diff --git a/cli/command_manifest_show.go b/cli/command_manifest_show.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..db76cd1b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/command_manifest_show.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"gopkg.in/alecthomas/kingpin.v2"
+)
+
+var (
+	manifestShowCommand = manifestCommands.Command("show", "Show manifest items").Hidden()
+	manifestShowItems   = manifestShowCommand.Arg("item", "List of items").Required().Strings()
+)
+
+func init() {
+	manifestShowCommand.Action(showManifestItems)
+}
+
+func showManifestItems(context *kingpin.ParseContext) error {
+	rep := mustOpenRepository(nil)
+
+	for _, it := range *manifestShowItems {
+		md, err := rep.Manifests.GetMetadata(it)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error getting metadata for %q: %v", it, err)
+		}
+
+		b, err := rep.Manifests.GetRaw(it)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error showing %q: %v", it, err)
+		}
+
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "// id: %v\n", it)
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "// length: %v\n", md.Length)
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "// modified: %v\n", md.ModTime.Format(timeFormat))
+		for k, v := range md.Labels {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "// label %v:%v\n", k, v)
+		}
+		showContentWithFlags(bytes.NewReader(b), false, true)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/manifest/manifest_manager.go b/manifest/manifest_manager.go
index 9da1867b5..3072d88c8 100644
--- a/manifest/manifest_manager.go
+++ b/manifest/manifest_manager.go
@@ -78,19 +78,28 @@ func (m *Manager) GetMetadata(id string) (*EntryMetadata, error) {
 }
 
 func (m *Manager) Get(id string, data interface{}) error {
+	b, err := m.GetRaw(id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(b, data); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to unmashal %q: %v", id, err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m *Manager) GetRaw(id string) ([]byte, error) {
 	m.mu.Lock()
 	defer m.mu.Unlock()
 
 	e := m.entries[id]
 	if e == nil {
-		return ErrNotFound
+		return nil, ErrNotFound
 	}
 
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(e.Content, data); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to unmashal %q: %v", id, err)
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	return e.Content, nil
 }
 
 func (m *Manager) Find(labels map[string]string) []*EntryMetadata {