diff --git a/docs/quickstart.rst b/docs/quickstart.rst
index 9cf5f17..85d1fb9 100644
--- a/docs/quickstart.rst
+++ b/docs/quickstart.rst
@@ -101,6 +101,22 @@ machine (for instance for :doc:`syntax highlighting in text editors
  file.yml:57:1: [error] trailing spaces (trailing-spaces)
  file.yml:60:3: [error] wrong indentation: expected 4 but found 2 (indentation)
 
+Add the ``-f json`` arguments if you need an output formatted as JSON.
+The output will then look like:
+
+::
+
+ [
+    {
+      "path": "file.yml",
+      "line": 6,
+      "char": 2,
+      "description": "[warning] missing starting space in comment (comments)",
+      "severity": "warning"
+    }
+  ]
+
+
 If you have a custom linting configuration file (see :doc:`how to configure
 yamllint <configuration>`), it can be passed to yamllint using the ``-c``
 option:
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 9b7801d..c978e7b 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import shutil
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import unittest
+import json
 
 from tests.common import build_temp_workspace
 
@@ -608,3 +609,11 @@ class CommandLineTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
             '\n' % path)
         self.assertEqual(
             (ctx.returncode, ctx.stdout, ctx.stderr), (1, expected_out, ''))
+
+    def test_json_output(self):
+        path = os.path.join(self.wd, 'a.yaml')
+
+        with RunContext(self) as ctx:
+            cli.run(('-f', 'json', path))
+        print (ctx.stdout)
+        self.assertTrue(json.loads(ctx.stdout))
diff --git a/yamllint/cli.py b/yamllint/cli.py
index 311d66c..4217f84 100644
--- a/yamllint/cli.py
+++ b/yamllint/cli.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import locale
 import os
 import platform
 import sys
+import json
 
 from yamllint import APP_DESCRIPTION, APP_NAME, APP_VERSION
 from yamllint import linter
@@ -85,10 +86,20 @@ class Format(object):
             line += '  \033[2m(%s)\033[0m' % problem.rule
         return line
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def json(problem, filename):
+        return {
+            "path": filename,
+            "line": problem.line,
+            "char": problem.column,
+            "description": problem.message,
+            "severity": problem.level,
+        }
 
 def show_problems(problems, file, args_format, no_warn):
     max_level = 0
     first = True
+    problems_json = []
 
     for problem in problems:
         max_level = max(max_level, PROBLEM_LEVELS[problem.level])
@@ -96,6 +107,8 @@ def show_problems(problems, file, args_format, no_warn):
             continue
         if args_format == 'parsable':
             print(Format.parsable(problem, file))
+        elif args_format == 'json':
+            problems_json.append(Format.json(problem, file))
         elif args_format == 'colored' or \
                 (args_format == 'auto' and supports_color()):
             if first:
@@ -108,6 +121,9 @@ def show_problems(problems, file, args_format, no_warn):
                 first = False
             print(Format.standard(problem, file))
 
+    if args_format == 'json':
+        print(json.dumps(problems_json))
+
     if not first and args_format != 'parsable':
         print('')
 
@@ -131,7 +147,7 @@ def run(argv=None):
                               action='store',
                               help='custom configuration (as YAML source)')
     parser.add_argument('-f', '--format',
-                        choices=('parsable', 'standard', 'colored', 'auto'),
+                        choices=('parsable', 'standard', 'colored', 'json', 'auto'),
                         default='auto', help='format for parsing output')
     parser.add_argument('-s', '--strict',
                         action='store_true',