diff --git a/caddy/caddyfile/json.go b/caddy/caddyfile/json.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..42171e7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddy/caddyfile/json.go
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+package caddyfile
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/mholt/caddy/caddy/parse"
+)
+
+const filename = "Caddyfile"
+
+// ToJSON converts caddyfile to its JSON representation.
+func ToJSON(caddyfile []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	var j Caddyfile
+
+	serverBlocks, err := parse.ServerBlocks(filename, bytes.NewReader(caddyfile), false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	for _, sb := range serverBlocks {
+		block := ServerBlock{Body: make(map[string]interface{})}
+
+		for _, host := range sb.HostList() {
+			block.Hosts = append(block.Hosts, strings.TrimSuffix(host, ":"))
+		}
+
+		for dir, tokens := range sb.Tokens {
+			disp := parse.NewDispenserTokens(filename, tokens)
+			disp.Next() // the first token is the directive; skip it
+			block.Body[dir] = constructLine(disp)
+		}
+
+		j = append(j, block)
+	}
+
+	result, err := json.Marshal(j)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return result, nil
+}
+
+// constructLine transforms tokens into a JSON-encodable structure;
+// but only one line at a time, to be used at the top-level of
+// a server block only (where the first token on each line is a
+// directive) - not to be used at any other nesting level.
+func constructLine(d parse.Dispenser) interface{} {
+	var args []interface{}
+
+	all := d.RemainingArgs()
+	for _, arg := range all {
+		args = append(args, arg)
+	}
+
+	d.Next()
+	if d.Val() == "{" {
+		args = append(args, constructBlock(d))
+	}
+
+	return args
+}
+
+// constructBlock recursively processes tokens into a
+// JSON-encodable structure.
+func constructBlock(d parse.Dispenser) interface{} {
+	block := make(map[string]interface{})
+
+	for d.Next() {
+		if d.Val() == "}" {
+			break
+		}
+
+		dir := d.Val()
+		all := d.RemainingArgs()
+
+		var args []interface{}
+		for _, arg := range all {
+			args = append(args, arg)
+		}
+		if d.Val() == "{" {
+			args = append(args, constructBlock(d))
+		}
+
+		block[dir] = args
+	}
+
+	return block
+}
+
+// FromJSON converts JSON-encoded jsonBytes to Caddyfile text
+func FromJSON(jsonBytes []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	var j Caddyfile
+	var result string
+
+	err := json.Unmarshal(jsonBytes, &j)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	for _, sb := range j {
+		for i, host := range sb.Hosts {
+			if hostname, port, err := net.SplitHostPort(host); err == nil {
+				if port == "http" || port == "https" {
+					host = port + "://" + hostname
+				}
+			}
+			if i > 0 {
+				result += ", "
+			}
+			result += strings.TrimSuffix(host, ":")
+		}
+		result += jsonToText(sb.Body, 1)
+	}
+
+	return []byte(result), nil
+}
+
+// jsonToText recursively transforms a scope of JSON into plain
+// Caddyfile text.
+func jsonToText(scope interface{}, depth int) string {
+	var result string
+
+	switch val := scope.(type) {
+	case string:
+		if strings.ContainsAny(val, "\" \n\t\r") {
+			result += ` "` + strings.Replace(val, "\"", "\\\"", -1) + `"`
+		} else {
+			result += " " + val
+		}
+	case int:
+		result += " " + strconv.Itoa(val)
+	case float64:
+		result += " " + fmt.Sprintf("%v", val)
+	case bool:
+		result += " " + fmt.Sprintf("%t", val)
+	case map[string]interface{}:
+		result += " {\n"
+		for param, args := range val {
+			result += strings.Repeat("\t", depth) + param
+			result += jsonToText(args, depth+1) + "\n"
+		}
+		result += strings.Repeat("\t", depth-1) + "}"
+	case []interface{}:
+		for _, v := range val {
+			result += jsonToText(v, depth)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return result
+}
+
+type Caddyfile []ServerBlock
+
+type ServerBlock struct {
+	Hosts []string               `json:"hosts"`
+	Body  map[string]interface{} `json:"body"`
+}
diff --git a/caddy/caddyfile/json_test.go b/caddy/caddyfile/json_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..44abf982
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddy/caddyfile/json_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+package caddyfile
+
+import "testing"
+
+var tests = []struct {
+	caddyfile, json string
+}{
+	{ // 0
+		caddyfile: `foo {
+	root /bar
+}`,
+		json: `[{"hosts":["foo"],"body":{"root":["/bar"]}}]`,
+	},
+	{ // 1
+		caddyfile: `host1, host2 {
+	dir {
+		def
+	}
+}`,
+		json: `[{"hosts":["host1","host2"],"body":{"dir":[{"def":null}]}}]`,
+	},
+	{ // 2
+		caddyfile: `host1, host2 {
+	dir abc {
+		def ghi
+	}
+}`,
+		json: `[{"hosts":["host1","host2"],"body":{"dir":["abc",{"def":["ghi"]}]}}]`,
+	},
+	{ // 3
+		caddyfile: `host1:1234, host2:5678 {
+	dir abc {
+	}
+}`,
+		json: `[{"hosts":["host1:1234","host2:5678"],"body":{"dir":["abc",{}]}}]`,
+	},
+	{ // 4
+		caddyfile: `host {
+	foo "bar baz"
+}`,
+		json: `[{"hosts":["host"],"body":{"foo":["bar baz"]}}]`,
+	},
+	{ // 5
+		caddyfile: `host, host:80 {
+	foo "bar \"baz\""
+}`,
+		json: `[{"hosts":["host","host:80"],"body":{"foo":["bar \"baz\""]}}]`,
+	},
+	{ // 6
+		caddyfile: `host {
+	foo "bar
+baz"
+}`,
+		json: `[{"hosts":["host"],"body":{"foo":["bar\nbaz"]}}]`,
+	},
+	{ // 7
+		caddyfile: `host {
+	dir 123 4.56 true
+}`,
+		json: `[{"hosts":["host"],"body":{"dir":["123","4.56","true"]}}]`, // NOTE: I guess we assume numbers and booleans should be encoded as strings...?
+	},
+	{ // 8
+		caddyfile: `http://host, https://host {
+}`,
+		json: `[{"hosts":["host:http","host:https"],"body":{}}]`, // hosts in JSON are always host:port format (if port is specified)
+	},
+}
+
+func TestToJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, test := range tests {
+		output, err := ToJSON([]byte(test.caddyfile))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Test %d: %v", i, err)
+		}
+		if string(output) != test.json {
+			t.Errorf("Test %d\nExpected:\n'%s'\nActual:\n'%s'", i, test.json, string(output))
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFromJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, test := range tests {
+		output, err := FromJSON([]byte(test.json))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Test %d: %v", i, err)
+		}
+		if string(output) != test.caddyfile {
+			t.Errorf("Test %d\nExpected:\n'%s'\nActual:\n'%s'", i, test.caddyfile, string(output))
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/caddy/config.go b/caddy/config.go
index bc9ec603..53432b4e 100644
--- a/caddy/config.go
+++ b/caddy/config.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func load(filename string, input io.Reader) ([]server.Config, error) {
 	flags := log.Flags()
 	log.SetFlags(0)
 
-	serverBlocks, err := parse.ServerBlocks(filename, input)
+	serverBlocks, err := parse.ServerBlocks(filename, input, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/caddy/parse/parse.go b/caddy/parse/parse.go
index b44041d4..84043e60 100644
--- a/caddy/parse/parse.go
+++ b/caddy/parse/parse.go
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@ import "io"
 
 // ServerBlocks parses the input just enough to organize tokens,
 // in order, by server block. No further parsing is performed.
-// Server blocks are returned in the order in which they appear.
-func ServerBlocks(filename string, input io.Reader) ([]serverBlock, error) {
-	p := parser{Dispenser: NewDispenser(filename, input)}
+// If checkDirectives is true, only valid directives will be allowed
+// otherwise we consider it a parse error. Server blocks are returned
+// in the order in which they appear.
+func ServerBlocks(filename string, input io.Reader, checkDirectives bool) ([]serverBlock, error) {
+	p := parser{Dispenser: NewDispenser(filename, input), checkDirectives: checkDirectives}
 	blocks, err := p.parseAll()
 	return blocks, err
 }
diff --git a/caddy/parse/parsing.go b/caddy/parse/parsing.go
index 59455391..b24b46ab 100644
--- a/caddy/parse/parsing.go
+++ b/caddy/parse/parsing.go
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ import (
 
 type parser struct {
 	Dispenser
-	block serverBlock // current server block being parsed
-	eof   bool        // if we encounter a valid EOF in a hard place
+	block           serverBlock // current server block being parsed
+	eof             bool        // if we encounter a valid EOF in a hard place
+	checkDirectives bool        // if true, directives must be known
 }
 
 func (p *parser) parseAll() ([]serverBlock, error) {
@@ -220,8 +221,10 @@ func (p *parser) directive() error {
 	dir := p.Val()
 	nesting := 0
 
-	if _, ok := ValidDirectives[dir]; !ok {
-		return p.Errf("Unknown directive '%s'", dir)
+	if p.checkDirectives {
+		if _, ok := ValidDirectives[dir]; !ok {
+			return p.Errf("Unknown directive '%s'", dir)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// The directive itself is appended as a relevant token
diff --git a/caddy/parse/parsing_test.go b/caddy/parse/parsing_test.go
index c8a7ef0b..afd5870f 100644
--- a/caddy/parse/parsing_test.go
+++ b/caddy/parse/parsing_test.go
@@ -375,6 +375,6 @@ func setupParseTests() {
 
 func testParser(input string) parser {
 	buf := strings.NewReader(input)
-	p := parser{Dispenser: NewDispenser("Test", buf)}
+	p := parser{Dispenser: NewDispenser("Test", buf), checkDirectives: true}
 	return p
 }