diff --git a/cmd/helm/install.go b/cmd/helm/install.go
index 988e7f0a1..59d424f03 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/install.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/install.go
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ type installCmd struct {
 	wait         bool
 	repoURL      string
 	devel        bool
+	annotations  []string
 
 	certFile string
 	keyFile  string
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ func newInstallCmd(c helm.Interface, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 	f.StringVar(&inst.keyFile, "key-file", "", "identify HTTPS client using this SSL key file")
 	f.StringVar(&inst.caFile, "ca-file", "", "verify certificates of HTTPS-enabled servers using this CA bundle")
 	f.BoolVar(&inst.devel, "devel", false, "use development versions, too. Equivalent to version '>0.0.0-a'. If --version is set, this is ignored.")
+	f.StringArrayVar(&inst.annotations, "annotations", []string{}, "set release annotations (can specify multiple or separate values with commas: key1=val1,key2=val2)")
 
 	return cmd
 }
@@ -209,6 +211,11 @@ func (i *installCmd) run() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	annotations, err := parseAnnotations(i.annotations)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// If template is specified, try to run the template.
 	if i.nameTemplate != "" {
 		i.name, err = generateName(i.nameTemplate)
@@ -245,7 +252,8 @@ func (i *installCmd) run() error {
 		helm.InstallReuseName(i.replace),
 		helm.InstallDisableHooks(i.disableHooks),
 		helm.InstallTimeout(i.timeout),
-		helm.InstallWait(i.wait))
+		helm.InstallWait(i.wait),
+		helm.InstallAnnotations(annotations))
 	if err != nil {
 		return prettyError(err)
 	}
@@ -462,3 +470,17 @@ func checkDependencies(ch *chart.Chart, reqs *chartutil.Requirements) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func parseAnnotations(input []string) (map[string]string, error) {
+	annotations := map[string]string{}
+	for _, a := range input {
+		for _, s := range strings.Split(a, ",") {
+			v := strings.Split(s, "=")
+			if len(v) < 2 || len(v[0]) == 0 {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid annotations format: '%s', should be <key>=[value]", s)
+			}
+			annotations[v[0]] = v[1]
+		}
+	}
+	return annotations, nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/helm/printer.go b/cmd/helm/printer.go
index ebb24bf7d..b07560ec0 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/printer.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/printer.go
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ HOOKS:
 {{- end }}
 MANIFEST:
 {{.Release.Manifest}}
+ANNOTATIONS:
+{{- range $k, $v := .Release.Annotations }}
+{{$k}}={{$v}}
+{{- end }}
 `
 
 func printRelease(out io.Writer, rel *release.Release) error {
diff --git a/cmd/helm/upgrade.go b/cmd/helm/upgrade.go
index 989d73cdd..5ae45a867 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/upgrade.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/upgrade.go
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ type upgradeCmd struct {
 	wait         bool
 	repoURL      string
 	devel        bool
+	annotations  []string
 
 	certFile string
 	keyFile  string
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@ func newUpgradeCmd(client helm.Interface, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 	f.StringVar(&upgrade.keyFile, "key-file", "", "identify HTTPS client using this SSL key file")
 	f.StringVar(&upgrade.caFile, "ca-file", "", "verify certificates of HTTPS-enabled servers using this CA bundle")
 	f.BoolVar(&upgrade.devel, "devel", false, "use development versions, too. Equivalent to version '>0.0.0-a'. If --version is set, this is ignored.")
+	f.StringArrayVar(&upgrade.annotations, "annotations", []string{}, "set release annotations (can specify multiple or separate values with commas: key1=val1,key2=val2)")
 
 	f.MarkDeprecated("disable-hooks", "use --no-hooks instead")
 
@@ -168,6 +170,7 @@ func (u *upgradeCmd) run() error {
 				namespace:    u.namespace,
 				timeout:      u.timeout,
 				wait:         u.wait,
+				annotations:  u.annotations,
 			}
 			return ic.run()
 		}
@@ -178,6 +181,11 @@ func (u *upgradeCmd) run() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	annotations, err := parseAnnotations(u.annotations)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// Check chart requirements to make sure all dependencies are present in /charts
 	if ch, err := chartutil.Load(chartPath); err == nil {
 		if req, err := chartutil.LoadRequirements(ch); err == nil {
@@ -202,7 +210,8 @@ func (u *upgradeCmd) run() error {
 		helm.UpgradeTimeout(u.timeout),
 		helm.ResetValues(u.resetValues),
 		helm.ReuseValues(u.reuseValues),
-		helm.UpgradeWait(u.wait))
+		helm.UpgradeWait(u.wait),
+		helm.UpgradeAnnotations(annotations))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("UPGRADE FAILED: %v", prettyError(err))
 	}