diff --git a/api/api.go b/api/api.go
index 083c47b54..1dff49e13 100644
--- a/api/api.go
+++ b/api/api.go
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ type FullNode interface {
 	ChainSubmitBlock(ctx context.Context, blk *types.BlockMsg) error // TODO: check serialization
 	ChainGetRandomness(context.Context, *types.TipSet, []*types.Ticket, int) ([]byte, error)
 	ChainGetBlock(context.Context, cid.Cid) (*types.BlockHeader, error)
+	ChainGetTipSet(context.Context, []cid.Cid) (*types.TipSet, error)
 	ChainGetBlockMessages(context.Context, cid.Cid) (*BlockMessages, error)
 	ChainGetParentReceipts(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]*types.MessageReceipt, error)
 	ChainGetParentMessages(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]Message, error)
diff --git a/api/struct.go b/api/struct.go
index bc83eea54..1a6068dc4 100644
--- a/api/struct.go
+++ b/api/struct.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ type FullNodeStruct struct {
 		ChainHead              func(context.Context) (*types.TipSet, error)                               `perm:"read"`
 		ChainGetRandomness     func(context.Context, *types.TipSet, []*types.Ticket, int) ([]byte, error) `perm:"read"`
 		ChainGetBlock          func(context.Context, cid.Cid) (*types.BlockHeader, error)                 `perm:"read"`
+		ChainGetTipSet         func(context.Context, []cid.Cid) (*types.TipSet, error)                    `perm:"read"`
 		ChainGetBlockMessages  func(context.Context, cid.Cid) (*BlockMessages, error)                     `perm:"read"`
 		ChainGetParentReceipts func(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]*types.MessageReceipt, error)            `perm:"read"`
 		ChainGetParentMessages func(context.Context, cid.Cid) ([]Message, error)                          `perm:"read"`
@@ -285,6 +286,10 @@ func (c *FullNodeStruct) ChainGetBlock(ctx context.Context, b cid.Cid) (*types.B
 	return c.Internal.ChainGetBlock(ctx, b)
 }
 
+func (c *FullNodeStruct) ChainGetTipSet(ctx context.Context, cids []cid.Cid) (*types.TipSet, error) {
+	return c.Internal.ChainGetTipSet(ctx, cids)
+}
+
 func (c *FullNodeStruct) ChainGetBlockMessages(ctx context.Context, b cid.Cid) (*BlockMessages, error) {
 	return c.Internal.ChainGetBlockMessages(ctx, b)
 }
diff --git a/cli/chain.go b/cli/chain.go
index 521350000..e16fadef7 100644
--- a/cli/chain.go
+++ b/cli/chain.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ var chainCmd = &cli.Command{
 		chainReadObjCmd,
 		chainGetMsgCmd,
 		chainSetHeadCmd,
+		chainListCmd,
 	},
 }
 
@@ -271,3 +272,46 @@ func parseTipSet(api api.FullNode, ctx context.Context, vals []string) (*types.T
 
 	return types.NewTipSet(headers)
 }
+
+var chainListCmd = &cli.Command{
+	Name:  "list",
+	Usage: "View a segment of the chain",
+	Action: func(cctx *cli.Context) error {
+		api, closer, err := GetFullNodeAPI(cctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer closer()
+		ctx := ReqContext(cctx)
+
+		head, err := api.ChainHead(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		tss := []*types.TipSet{head}
+		cur := head
+		for i := 1; i < 30; i++ {
+			if cur.Height() == 0 {
+				break
+			}
+
+			next, err := api.ChainGetTipSet(ctx, cur.Parents())
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			tss = append(tss, next)
+			cur = next
+		}
+
+		for i := len(tss) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+			fmt.Printf("%d [ ", tss[i].Height())
+			for _, b := range tss[i].Blocks() {
+				fmt.Printf("%s: %s,", b.Cid(), b.Miner)
+			}
+			fmt.Println("]")
+		}
+		return nil
+	},
+}
diff --git a/node/impl/full/chain.go b/node/impl/full/chain.go
index 91780af6a..748cb3ad6 100644
--- a/node/impl/full/chain.go
+++ b/node/impl/full/chain.go
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ func (a *ChainAPI) ChainGetBlock(ctx context.Context, msg cid.Cid) (*types.Block
 	return a.Chain.GetBlock(msg)
 }
 
+func (a *ChainAPI) ChainGetTipSet(ctx context.Context, cids []cid.Cid) (*types.TipSet, error) {
+	return a.Chain.LoadTipSet(cids)
+}
+
 func (a *ChainAPI) ChainGetBlockMessages(ctx context.Context, msg cid.Cid) (*api.BlockMessages, error) {
 	b, err := a.Chain.GetBlock(msg)
 	if err != nil {