diff --git a/doc/management.txt b/doc/management.txt
index 80755be03..bd3622aa0 100644
--- a/doc/management.txt
+++ b/doc/management.txt
@@ -1770,6 +1770,12 @@ get acl <acl> <value>
 
      type="<type>":         The type of the returned sample.
 
+get var <name>
+  Show the existence, type and contents of the process-wide variable 'name'.
+  Only process-wide variables are readable, so the name must begin with
+  'proc.' otherwise no variable will be found. This command requires levels
+  "operator" or "admin".
+
 get weight <backend>/<server>
   Report the current weight and the initial weight of server <server> in
   backend <backend> or an error if either doesn't exist. The initial weight is
diff --git a/reg-tests/sample_fetches/vars.vtc b/reg-tests/sample_fetches/vars.vtc
index 146106888..b57156ce9 100644
--- a/reg-tests/sample_fetches/vars.vtc
+++ b/reg-tests/sample_fetches/vars.vtc
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ haproxy h1 -conf {
 	http-request return status 200 hdr x-var "proc=%[var(proc.int5)] sess=%[var(sess.int5)] req=%[var(req.int5)] str=%[var(proc.str)] uuid=%[var(proc.uuid)]"
 } -start
 
+haproxy h1 -cli {
+    send "get var proc.int5"
+    expect ~ "^proc.int5: type=sint value=<5>$"
+}
+
 client c1 -connect ${h1_fe1_sock} {
     txreq -req GET -url /req1_1
     rxresp
@@ -38,6 +43,11 @@ client c1 -connect ${h1_fe1_sock} {
     expect resp.http.x-var ~ "proc=10 sess=20 req=10 str=this is a string uuid=[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*"
 } -run
 
+haproxy h1 -cli {
+    send "get var proc.int5"
+    expect ~ "^proc.int5: type=sint value=<10>$"
+}
+
 client c2 -connect ${h1_fe1_sock} {
     txreq -req GET -url /req2_1
     rxresp
@@ -49,3 +59,8 @@ client c2 -connect ${h1_fe1_sock} {
     expect resp.status == 200
     expect resp.http.x-var ~ "proc=20 sess=40 req=20 str=this is a string uuid=[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*-[0-9a-f]*"
 } -run
+
+haproxy h1 -cli {
+    send "get var proc.int5"
+    expect ~ "^proc.int5: type=sint value=<20>$"
+}
diff --git a/src/vars.c b/src/vars.c
index 9be070b71..11efd55a4 100644
--- a/src/vars.c
+++ b/src/vars.c
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 
 #include <haproxy/api.h>
 #include <haproxy/arg.h>
+#include <haproxy/buf.h>
 #include <haproxy/cfgparse.h>
 #include <haproxy/check.h>
+#include <haproxy/cli.h>
 #include <haproxy/global.h>
 #include <haproxy/http.h>
 #include <haproxy/http_rules.h>
@@ -867,6 +869,49 @@ static int vars_parse_global_set_var(char **args, int section_type, struct proxy
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/* parse CLI's "get var <name>" */
+static int vars_parse_cli_get_var(char **args, char *payload, struct appctx *appctx, void *private)
+{
+	struct vars *vars;
+	struct sample smp;
+	int i;
+
+	if (!cli_has_level(appctx, ACCESS_LVL_OPER))
+		return 1;
+
+	if (!*args[2])
+		return cli_err(appctx, "Missing process-wide variable identifier.\n");
+
+	vars = get_vars(NULL, NULL, SCOPE_PROC);
+	if (!vars || vars->scope != SCOPE_PROC)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (!vars_get_by_name(args[2], strlen(args[2]), &smp))
+		return cli_err(appctx, "Variable not found.\n");
+
+	/* the sample returned by vars_get_by_name() is allocated into a trash
+	 * chunk so we have no constraint to manipulate it.
+	 */
+	chunk_printf(&trash, "%s: type=%s value=", args[2], smp_to_type[smp.data.type]);
+
+	if (!sample_casts[smp.data.type][SMP_T_STR] ||
+	    !sample_casts[smp.data.type][SMP_T_STR](&smp)) {
+		chunk_appendf(&trash, "(undisplayable)");
+	} else {
+		/* Display the displayable chars*. */
+		b_putchr(&trash, '<');
+		for (i = 0; i < smp.data.u.str.data; i++) {
+			if (isprint((unsigned char)smp.data.u.str.area[i]))
+				b_putchr(&trash, smp.data.u.str.area[i]);
+			else
+				b_putchr(&trash, '.');
+		}
+		b_putchr(&trash, '>');
+		b_putchr(&trash, 0);
+	}
+	return cli_msg(appctx, LOG_INFO, trash.area);
+}
+
 static int vars_max_size(char **args, int section_type, struct proxy *curpx,
                          const struct proxy *defpx, const char *file, int line,
                          char **err, unsigned int *limit)
@@ -1016,3 +1061,11 @@ static struct cfg_kw_list cfg_kws = {{ },{
 }};
 
 INITCALL1(STG_REGISTER, cfg_register_keywords, &cfg_kws);
+
+
+/* register cli keywords */
+static struct cli_kw_list cli_kws = {{ },{
+	{ { "get",   "var", NULL }, "get var <name> : retrieve contents of a process-wide variable", vars_parse_cli_get_var, NULL },
+	{ { NULL }, NULL, NULL, NULL }
+}};
+INITCALL1(STG_REGISTER, cli_register_kw, &cli_kws);