diff --git a/include/sway/ipc-json.h b/include/sway/ipc-json.h
index 5bfddcba9..9986c399f 100644
--- a/include/sway/ipc-json.h
+++ b/include/sway/ipc-json.h
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #ifndef _SWAY_IPC_JSON_H
 #define _SWAY_IPC_JSON_H
 #include <json-c/json.h>
+#include "sway/container.h"
 
 json_object *ipc_json_get_version();
 
+json_object *ipc_json_describe_container_recursive(swayc_t *c);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/sway/ipc-json.c b/sway/ipc-json.c
index 6fcb91fa4..2e774a964 100644
--- a/sway/ipc-json.c
+++ b/sway/ipc-json.c
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 #include <json-c/json.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
+#include "log.h"
 #include "sway/ipc-json.h"
+#include "sway/container.h"
+#include <wlr/types/wlr_box.h>
+#include <wlr/types/wlr_output.h>
 
 json_object *ipc_json_get_version() {
 	int major = 0, minor = 0, patch = 0;
@@ -16,3 +21,89 @@ json_object *ipc_json_get_version() {
 
 	return version;
 }
+
+static json_object *ipc_json_create_rect(swayc_t *c) {
+	json_object *rect = json_object_new_object();
+
+	json_object_object_add(rect, "x", json_object_new_int((int32_t)c->x));
+	json_object_object_add(rect, "y", json_object_new_int((int32_t)c->y));
+	json_object_object_add(rect, "width", json_object_new_int((int32_t)c->width));
+	json_object_object_add(rect, "height", json_object_new_int((int32_t)c->height));
+
+	return rect;
+}
+
+static void ipc_json_describe_root(swayc_t *root, json_object *object) {
+	json_object_object_add(object, "type", json_object_new_string("root"));
+	json_object_object_add(object, "layout", json_object_new_string("splith"));
+}
+
+static void ipc_json_describe_output(swayc_t *output, json_object *object) {
+	json_object_object_add(object, "type", json_object_new_string("output"));
+	json_object_object_add(object, "current_workspace",
+		(output->focused) ? json_object_new_string(output->focused->name) : NULL);
+}
+
+static void ipc_json_describe_workspace(swayc_t *workspace, json_object *object) {
+	int num = (isdigit(workspace->name[0])) ? atoi(workspace->name) : -1;
+
+	json_object_object_add(object, "num", json_object_new_int(num));
+	json_object_object_add(object, "output", (workspace->parent) ? json_object_new_string(workspace->parent->name) : NULL);
+	json_object_object_add(object, "type", json_object_new_string("workspace"));
+}
+
+static void ipc_json_describe_view(swayc_t *c, json_object *object) {
+	json_object_object_add(object, "name", (c->name) ? json_object_new_string(c->name) : NULL);
+}
+
+json_object *ipc_json_describe_container(swayc_t *c) {
+	if (!(sway_assert(c, "Container must not be null."))) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	json_object *object = json_object_new_object();
+
+	json_object_object_add(object, "id", json_object_new_int((int)c->id));
+	json_object_object_add(object, "name", (c->name) ? json_object_new_string(c->name) : NULL);
+	json_object_object_add(object, "rect", ipc_json_create_rect(c));
+
+	switch (c->type) {
+	case C_ROOT:
+		ipc_json_describe_root(c, object);
+		break;
+
+	case C_OUTPUT:
+		ipc_json_describe_output(c, object);
+		break;
+
+	case C_CONTAINER:
+	case C_VIEW:
+		ipc_json_describe_view(c, object);
+		break;
+
+	case C_WORKSPACE:
+		ipc_json_describe_workspace(c, object);
+		break;
+
+	case C_TYPES:
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+
+	return object;
+}
+
+json_object *ipc_json_describe_container_recursive(swayc_t *c) {
+	json_object *object = ipc_json_describe_container(c);
+	int i;
+
+	json_object *children = json_object_new_array();
+	if (c->type != C_VIEW && c->children) {
+		for (i = 0; i < c->children->length; ++i) {
+			json_object_array_add(children, ipc_json_describe_container_recursive(c->children->items[i]));
+		}
+	}
+	json_object_object_add(object, "nodes", children);
+
+	return object;
+}
diff --git a/sway/ipc-server.c b/sway/ipc-server.c
index f3a6469ba..71f8dddd6 100644
--- a/sway/ipc-server.c
+++ b/sway/ipc-server.c
@@ -343,6 +343,16 @@ void ipc_client_handle_command(struct ipc_client *client) {
 		goto exit_cleanup;
 	}
 
+	case IPC_GET_TREE:
+	{
+		json_object *tree =
+			ipc_json_describe_container_recursive(&root_container);
+		const char *json_string = json_object_to_json_string(tree);
+		ipc_send_reply(client, json_string, (uint32_t) strlen(json_string));
+		json_object_put(tree);
+		goto exit_cleanup;
+	}
+
 	case IPC_GET_VERSION:
 	{
 		json_object *version = ipc_json_get_version();