diff --git a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/flags.rs b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/flags.rs
index c522060181..d68f7ab5b7 100644
--- a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/flags.rs
+++ b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/flags.rs
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ xflags::xflags! {
         cmd parse {
             /// Suppress printing.
             optional --no-dump
+            /// Output as JSON.
+            optional --json
         }
 
         /// Parse stdin and print the list of symbols.
@@ -233,6 +235,7 @@ pub struct LspServer {
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct Parse {
     pub no_dump: bool,
+    pub json: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -257,8 +260,8 @@ pub struct AnalysisStats {
     pub disable_build_scripts: bool,
     pub disable_proc_macros: bool,
     pub proc_macro_srv: Option<PathBuf>,
-    pub skip_lowering: bool,
     pub skip_lang_items: bool,
+    pub skip_lowering: bool,
     pub skip_inference: bool,
     pub skip_mir_stats: bool,
     pub skip_data_layout: bool,
diff --git a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/parse.rs b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/parse.rs
index 85ec95409a..aa1b659d8b 100644
--- a/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/parse.rs
+++ b/crates/rust-analyzer/src/cli/parse.rs
@@ -1,18 +1,101 @@
 //! Read Rust code on stdin, print syntax tree on stdout.
 use ide::Edition;
-use syntax::{AstNode, SourceFile};
+use ide_db::line_index::LineIndex;
+use serde::Serialize;
+use syntax::{AstNode, NodeOrToken, SourceFile, SyntaxNode, SyntaxToken};
 
 use crate::cli::{flags, read_stdin};
 
+#[derive(Serialize)]
+struct JsonNode {
+    kind: String,
+    #[serde(rename = "type")]
+    node_type: &'static str,
+    start: [u32; 3],
+    end: [u32; 3],
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    text: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    children: Option<Vec<JsonNode>>,
+}
+
+fn pos(line_index: &LineIndex, offset: syntax::TextSize) -> [u32; 3] {
+    let offset_u32 = u32::from(offset);
+    let line_col = line_index.line_col(offset);
+    [offset_u32, line_col.line, line_col.col]
+}
+
 impl flags::Parse {
     pub fn run(self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         let _p = tracing::info_span!("flags::Parse::run").entered();
         let text = read_stdin()?;
+        let line_index = LineIndex::new(&text);
         let file = SourceFile::parse(&text, Edition::CURRENT).tree();
+
         if !self.no_dump {
-            println!("{:#?}", file.syntax());
+            if self.json {
+                let json_tree = node_to_json(NodeOrToken::Node(file.syntax().clone()), &line_index);
+                println!("{}", serde_json::to_string(&json_tree)?);
+            } else {
+                println!("{:#?}", file.syntax());
+            }
         }
+
         std::mem::forget(file);
         Ok(())
     }
 }
+
+fn node_to_json(node: NodeOrToken<SyntaxNode, SyntaxToken>, line_index: &LineIndex) -> JsonNode {
+    let range = node.text_range();
+    let kind = format!("{:?}", node.kind());
+
+    match node {
+        NodeOrToken::Node(n) => {
+            let children: Vec<_> =
+                n.children_with_tokens().map(|it| node_to_json(it, line_index)).collect();
+            JsonNode {
+                kind,
+                node_type: "Node",
+                start: pos(line_index, range.start()),
+                end: pos(line_index, range.end()),
+                text: None,
+                children: Some(children),
+            }
+        }
+        NodeOrToken::Token(t) => JsonNode {
+            kind,
+            node_type: "Token",
+            start: pos(line_index, range.start()),
+            end: pos(line_index, range.end()),
+            text: Some(t.text().to_owned()),
+            children: None,
+        },
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::cli::flags;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_parse_json_output() {
+        let text = "fn main() {}".to_owned();
+        let flags = flags::Parse { json: true, no_dump: false };
+        let line_index = LineIndex::new(&text);
+
+        let file = SourceFile::parse(&text, Edition::CURRENT).tree();
+
+        let output = if flags.json {
+            let json_tree = node_to_json(NodeOrToken::Node(file.syntax().clone()), &line_index);
+            serde_json::to_string(&json_tree).unwrap()
+        } else {
+            format!("{:#?}", file.syntax())
+        };
+
+        assert!(output.contains(r#""kind":"SOURCE_FILE""#));
+        assert!(output.contains(r#""text":"main""#));
+        assert!(output.contains(r#""start":[0,0,0]"#));
+    }
+}