diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 57c532de..77d42c2f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ## 4.6.0 (unreleased)
-- [PR #591](https://github.com/rqlite/rqlite/pull/591): Store layer supports generating SQL format backups
-- [PR #590](https://github.com/rqlite/rqlite/pull/590): DB layer supports generating SQL format backups
+- [PR #592](https://github.com/rqlite/rqlite/pull/592): Add .dump to CLI.
+- [PR #591](https://github.com/rqlite/rqlite/pull/591): Store layer supports generating SQL format backups.
+- [PR #590](https://github.com/rqlite/rqlite/pull/590): DB layer supports generating SQL format backups.
 - [PR #589](https://github.com/rqlite/rqlite/pull/589): Add restore command to CLI. Thanks @eariassoto.
 - [PR #588](https://github.com/rqlite/rqlite/pull/588): Abort transaction if load operation fails.
 - [PR #587](https://github.com/rqlite/rqlite/pull/587): Add expvar stats to store.
diff --git a/cmd/rqlite/backup.go b/cmd/rqlite/backup.go
index 690d6703..84ba90cf 100644
--- a/cmd/rqlite/backup.go
+++ b/cmd/rqlite/backup.go
@@ -62,6 +62,29 @@ func backup(ctx *cli.Context, filename string, argv *argT) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func dump(ctx *cli.Context, filename string, argv *argT) error {
+	queryStr := url.Values{}
+	queryStr.Set("fmt", "sql")
+	u := url.URL{
+		Scheme:   argv.Protocol,
+		Host:     fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", argv.Host, argv.Port),
+		Path:     fmt.Sprintf("%sdb/backup", argv.Prefix),
+		RawQuery: queryStr.Encode(),
+	}
+	response, err := sendRequest(ctx, makeBackupRequest, u.String(), argv)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	err = ioutil.WriteFile(filename, *response, 0644)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	ctx.String("SQL text file written successfully\n")
+	return nil
+}
+
 func makeRestoreRequest(restoreFile io.Reader) func(string) (*http.Request, error) {
 	return func(urlStr string) (*http.Request, error) {
 		req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", urlStr, restoreFile)
diff --git a/cmd/rqlite/main.go b/cmd/rqlite/main.go
index 3ad294ca..c407fb72 100644
--- a/cmd/rqlite/main.go
+++ b/cmd/rqlite/main.go
@@ -33,9 +33,10 @@ const cliHelp = `.help				Show this message
 .status				Show status and diagnostic information for connected node
 .expvar				Show expvar (Go runtime) information for connected node
 .tables				List names of tables
-.timer on|off	    		Turn SQL timer on or off
-.backup <file>			Write database backup to file
+.timer on|off	    		Turn query timer on or off
+.dump <file>                    Dump the database in SQL text format to a file
 .restore <file>			Restore the database from a SQLite dump file
+.backup <file>			Write database backup to SQLite file
 `
 
 func main() {
@@ -102,6 +103,12 @@ func main() {
 					break
 				}
 				err = restore(ctx, line[index+1:], argv)
+			case ".DUMP":
+				if index == -1 || index == len(line)-1 {
+					err = fmt.Errorf("Please specify an output file for the SQL text")
+					break
+				}
+				err = dump(ctx, line[index+1:], argv)
 			case ".HELP":
 				err = help(ctx, cmd, line, argv)
 			case ".QUIT", "QUIT", "EXIT":