatchPrefix(context.TODO(), "", rev)
+	for wr := range wch {
+		if len(wr.Events) == 0 {
+			return wr.CompactRevision
+		}
+		for _, ev := range wr.Events {
+			fmt.Fprintln(w, ev)
+		}
+		rev := wr.Events[len(wr.Events)-1].Kv.ModRevision
+		if rev >= wr.Header.Revision {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	// get base state at rev
+	kapi := clientv3.NewKV(c)
+	key := "\x00"
+	for {
+		kvs, err := kapi.Get(
+			context.TODO(),
+			key,
+			clientv3.WithFromKey(),
+			clientv3.WithRev(rev+1),
+			clientv3.WithLimit(1000))
+		if err == v3rpc.ErrCompacted {
+			// will get correct compact revision on retry
+			return rev + 1
+		} else if err != nil {
+			// failed for some unknown reason, retry on same revision
+			return rev
+		}
+		for _, kv := range kvs.Kvs {
+			fmt.Fprintln(w, kv)
+		}
+		if !kvs.More {
+			break
+		}
+		// move to next key
+		key = string(append(kvs.Kvs[len(kvs.Kvs)-1].Key, 0))
+	}
+
+	return 0
+}
diff --git a/etcdctlv3/main.go b/etcdctlv3/main.go
index 59de85273..2fc662aa2 100644
--- a/etcdctlv3/main.go
+++ b/etcdctlv3/main.go
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ func init() {
 		command.NewVersionCommand(),
 		command.NewLeaseCommand(),
 		command.NewMemberCommand(),
+		command.NewSnapshotCommand(),
 	)
 }