diff --git a/src/shell.js b/src/shell.js
index 6a386e4..1497ea7 100644
--- a/src/shell.js
+++ b/src/shell.js
@@ -159,6 +159,88 @@ define(function(require) {
     });
   };
 
+  /**
+   * Get the listing of a directory, returning an array of
+   * file entries in the following form:
+   *
+   * {
+   *   path: <String> the basename of the directory entry
+   *   links: <Number> the number of links to the entry
+   *   size: <Number> the size in bytes of the entry
+   *   modified: <Number> the last modified date/time
+   *   type: <String> the type of the entry
+   *   contents: <Array> an optional array of child entries
+   * }
+   *
+   * By default ls() gives a shallow listing. If you want
+   * to follow directories as they are encountered, use
+   * the `recursive=true` option.
+   */
+  Shell.prototype.ls = function(dir, options, callback) {
+    if(!dir) {
+      callback(new Error("Missing dir argument"));
+      return;
+    }
+
+    var fs = this.fs;
+    if(typeof options === 'function') {
+      callback = options;
+      options = {};
+    }
+    options = options || {};
+    callback = callback || function(){};
+
+    function list(path, callback) {
+      var pathname = Path.resolve(this.cwd, path);
+      var result = [];
+
+      fs.readdir(pathname, function(error, entries) {
+        if(error) {
+          callback(error);
+          return;
+        }
+
+        function getDirEntry(name, callback) {
+          name = Path.join(pathname, name);
+          fs.stat(name, function(error, stats) {
+            if(error) {
+              callback(error);
+              return;
+            }
+            var entry = {
+              path: Path.basename(name),
+              links: stats.nlinks,
+              size: stats.size,
+              modified: stats.mtime,
+              type: stats.type
+            };
+
+            if(options.recursive && stats.type === 'DIRECTORY') {
+              list(Path.join(pathname, entry.path), function(error, items) {
+                if(error) {
+                  callback(error);
+                  return;
+                }
+                entry.contents = items;
+                result.push(entry);
+                callback();
+              });
+            } else {
+              result.push(entry);
+              callback();
+            }
+          });
+        }
+
+        async.each(entries, getDirEntry, function(error) {
+          callback(error, result);
+        });
+      });
+    }
+
+    list(dir, callback);
+  };
+
   return Shell;
 
 });
diff --git a/tests/spec/shell/ls.spec.js b/tests/spec/shell/ls.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c51c30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/spec/shell/ls.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+define(["Filer", "util"], function(Filer, util) {
+
+  describe('FileSystemShell.ls', function() {
+    beforeEach(util.setup);
+    afterEach(util.cleanup);
+
+    it('should be a function', function() {
+      var shell = util.shell();
+      expect(shell.ls).to.be.a('function');
+    });
+
+    it('should fail when dirs argument is absent', function(done) {
+      var fs = util.fs();
+      var shell = fs.Shell();
+
+      shell.cat(null, function(error, list) {
+        expect(error).to.exist;
+        expect(list).not.to.exist;
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should return the contents of a simple dir', function(done) {
+      var fs = util.fs();
+      var shell = fs.Shell();
+      var contents = "a";
+      var contents2 = "bb";
+
+      fs.writeFile('/file', contents, function(err) {
+        if(err) throw err;
+
+        fs.writeFile('/file2', contents2, function(err) {
+          if(err) throw err;
+
+          shell.ls('/', function(err, list) {
+            expect(err).not.to.exist;
+            expect(list.length).to.equal(2);
+
+            var item0 = list[0];
+            expect(item0.path).to.equal('file');
+            expect(item0.links).to.equal(1);
+            expect(item0.size).to.equal(1);
+            expect(item0.modified).to.be.a('number');
+            expect(item0.type).to.equal('FILE');
+            expect(item0.contents).not.to.exist;
+
+            var item1 = list[1];
+            expect(item1.path).to.equal('file2');
+            expect(item1.links).to.equal(1);
+            expect(item1.size).to.equal(2);
+            expect(item1.modified).to.be.a('number');
+            expect(item1.type).to.equal('FILE');
+            expect(item0.contents).not.to.exist;
+
+            done();
+          });
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should return the shallow contents of a dir tree', function(done) {
+      var fs = util.fs();
+      var shell = fs.Shell();
+      var contents = "a";
+
+      fs.mkdir('/dir', function(err) {
+        if(err) throw err;
+
+        fs.mkdir('/dir/dir2', function(err) {
+          if(err) throw err;
+
+          fs.writeFile('/dir/file', contents, function(err) {
+            if(err) throw err;
+
+            fs.writeFile('/dir/file2', contents, function(err) {
+              if(err) throw err;
+
+              shell.ls('/dir', function(err, list) {
+                expect(err).not.to.exist;
+                expect(list.length).to.equal(3);
+
+                // We shouldn't rely on the order we'll get the listing
+                list.forEach(function(item, i, arr) {
+                  switch(item.path) {
+                  case 'dir2':
+                    expect(item.links).to.equal(1);
+                    expect(item.size).to.be.a('number');
+                    expect(item.modified).to.be.a('number');
+                    expect(item.type).to.equal('DIRECTORY');
+                    expect(item.contents).not.to.exist;
+                    break;
+                  case 'file':
+                  case 'file2':
+                    expect(item.links).to.equal(1);
+                    expect(item.size).to.equal(1);
+                    expect(item.modified).to.be.a('number');
+                    expect(item.type).to.equal('FILE');
+                    expect(item.contents).not.to.exist;
+                    break;
+                  default:
+                    // shouldn't happen
+                    expect(true).to.be.false;
+                    break;
+                  }
+
+                  if(i === arr.length -1) {
+                    done();
+                  }
+                });
+              });
+            });
+          });
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should return the deep contents of a dir tree', function(done) {
+      var fs = util.fs();
+      var shell = fs.Shell();
+      var contents = "a";
+
+      fs.mkdir('/dir', function(err) {
+        if(err) throw err;
+
+        fs.mkdir('/dir/dir2', function(err) {
+          if(err) throw err;
+
+          fs.writeFile('/dir/dir2/file', contents, function(err) {
+            if(err) throw err;
+
+            fs.writeFile('/dir/file', contents, function(err) {
+              if(err) throw err;
+
+              fs.writeFile('/dir/file2', contents, function(err) {
+                if(err) throw err;
+
+                shell.ls('/dir', { recursive: true }, function(err, list) {
+                  expect(err).not.to.exist;
+                  expect(list.length).to.equal(3);
+
+                  // We shouldn't rely on the order we'll get the listing
+                  list.forEach(function(item, i, arr) {
+                    switch(item.path) {
+                    case 'dir2':
+                      expect(item.links).to.equal(1);
+                      expect(item.size).to.be.a('number');
+                      expect(item.modified).to.be.a('number');
+                      expect(item.type).to.equal('DIRECTORY');
+                      expect(item.contents).to.exist;
+                      expect(item.contents.length).to.equal(1);
+                      var contents0 = item.contents[0];
+                      expect(contents0.path).to.equal('file');
+                      expect(contents0.links).to.equal(1);
+                      expect(contents0.size).to.equal(1);
+                      expect(contents0.modified).to.be.a('number');
+                      expect(contents0.type).to.equal('FILE');
+                      expect(contents0.contents).not.to.exist;
+                      break;
+                    case 'file':
+                    case 'file2':
+                      expect(item.links).to.equal(1);
+                      expect(item.size).to.equal(1);
+                      expect(item.modified).to.be.a('number');
+                      expect(item.type).to.equal('FILE');
+                      expect(item.contents).not.to.exist;
+                      break;
+                    default:
+                      // shouldn't happen
+                      expect(true).to.be.false;
+                      break;
+                    }
+
+                    if(i === arr.length -1) {
+                      done();
+                    }
+                 });
+                });
+              });
+            });
+          });
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/test-manifest.js b/tests/test-manifest.js
index 32758c0..d0efa70 100644
--- a/tests/test-manifest.js
+++ b/tests/test-manifest.js
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ define([
   "spec/shell/touch.spec",
   "spec/shell/exec.spec",
   "spec/shell/cat.spec",
+  "spec/shell/ls.spec",
 
   // Ported node.js tests (filenames match names in https://github.com/joyent/node/tree/master/test)
   "spec/node-js/simple/test-fs-mkdir",