diff --git a/backends/forward.go b/backends/forward.go
index 25ad42a184..6cbf23c431 100644
--- a/backends/forward.go
+++ b/backends/forward.go
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ func (f *forwarder) newContainer(id string) beam.Sender {
 	instance.OnAttach(beam.Handler(c.attach))
 	instance.OnStart(beam.Handler(c.start))
 	instance.OnStop(beam.Handler(c.stop))
+	instance.OnGet(beam.Handler(c.get))
 	return instance
 }
 
@@ -197,6 +198,25 @@ func (c *container) stop(ctx *beam.Message) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (c *container) get(ctx *beam.Message) error {
+	path := fmt.Sprintf("/containers/%s/json", c.id)
+	resp, err := c.forwarder.client.call("GET", path, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	respBody, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if resp.StatusCode != 200 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s", respBody)
+	}
+	if _, err := ctx.Ret.Send(&beam.Message{Verb: beam.Set, Args: []string{string(respBody)}}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 type client struct {
 	URL     *url.URL
 	proto   string
diff --git a/dockerclient/dockerclient.go b/dockerclient/dockerclient.go
index 62084e2062..2153e87f1c 100644
--- a/dockerclient/dockerclient.go
+++ b/dockerclient/dockerclient.go
@@ -132,6 +132,21 @@ func doCmd(instance *beam.Object, args []string) error {
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
+	if args[0] == "inspect" {
+		if len(args) != 2 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("usage: inspect CONTAINER")
+		}
+		_, container, err := instance.Attach(args[1])
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("attach: %v", err)
+		}
+		json, err := container.Get()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("get: %v", err)
+		}
+		fmt.Println(json)
+		return nil
+	}
 	return fmt.Errorf("unrecognised command: %s", args[0])
 }