diff --git a/cmd/helm/status.go b/cmd/helm/status.go
index 9f2a1576c..8b33858a5 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/status.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/status.go
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ func newStatusCmd(cfg *action.Configuration, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			// strip chart metadata from the output
+			rel.Chart = nil
+
 			outfmt, err := action.ParseOutputFormat(client.OutputFormat)
 			// We treat an invalid format type as the default
 			if err != nil && err != action.ErrInvalidFormatType {
diff --git a/pkg/release/release.go b/pkg/release/release.go
index 9aeb66a32..80813dd7b 100644
--- a/pkg/release/release.go
+++ b/pkg/release/release.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type Release struct {
 	// Info provides information about a release
 	Info *Info `json:"info,omitempty"`
 	// Chart is the chart that was released.
-	Chart *chart.Chart `json:"-"`
+	Chart *chart.Chart `json:"chart,omitempty"`
 	// Config is the set of extra Values added to the chart.
 	// These values override the default values inside of the chart.
 	Config map[string]interface{} `json:"config,omitempty"`