diff --git a/cmd/helm/status.go b/cmd/helm/status.go
index e5e9aa44c..12cfcd59e 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/status.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/status.go
@@ -17,11 +17,13 @@ limitations under the License.
 package main
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"regexp"
 	"text/tabwriter"
 
+	"github.com/ghodss/yaml"
 	"github.com/gosuri/uitable"
 	"github.com/gosuri/uitable/util/strutil"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ type statusCmd struct {
 	out     io.Writer
 	client  helm.Interface
 	version int32
+	outfmt  string
 }
 
 func newStatusCmd(client helm.Interface, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
@@ -74,6 +77,7 @@ func newStatusCmd(client helm.Interface, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().Int32Var(&status.version, "revision", 0, "if set, display the status of the named release with revision")
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&status.outfmt, "output", "o", "", "output the status in the specified format (json or yaml)")
 
 	return cmd
 }
@@ -84,8 +88,27 @@ func (s *statusCmd) run() error {
 		return prettyError(err)
 	}
 
-	PrintStatus(s.out, res)
-	return nil
+	switch s.outfmt {
+	case "":
+		PrintStatus(s.out, res)
+		return nil
+	case "json":
+		data, err := json.Marshal(res)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to Marshal JSON output: %s", err)
+		}
+		s.out.Write(data)
+		return nil
+	case "yaml":
+		data, err := yaml.Marshal(res)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to Marshal YAML output: %s", err)
+		}
+		s.out.Write(data)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Errorf("Unknown output format %q", s.outfmt)
 }
 
 // PrintStatus prints out the status of a release. Shared because also used by
diff --git a/cmd/helm/status_test.go b/cmd/helm/status_test.go
index a1aaea5a3..9de50b217 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/status_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/status_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,16 @@ func TestStatusCmd(t *testing.T) {
 				Notes: "release notes",
 			}),
 		},
+		{
+			name:     "get status of a deployed release with notes in json",
+			args:     []string{"flummoxed-chickadee"},
+			flags:    []string{"-o", "json"},
+			expected: `{"name":"flummoxed-chickadee","info":{"status":{"code":1,"notes":"release notes"},"first_deployed":{"seconds":242085845},"last_deployed":{"seconds":242085845}}}`,
+			rel: releaseMockWithStatus(&release.Status{
+				Code:  release.Status_DEPLOYED,
+				Notes: "release notes",
+			}),
+		},
 		{
 			name:     "get status of a deployed release with resources",
 			args:     []string{"flummoxed-chickadee"},
@@ -74,6 +84,16 @@ func TestStatusCmd(t *testing.T) {
 				Resources: "resource A\nresource B\n",
 			}),
 		},
+		{
+			name:     "get status of a deployed release with resources in YAML",
+			args:     []string{"flummoxed-chickadee"},
+			flags:    []string{"-o", "yaml"},
+			expected: "info:\nfirst_deployed:\nseconds:242085845\nlast_deployed:\nseconds:242085845\nstatus:\ncode:1\nresources:|\nresourceA\nresourceB\nname:flummoxed-chickadee\n",
+			rel: releaseMockWithStatus(&release.Status{
+				Code:      release.Status_DEPLOYED,
+				Resources: "resource A\nresource B\n",
+			}),
+		},
 		{
 			name: "get status of a deployed release with test suite",
 			args: []string{"flummoxed-chickadee"},
diff --git a/docs/helm/helm_status.md b/docs/helm/helm_status.md
index 2331558c0..52881896c 100644
--- a/docs/helm/helm_status.md
+++ b/docs/helm/helm_status.md
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ helm status [flags] RELEASE_NAME
 ### Options
 
 ```
+  -o, --output string        output the status in the specified format (json or yaml)
       --revision int32       if set, display the status of the named release with revision
       --tls                  enable TLS for request
       --tls-ca-cert string   path to TLS CA certificate file (default "$HELM_HOME/ca.pem")
@@ -45,4 +46,4 @@ helm status [flags] RELEASE_NAME
 ### SEE ALSO
 * [helm](helm.md)	 - The Helm package manager for Kubernetes.
 
-###### Auto generated by spf13/cobra on 7-Nov-2017
+###### Auto generated by spf13/cobra on 12-Dec-2017