diff --git a/Annex/CatFile.hs b/Annex/CatFile.hs
index 407b4ddae3..812d032c6a 100644
--- a/Annex/CatFile.hs
+++ b/Annex/CatFile.hs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import qualified Annex
 import Git.Types
 import Git.FilePath
 import Git.FileMode
+import qualified Git.Ref
 
 catFile :: Git.Branch -> FilePath -> Annex L.ByteString
 catFile branch file = do
@@ -108,9 +109,6 @@ catKeyChecked needhead ref@(Ref r) =
 		 map snd . filter (\p -> fst p == file)
 
 {- From a file in the repository back to the key.
- -
- - Prefixing the file with ./ makes this work even if in a subdirectory
- - of a repo.
  -
  - Ideally, this should reflect the key that's staged in the index,
  - not the key that's committed to HEAD. Unfortunately, git cat-file
@@ -134,8 +132,8 @@ catKeyChecked needhead ref@(Ref r) =
 catKeyFile :: FilePath -> Annex (Maybe Key)
 catKeyFile f = ifM (Annex.getState Annex.daemon)
 	( catKeyFileHEAD f
-	, catKeyChecked True (Ref $ ":./" ++ f)
+	, catKeyChecked True $ Git.Ref.fileRef f
 	)
 
 catKeyFileHEAD :: FilePath -> Annex (Maybe Key)
-catKeyFileHEAD f = catKeyChecked False (Ref $ "HEAD:./" ++ f)
+catKeyFileHEAD f = catKeyChecked False $ Git.Ref.fileFromRef Git.Ref.headRef f
diff --git a/Command/Status.hs b/Command/Status.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa478f928b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Command/Status.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+{- git-annex command
+ -
+ - Copyright 2013 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
+ -
+ - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
+ -}
+
+module Command.Status where
+
+import Common.Annex
+import Command
+import Annex.CatFile
+import Annex.Content.Direct
+import Config
+import qualified Git.LsFiles as LsFiles
+import qualified Git.Ref
+import qualified Git
+
+def :: [Command]
+def = [noCommit $ noMessages $
+	command "status" paramPaths seek SectionCommon
+		"show the working tree status"]
+
+seek :: [CommandSeek]
+seek = 
+	[ withWords start
+	]
+
+start :: [FilePath] -> CommandStart
+start [] = do
+	-- Like git status, when run without a directory, behave as if
+	-- given the path to the top of the repository.
+	cwd <- liftIO getCurrentDirectory
+	top <- fromRepo Git.repoPath
+	next $ perform [relPathDirToFile cwd top]
+start locs = next $ perform locs
+	
+perform :: [FilePath] -> CommandPerform
+perform locs = do
+	(l, cleanup) <- inRepo $ LsFiles.modifiedOthers locs
+	getstatus <- ifM isDirect
+		( return statusDirect
+		, return $ Just <$$> statusIndirect
+		)
+	forM_ l $ \f -> maybe noop (showFileStatus f) =<< getstatus f
+	void $ liftIO cleanup
+	next $ return True
+
+data Status 
+	= NewFile
+	| DeletedFile
+	| ModifiedFile
+
+showStatus :: Status -> String
+showStatus NewFile = "?"
+showStatus DeletedFile = "D"
+showStatus ModifiedFile = "M"
+
+showFileStatus :: FilePath -> Status -> Annex ()
+showFileStatus f s  = liftIO $ putStrLn $ showStatus s ++ " " ++ f
+
+statusDirect :: FilePath -> Annex (Maybe Status)
+statusDirect f = checkstatus =<< liftIO (catchMaybeIO $ getFileStatus f)
+  where
+	checkstatus Nothing = return $ Just DeletedFile
+	checkstatus (Just s)
+		-- Git thinks that present direct mode files modifed,
+		-- so have to check.
+		| not (isSymbolicLink s) = checkkey s =<< catKeyFile f
+		| otherwise = Just <$> checkNew f
+	
+	checkkey s (Just k) = ifM (sameFileStatus k s)
+		( return Nothing
+		, return $ Just ModifiedFile
+		)
+	checkkey _ Nothing = Just <$> checkNew f
+
+statusIndirect :: FilePath -> Annex Status
+statusIndirect f = ifM (liftIO $ isJust <$> catchMaybeIO (getFileStatus f))
+	( checkNew f
+	, return DeletedFile
+	)
+  where
+
+checkNew :: FilePath -> Annex Status
+checkNew f = ifM (isJust <$> catObjectDetails (Git.Ref.fileRef f))
+	( return ModifiedFile
+	, return NewFile
+	)
diff --git a/Git/LsFiles.hs b/Git/LsFiles.hs
index 98cbac58e8..8aaa09067f 100644
--- a/Git/LsFiles.hs
+++ b/Git/LsFiles.hs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ module Git.LsFiles (
 	allFiles,
 	deleted,
 	modified,
+	modifiedOthers,
 	staged,
 	stagedNotDeleted,
 	stagedOthersDetails,
@@ -65,6 +66,12 @@ modified l repo = pipeNullSplit params repo
   where
 	params = [Params "ls-files --modified -z --"] ++ map File l
 
+{- Files that have been modified or are not checked into git. -}
+modifiedOthers :: [FilePath] -> Repo -> IO ([FilePath], IO Bool)
+modifiedOthers l repo = pipeNullSplit params repo
+  where
+	params = [Params "ls-files --modified --others -z --"] ++ map File l
+
 {- Returns a list of all files that are staged for commit. -}
 staged :: [FilePath] -> Repo -> IO ([FilePath], IO Bool)
 staged = staged' []
diff --git a/Git/Ref.hs b/Git/Ref.hs
index 5057180d13..6ce1b87845 100644
--- a/Git/Ref.hs
+++ b/Git/Ref.hs
@@ -41,6 +41,20 @@ under dir r = Ref $ dir ++ "/" ++
 underBase :: String -> Ref -> Ref
 underBase dir r = Ref $ dir ++ "/" ++ show (base r)
 
+{- A Ref that can be used to refer to a file in the repository, as staged
+ - in the index.
+ -
+ - Prefixing the file with ./ makes this work even if in a subdirectory
+ - of a repo.
+ -}
+fileRef :: FilePath -> Ref
+fileRef f = Ref $ ":./" ++ f
+
+{- A Ref that can be used to refer to a file in the repository as it
+ - appears in a given Ref. -}
+fileFromRef :: Ref -> FilePath -> Ref
+fileFromRef (Ref r) f = let (Ref fr) = fileRef f in Ref (r ++ fr)
+
 {- Checks if a ref exists. -}
 exists :: Ref -> Repo -> IO Bool
 exists ref = runBool
diff --git a/GitAnnex.hs b/GitAnnex.hs
index 0bd48e0df5..9580c240e0 100644
--- a/GitAnnex.hs
+++ b/GitAnnex.hs
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import qualified Command.List
 import qualified Command.Log
 import qualified Command.Merge
 import qualified Command.Info
+import qualified Command.Status
 import qualified Command.Migrate
 import qualified Command.Uninit
 import qualified Command.Trust
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ cmds = concat
 	, Command.Log.def
 	, Command.Merge.def
 	, Command.Info.def
+	, Command.Status.def
 	, Command.Migrate.def
 	, Command.Map.def
 	, Command.Direct.def
diff --git a/doc/git-annex.mdwn b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
index 4aeeb8ad5a..25b69930ee 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
@@ -103,6 +103,13 @@ subdirectories).
 
   To avoid contacting the remote to check if it has every file, specify `--fast`
 
+* `status` [path ...]`
+
+  Similar to `git status --short`, displays the status of the files in the
+  working tree. Shows files that are not checked into git, files that
+  have been deleted, and files that have been modified. 
+  Particulary useful in direct mode.
+
 * `unlock [path ...]`
 
   Normally, the content of annexed files is protected from being changed.
@@ -563,10 +570,6 @@ subdirectories).
 
 # QUERY COMMANDS
 
-* `version`
-
-  Shows the version of git-annex, as well as repository version information.
-
 * `find [path ...]`
 
   Outputs a list of annexed files in the specified path. With no path,
@@ -624,6 +627,9 @@ subdirectories).
   Then run:
 
         	git annex info --fast . --not --in here
+* `version`
+
+  Shows the version of git-annex, as well as repository version information.
 
 * `map`