diff --git a/cmd/helm/get_values.go b/cmd/helm/get_values.go
index 592f6fe61..ce7fe59c5 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/get_values.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/get_values.go
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ limitations under the License.
 package main
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/ghodss/yaml"
 	"io"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@ This command downloads a values file for a given release.
 type getValuesCmd struct {
 	release   string
 	allValues bool
+	outfmt    string
 	out       io.Writer
 	client    helm.Interface
 	version   int32
@@ -60,16 +63,37 @@ func newGetValuesCmd(client helm.Interface, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 
 	cmd.Flags().Int32Var(&get.version, "revision", 0, "get the named release with revision")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&get.allValues, "all", "a", false, "dump all (computed) values")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&get.outfmt, "output", "o", "yaml", "output the status in the specified format (json or yaml)")
 	return cmd
 }
 
+func (g *getValuesCmd) printValues(vals string) error {
+	switch g.outfmt {
+	case "json":
+		out := map[string]interface{}{}
+		err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(vals), &out)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		json, err := json.MarshalIndent(out, "", "    ")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintln(g.out, string(json))
+
+	default:
+		fmt.Fprintln(g.out, vals)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // getValues implements 'helm get values'
 func (g *getValuesCmd) run() error {
 	res, err := g.client.ReleaseContent(g.release, helm.ContentReleaseVersion(g.version))
 	if err != nil {
 		return prettyError(err)
 	}
-
+	cfg := res.Release.Config.Raw
 	// If the user wants all values, compute the values and return.
 	if g.allValues {
 		cfg, err := chartutil.CoalesceValues(res.Release.Chart, res.Release.Config)
@@ -80,10 +104,9 @@ func (g *getValuesCmd) run() error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		fmt.Fprintln(g.out, cfgStr)
+		g.printValues(cfgStr)
 		return nil
 	}
-
-	fmt.Fprintln(g.out, res.Release.Config.Raw)
+	g.printValues(cfg)
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/helm/get_values_test.go b/cmd/helm/get_values_test.go
index 30b2ba4b8..3472b7d85 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/get_values_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/get_values_test.go
@@ -45,3 +45,24 @@ func TestGetValuesCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	runReleaseCases(t, tests, cmd)
 }
+
+func TestGetValuesCmdJson(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []releaseCase{
+		{
+			name:     "get values with a release in JSON",
+			resp:     helm.ReleaseMock(&helm.MockReleaseOptions{Name: "thomas-guide"}),
+			flags:    []string{"--output", "json"},
+			args:     []string{"thomas-guide"},
+			expected: "{\n    \"name\": \"value\"\n}\n",
+			rels:     []*release.Release{helm.ReleaseMock(&helm.MockReleaseOptions{Name: "thomas-guide"})},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "get values requires release name arg",
+			err:  true,
+		},
+	}
+	cmd := func(c *helm.FakeClient, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
+		return newGetValuesCmd(c, out)
+	}
+	runReleaseCases(t, tests, cmd)
+}
diff --git a/docs/helm/helm_get_values.md b/docs/helm/helm_get_values.md
index 1e57a2303..b1e88e56d 100644
--- a/docs/helm/helm_get_values.md
+++ b/docs/helm/helm_get_values.md
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ helm get values [flags] RELEASE_NAME
 
 ```
   -a, --all                  dump all (computed) values
+  -o, --output string        output the status in the specified format (json or yaml) (default "yaml")
       --revision int32       get 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")