diff --git a/Makefile-hacktree.am b/Makefile-hacktree.am
index b62081b5..d3e757d9 100644
--- a/Makefile-hacktree.am
+++ b/Makefile-hacktree.am
@@ -47,9 +47,10 @@ bin_PROGRAMS += hacktree
 hacktree_SOURCES = src/main.c \
 	src/ht-builtins.h \
 	src/ht-builtin-commit.c \
+	src/ht-builtin-fsck.c \
 	src/ht-builtin-init.c \
 	src/ht-builtin-link-file.c \
-	src/ht-builtin-fsck.c \
+	src/ht-builtin-show.c \
 	$(NULL)
 hacktree_CFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/src -I$(srcdir)/src/libhacktree -I$(srcdir)/src/libhtutil -DLOCALEDIR=\"$(datadir)/locale\" $(GIO_UNIX_CFLAGS)
 hacktree_LDADD = libhtutil.la libhacktree.la $(GIO_UNIX_LIBS)
diff --git a/src/ht-builtin-show.c b/src/ht-builtin-show.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b9f30f24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ht-builtin-show.c
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+/* -*- mode: C; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode: nil; -*-
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 Colin Walters <walters@verbum.org>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
+ *
+ * Author: Colin Walters <walters@verbum.org>
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include "ht-builtins.h"
+#include "hacktree.h"
+
+#include <glib/gi18n.h>
+
+static char *repo_path;
+
+static GOptionEntry options[] = {
+  { "repo", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_FILENAME, &repo_path, "Repository path", "repo" },
+  { NULL }
+};
+
+gboolean
+hacktree_builtin_show (int argc, char **argv, const char *prefix, GError **error)
+{
+  GOptionContext *context;
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
+  HacktreeRepo *repo = NULL;
+  int i;
+  const char *target;
+  HacktreeSerializedVariantType type;
+  GVariant *variant = NULL;
+  char *formatted_variant = NULL;
+
+  context = g_option_context_new ("- Output a metadata object");
+  g_option_context_add_main_entries (context, options, NULL);
+
+  if (!g_option_context_parse (context, &argc, &argv, error))
+    goto out;
+
+  if (repo_path == NULL)
+    repo_path = ".";
+
+  repo = hacktree_repo_new (repo_path);
+  if (!hacktree_repo_check (repo, error))
+    goto out;
+
+  if (argc < 2)
+    {
+      target = hacktree_repo_get_head (repo);
+      if (!target)
+        {
+          g_set_error_literal (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED,
+                               "No arguments specified and no HEAD exists");
+          goto out;
+        }
+    }
+  else
+    target = argv[1];
+
+  if (!hacktree_repo_load_variant (repo, target, &type, &variant, error))
+    goto out;
+
+  g_print ("Object: %s\nType: %d\n", target, type);
+  formatted_variant = g_variant_print (variant, TRUE);
+  g_print ("%s\n", formatted_variant);
+ 
+  ret = TRUE;
+ out:
+  if (context)
+    g_option_context_free (context);
+  g_clear_object (&repo);
+  if (variant)
+    g_variant_unref (variant);
+  g_free (formatted_variant);
+  return ret;
+}
diff --git a/src/ht-builtins.h b/src/ht-builtins.h
index e9c8c6e8..da5a2866 100644
--- a/src/ht-builtins.h
+++ b/src/ht-builtins.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ gboolean hacktree_builtin_commit (int argc, char **argv, const char *prefix, GEr
 gboolean hacktree_builtin_init (int argc, char **argv, const char *prefix, GError **error);
 gboolean hacktree_builtin_link_file (int argc, char **argv, const char *prefix, GError **error);
 gboolean hacktree_builtin_fsck (int argc, char **argv, const char *prefix, GError **error);
+gboolean hacktree_builtin_show (int argc, char **argv, const char *prefix, GError **error);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 6428a1b0..c3cafb87 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ static HacktreeBuiltin builtins[] = {
   { "commit", hacktree_builtin_commit, 0 },
   { "link-file", hacktree_builtin_link_file, 0 },
   { "fsck", hacktree_builtin_fsck, 0 },
+  { "show", hacktree_builtin_show, 0 },
   { NULL }
 };