diff --git a/cli/command_server.go b/cli/command_server.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..315d87634
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/command_server.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net/http"
+
+	"github.com/kopia/kopia/internal/server"
+	"github.com/kopia/kopia/repo"
+	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
+)
+
+var (
+	serverCommand              = app.Command("server", "Start Kopia server")
+	serverCommandListenAddress = serverCommand.Flag("--listen", "Listen address").Default("127.0.0.1:51515").String()
+)
+
+func init() {
+	serverCommand.Action(repositoryAction(runServer))
+}
+
+func runServer(ctx context.Context, rep *repo.Repository) error {
+	srv := server.New(rep)
+	url := "http://" + *serverCommandListenAddress
+	log.Info().Msgf("starting server on %v", url)
+	http.Handle("/api/", srv.APIHandlers())
+	return http.ListenAndServe(*serverCommandListenAddress, nil)
+}
diff --git a/internal/server/api_error.go b/internal/server/api_error.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7817ba4d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/server/api_error.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+type apiError struct {
+	code    int
+	message string
+}
+
+func malformedRequestError() *apiError {
+	return &apiError{400, "malformed request"}
+}
+
+func internalServerError(err error) *apiError {
+	return &apiError{500, fmt.Sprintf("internal server error: %v", err)}
+}
diff --git a/internal/server/api_snapshot_list.go b/internal/server/api_snapshot_list.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bd331e13d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/server/api_snapshot_list.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/kopia/kopia/fs"
+	"github.com/kopia/kopia/snapshot"
+)
+
+type snapshotListEntry struct {
+	ID               string               `json:"id"`
+	Source           snapshot.SourceInfo  `json:"source"`
+	Description      string               `json:"description"`
+	StartTime        time.Time            `json:"startTime"`
+	EndTime          time.Time            `json:"endTime"`
+	IncompleteReason string               `json:"incomplete,omitempty"`
+	Summary          *fs.DirectorySummary `json:"summary"`
+	RootEntry        string               `json:"rootID"`
+	RetentionReasons []string             `json:"retention"`
+}
+
+type snapshotListResponse struct {
+	Snapshots []*snapshotListEntry `json:"snapshots"`
+}
+
+func (s *Server) handleSourceSnapshotList(r *http.Request) (interface{}, *apiError) {
+	mgr := snapshot.NewManager(s.rep)
+	pmgr := snapshot.NewPolicyManager(s.rep)
+
+	manifestIDs := mgr.ListSnapshotManifests(nil)
+	manifests, err := mgr.LoadSnapshots(manifestIDs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, internalServerError(err)
+	}
+
+	resp := &snapshotListResponse{}
+
+	groups := snapshot.GroupBySource(manifests)
+
+	for _, grp := range groups {
+		pol, err := pmgr.GetEffectivePolicy(grp[0].Source)
+		if err == nil {
+			pol.RetentionPolicy.ComputeRetentionReasons(grp)
+		}
+		for _, m := range grp {
+			resp.Snapshots = append(resp.Snapshots, convertSnapshotManifest(m))
+		}
+	}
+
+	return resp, nil
+}
+
+func convertSnapshotManifest(m *snapshot.Manifest) *snapshotListEntry {
+	return &snapshotListEntry{
+		ID:               m.ID,
+		Source:           m.Source,
+		Description:      m.Description,
+		StartTime:        m.StartTime,
+		EndTime:          m.EndTime,
+		IncompleteReason: m.IncompleteReason,
+		RootEntry:        m.RootObjectID().String(),
+		Summary:          m.RootEntry.DirSummary,
+		RetentionReasons: m.RetentionReasons,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/server/api_sources_list.go b/internal/server/api_sources_list.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..99399efcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/server/api_sources_list.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"sort"
+
+	"github.com/kopia/kopia/snapshot"
+)
+
+type sourcesListResponse struct {
+	Sources []snapshot.SourceInfo `json:"sources"`
+}
+
+func (s *Server) handleSourcesList(r *http.Request) (interface{}, *apiError) {
+	mgr := snapshot.NewManager(s.rep)
+
+	resp := &sourcesListResponse{
+		Sources: mgr.ListSources(),
+	}
+
+	sort.Slice(resp.Sources, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return resp.Sources[i].String() < resp.Sources[j].String()
+	})
+
+	return resp, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/server/api_status.go b/internal/server/api_status.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f7605334
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/server/api_status.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+
+	"github.com/kopia/kopia/block"
+)
+
+type statusResponse struct {
+	ConfigFile      string                  `json:"configFile"`
+	CacheDir        string                  `json:"cacheDir"`
+	BlockFormatting block.FormattingOptions `json:"blockFormatting"`
+	Storage         string                  `json:"storage"`
+}
+
+func (s *Server) handleStatus(r *http.Request) (interface{}, *apiError) {
+	bf := s.rep.Blocks.Format
+	bf.HMACSecret = nil
+	bf.MasterKey = nil
+
+	return &statusResponse{
+		ConfigFile:      s.rep.ConfigFile,
+		CacheDir:        s.rep.CacheDirectory,
+		BlockFormatting: bf,
+		Storage:         s.rep.Storage.ConnectionInfo().Type,
+	}, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/server/server.go b/internal/server/server.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..942ec0e68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/server/server.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/kopia/kopia/repo"
+
+	"github.com/bmizerany/pat"
+)
+
+type Server struct {
+	mu sync.RWMutex
+
+	rep *repo.Repository
+}
+
+func (s *Server) APIHandlers() http.Handler {
+	p := pat.New()
+	p.Get("/api/v1/status", s.handleAPI(s.handleStatus))
+	p.Get("/api/v1/sources", s.handleAPI(s.handleSourcesList))
+	p.Get("/api/v1/snapshots", s.handleAPI(s.handleSourceSnapshotList))
+	return p
+}
+
+func (s *Server) handleAPI(f func(r *http.Request) (interface{}, *apiError)) http.Handler {
+	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		v, err := f(r)
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		e := json.NewEncoder(w)
+		e.SetIndent("", "  ")
+		if err == nil {
+			e.Encode(v)
+			return
+		}
+
+		http.Error(w, err.message, err.code)
+	})
+}
+
+func New(rep *repo.Repository) *Server {
+	return &Server{rep: rep}
+}
diff --git a/snapshot/retention_policy.go b/snapshot/retention_policy.go
index 08444ca5b..5876c0255 100644
--- a/snapshot/retention_policy.go
+++ b/snapshot/retention_policy.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func (r *RetentionPolicy) getRetentionReasons(i int, s *Manifest, cutoff cutoffT
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	var keepReasons []string
+	keepReasons := []string{}
 	var zeroTime time.Time
 
 	yyyy, wk := s.StartTime.ISOWeek()