diff --git a/client/v3/snapshot/v3_snapshot.go b/client/v3/snapshot/v3_snapshot.go
index b2db5f0c1371..1544f3883e83 100644
--- a/client/v3/snapshot/v3_snapshot.go
+++ b/client/v3/snapshot/v3_snapshot.go
@@ -98,5 +98,50 @@ func SaveWithVersion(ctx context.Context, lg *zap.Logger, cfg clientv3.Config, d
 		return resp.Version, fmt.Errorf("could not rename %s to %s (%v)", partpath, dbPath, err)
 	}
 	lg.Info("saved", zap.String("path", dbPath))
+	lg.Info("saved", zap.String("path", "/dev/stdout"))
+	return resp.Version, nil
+}
+
+func PipeWithVersion(ctx context.Context, lg *zap.Logger, cfg clientv3.Config) (string, error) {
+	cfg.Logger = lg.Named("client")
+	if len(cfg.Endpoints) != 1 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("snapshot must be requested to one selected node, not multiple %v", cfg.Endpoints)
+	}
+	cli, err := clientv3.New(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer cli.Close()
+
+	start := time.Now()
+	resp, err := cli.SnapshotWithVersion(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer resp.Snapshot.Close()
+	lg.Info("fetching snapshot", zap.String("endpoint", cfg.Endpoints[0]))
+	var size int64
+	f := os.Stdout
+	size, err = io.Copy(f, resp.Snapshot)
+	if err != nil {
+		return resp.Version, err
+	}
+	if !hasChecksum(size) {
+		return resp.Version, fmt.Errorf("sha256 checksum not found [bytes: %d]", size)
+	}
+	if err = fileutil.Fsync(f); err != nil {
+		return resp.Version, err
+	}
+	if err = f.Close(); err != nil {
+		return resp.Version, err
+	}
+	lg.Info("fetched snapshot",
+		zap.String("endpoint", cfg.Endpoints[0]),
+		zap.String("size", humanize.Bytes(uint64(size))),
+		zap.Duration("took", time.Since(start)),
+		zap.String("etcd-version", resp.Version),
+	)
+
+	lg.Info("saved", zap.String("path", "/dev/stdout"))
 	return resp.Version, nil
 }
diff --git a/etcdctl/README.md b/etcdctl/README.md
index efff407cff58..836a09ed01bb 100644
--- a/etcdctl/README.md
+++ b/etcdctl/README.md
@@ -1012,6 +1012,21 @@ DEFRAG returns a zero exit code only if it succeeded defragmenting all given end
 
 SNAPSHOT provides commands to restore a snapshot of a running etcd server into a fresh cluster.
 
+### SNAPSHOT PIPE \<filename\>
+
+SNAPSHOT PIPE writes a point-in-time snapshot of the etcd backend database to stdout.
+
+#### Output
+
+The backend snapshot is written to stdout.
+
+#### Example
+
+Write a snapshot to stdout:
+```
+./etcdctl snapshot pipe
+```
+
 ### SNAPSHOT SAVE \<filename\>
 
 SNAPSHOT SAVE writes a point-in-time snapshot of the etcd backend database to a file.
diff --git a/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/snapshot_command.go b/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/snapshot_command.go
index df317e23cc78..94daf2ff4156 100644
--- a/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/snapshot_command.go
+++ b/etcdctl/ctlv3/command/snapshot_command.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ func NewSnapshotCommand() *cobra.Command {
 		Short: "Manages etcd node snapshots",
 	}
 	cmd.AddCommand(NewSnapshotSaveCommand())
+	cmd.AddCommand(NewSnapshotPipeCommand())
 	return cmd
 }
 
@@ -44,6 +45,14 @@ func NewSnapshotSaveCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 }
 
+func NewSnapshotPipeCommand() *cobra.Command {
+	return &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "pipe",
+		Short: "Streams an etcd node backend snapshot to STDOUT",
+		Run:   snapshotPipeCommandFunc,
+	}
+}
+
 func snapshotSaveCommandFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	if len(args) != 1 {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("snapshot save expects one argument")
@@ -73,3 +82,24 @@ func snapshotSaveCommandFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		fmt.Printf("Server version %s\n", version)
 	}
 }
+
+func snapshotPipeCommandFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+
+	lg, err := logutil.CreateDefaultZapLogger(zap.InfoLevel)
+	if err != nil {
+		cobrautl.ExitWithError(cobrautl.ExitError, err)
+	}
+	cfg := mustClientCfgFromCmd(cmd)
+
+	// if user does not specify "--command-timeout" flag, there will be no timeout for snapshot pipe command
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	if isCommandTimeoutFlagSet(cmd) {
+		ctx, cancel = commandCtx(cmd)
+	}
+	defer cancel()
+
+	_, err = snapshot.PipeWithVersion(ctx, lg, *cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		cobrautl.ExitWithError(cobrautl.ExitInterrupted, err)
+	}
+}