diff --git a/src/tools/balooctl/main.cpp b/src/tools/balooctl/main.cpp
--- a/src/tools/balooctl/main.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/balooctl/main.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,16 @@
     parser.addPositionalArgument(QStringLiteral("config"), i18n("Modify the Baloo configuration"));
     parser.addPositionalArgument(QStringLiteral("monitor"), i18n("Monitor the file indexer"));
     parser.addPositionalArgument(QStringLiteral("indexSize"), i18n("Display the disk space used by index"));
+    parser.addOption(QCommandLineOption(QStringList() << QStringLiteral("f") << QStringLiteral("format"), 
+        i18n("Output format <%1|%2|%3>.\nOnly applies to \"%4\"", 
+             QStringLiteral("json"), 
+             QStringLiteral("simple"), 
+             QStringLiteral("multiline (default)"),
+             QStringLiteral("balooctl status <file>")
+            )
+        , i18n("format")
+        
+        , QStringLiteral("multiline")));
     parser.addVersionOption();
     parser.addHelpOption();
 
diff --git a/src/tools/balooctl/statuscommand.cpp b/src/tools/balooctl/statuscommand.cpp
--- a/src/tools/balooctl/statuscommand.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/balooctl/statuscommand.cpp
@@ -45,11 +45,152 @@
     return i18n("Print the status of the Indexer");
 }
 
+void printMultiLine(Transaction& tr, IndexerConfig&  cfg, const QStringList& args) {
+    QTextStream out(stdout);
+    QTextStream err(stderr);
+    for (const QString& arg : args) {
+      QString filePath = QFileInfo(arg).absoluteFilePath();
+      quint64 id = filePathToId(QFile::encodeName(filePath));
+      if (id == 0) {
+        err << i18n("Ignoring non-existent file %1", filePath) << endl;
+        continue;
+      }
+
+
+      out << i18n("File: %1", filePath) << endl;
+      if (tr.hasDocument(id)) {
+          out << i18n("Basic Indexing: Done") << endl;
+      } else if (cfg.shouldBeIndexed(filePath)) {
+          out << i18n("Basic Indexing: Scheduled") << endl;
+          continue;
+      } else {
+          // FIXME: Add why it is not being indexed!
+          out << i18n("Basic Indexing: Disabled") << endl;
+          continue;
+      }
+
+      if (QFileInfo(arg).isDir()) {
+          continue;
+      }
+
+      if (tr.inPhaseOne(id)) {
+          out << i18n("Content Indexing: Scheduled") << endl;
+      } else if (tr.hasFailed(id)) {
+          out << i18n("Content Indexing: Failed") << endl;
+      } else {
+          out << i18n("Content Indexing: Done") << endl;
+      }
+  }
+}
+
+void printSimpleFormat(Transaction& tr, IndexerConfig&  cfg, const QStringList& args) {
+    QTextStream out(stdout);
+    QTextStream err(stderr);
+    for (const QString& arg : args) {
+      QString filePath = QFileInfo(arg).absoluteFilePath();
+      quint64 id = filePathToId(QFile::encodeName(filePath));
+      if (id == 0) {
+        err << i18n("Ignoring non-existent file %1", filePath) << endl;
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      if (QFileInfo(arg).isDir()) {
+        if (tr.hasDocument(id)) {
+            out << QLatin1String("Basic indexing done");
+        } else if (cfg.shouldBeIndexed(filePath)) {
+            out << QLatin1String("Basic indexing scheduled");
+
+        } else {
+            out << QLatin1String("Indexing disabled");
+        }
+          
+      } else if (tr.hasDocument(id)) {
+        if (tr.inPhaseOne(id)) {
+            out << QLatin1String("Content indexing scheduled");
+        } else if (tr.hasFailed(id)) {
+            out << QLatin1String("Content indexing failed");
+        } else {
+            out << QLatin1String("Content indexing done");
+        }
+
+      } else if (cfg.shouldBeIndexed(filePath)) {
+          out << QLatin1String("Basic indexing scheduled");
+      } else {
+          out << QLatin1String("Indexing disabled");
+      }
+
+      out << ":" << filePath << endl;
+  }
+}
+
+void printJSON(Transaction& tr, IndexerConfig&  cfg, const QStringList& args) {
+    QTextStream out(stdout);
+    QTextStream err(stderr);
+    QString separator;
+    const QString comma = QStringLiteral(",");
+    const QString objectIn = QStringLiteral("{");
+    const QString objectOut = QStringLiteral("}");
+    
+    auto printItem = [&](const QString& name, const QString& value) {
+      const QString q = QStringLiteral("\"");
+      out << q << name << q << QStringLiteral(":") << q << value << q;
+    };
+    
+    out << QStringLiteral("[") << endl;
+    for (const QString& arg : args) {
+      QString filePath = QFileInfo(arg).absoluteFilePath();
+      quint64 id = filePathToId(QFile::encodeName(filePath));
+      if (id == 0) {
+          err << i18n("Ignoring non-existent file %1", filePath) << endl;
+          continue;
+      }
+
+      out << separator << objectIn << endl;
+      printItem(QStringLiteral("file"), filePath.replace(QLatin1String("\""), QLatin1String("\\\"")));
+      out << comma << endl;
+
+      if (!tr.hasDocument(id)) {
+          printItem("indexing", "basic");
+          out << comma << endl;
+          if (cfg.shouldBeIndexed(filePath)) {
+              printItem("status", "scheduled");
+          } else {
+              printItem("status", "disabled");
+          }
+      } else if (QFileInfo(arg).isDir()) {
+          printItem("indexing", "basic");
+          out << comma << endl;
+          printItem("status", "done");
+      } else {
+          printItem("indexing", "content");
+          out << comma << endl;
+          if (tr.inPhaseOne(id)) {
+              printItem("status", "scheduled");
+          } else if (tr.hasFailed(id)) {
+              printItem("status", "failed");
+          } else {
+              printItem("status", "done");
+          }
+      }
+      out << endl << objectOut;
+      separator = comma;
+  }
+  out << endl << "]" << endl;
+}
+
 int StatusCommand::exec(const QCommandLineParser& parser)
 {
     QTextStream out(stdout);
     QTextStream err(stderr);
 
+    const QStringList allowedFormats({"simple", "json", "multiline"});
+    const QString format = parser.value(QStringLiteral("format"));
+    
+    if (!allowedFormats.contains(format)) {
+        err << i18n("Output format \"%1\" is invalid", format) << endl;
+        return 1;
+    }
+    
     IndexerConfig cfg;
     if (!cfg.fileIndexingEnabled()) {
         err << i18n("Baloo is currently disabled. To enable, please run %1", QStringLiteral("balooctl enable")) << endl;
@@ -101,35 +242,12 @@
         } else {
             out << i18n("Index does not exist yet") << endl;
         }
+    } else if (format == allowedFormats[0]){
+        printSimpleFormat(tr, cfg, args);
+    } else if (format == allowedFormats[1]){
+        printJSON(tr, cfg, args);
     } else {
-        for (const QString& arg : args) {
-            QString filePath = QFileInfo(arg).absoluteFilePath();
-            quint64 id = filePathToId(QFile::encodeName(filePath));
-
-            out << i18n("File: %1", filePath) << endl;
-            if (tr.hasDocument(id)) {
-                out << i18n("Basic Indexing: Done") << endl;
-            } else if (cfg.shouldBeIndexed(filePath)) {
-                out << i18n("Basic Indexing: Scheduled") << endl;
-                continue;
-            } else {
-                // FIXME: Add why it is not being indexed!
-                out << i18n("Basic Indexing: Disabled") << endl;
-                continue;
-            }
-
-            if (QFileInfo(arg).isDir()) {
-                continue;
-            }
-
-            if (tr.inPhaseOne(id)) {
-                out << i18n("Content Indexing: Scheduled") << endl;
-            } else if (tr.hasFailed(id)) {
-                out << i18n("Content Indexing: Failed") << endl;
-            } else {
-                out << i18n("Content Indexing: Done") << endl;
-            }
-        }
+        printMultiLine(tr, cfg, args);
     }
 
     return 0;