diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2d59370..3975f5f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -204,6 +204,11 @@ google_binary(cartographer_pbstream
   cartographer/io/pbstream_main.cc
 )
 
+google_binary(cartographer_print_configuration
+  SRCS
+  cartographer/common/print_configuration_main.cc
+)
+
 if(${BUILD_GRPC})
   google_binary(cartographer_grpc_server
     SRCS
diff --git a/cartographer/BUILD.bazel b/cartographer/BUILD.bazel
index 0caf39a..131fc1c 100644
--- a/cartographer/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/cartographer/BUILD.bazel
@@ -109,6 +109,16 @@ cc_library(
     ],
 )
 
+cc_binary(
+    name = "cartographer_print_configuration",
+    srcs = ["common/print_configuration_main.cc"],
+    deps = [
+        ":cartographer",
+        "@com_github_gflags_gflags//:gflags",
+        "@com_google_glog//:glog",
+    ],
+)
+
 [cc_test(
     name = src.replace("/", "_").replace(".cc", ""),
     srcs = [src],
diff --git a/cartographer/common/print_configuration_main.cc b/cartographer/common/print_configuration_main.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..189f633
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cartographer/common/print_configuration_main.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2019 The Cartographer Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "absl/memory/memory.h"
+#include "absl/strings/str_split.h"
+#include "cartographer/common/configuration_file_resolver.h"
+#include "cartographer/common/lua_parameter_dictionary.h"
+#include "gflags/gflags.h"
+#include "glog/logging.h"
+
+DEFINE_string(configuration_directories, "",
+              "Comma separated list of directories in which configuration files"
+              " are searched, the last is always the Cartographer installation"
+              " to allow including files from there.");
+DEFINE_string(configuration_basename, "",
+              "Basename, i.e. not containing any directory prefix, of the "
+              "configuration file.");
+DEFINE_string(subdictionary, "",
+              "Only print a subdictionary referenced by its Lua ID, e.g.: "
+              "'--subdictionary trajectory_builder.trajectory_builder_3d'");
+
+namespace cartographer {
+namespace common {
+
+std::unique_ptr<LuaParameterDictionary> LoadLuaDictionary(
+    const std::vector<std::string>& configuration_directories,
+    const std::string& configuration_basename) {
+  auto file_resolver =
+      absl::make_unique<ConfigurationFileResolver>(configuration_directories);
+  const std::string code =
+      file_resolver->GetFileContentOrDie(configuration_basename);
+  // We use no reference count because we just want to print the configuration.
+  return LuaParameterDictionary::NonReferenceCounted(code,
+                                                     std::move(file_resolver));
+}
+
+void PrintSubdictionaryById(LuaParameterDictionary* lua_dictionary,
+                            const std::string& subdictionary_id) {
+  const std::vector<std::string> subdictionary_keys =
+      absl::StrSplit(subdictionary_id, '.', absl::SkipEmpty());
+  CHECK(!subdictionary_keys.empty()) << "Failed to parse 'subdictionary_id'.";
+  // Keep a stack to avoid memory glitches due to unique_ptr deletion.
+  std::vector<std::unique_ptr<LuaParameterDictionary>> stack;
+  for (const auto& key : subdictionary_keys) {
+    if (stack.empty()) {
+      stack.push_back(lua_dictionary->GetDictionary(key));
+      continue;
+    }
+    stack.push_back(stack.back()->GetDictionary(key));
+  }
+  std::cout << subdictionary_id << " = " << stack.back()->ToString()
+            << std::endl;
+}
+
+}  // namespace common
+}  // namespace cartographer
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+  google::InitGoogleLogging(argv[0]);
+  google::SetUsageMessage(
+      "Resolves and compiles a Lua configuration and prints it to stdout.\n"
+      "The output can be restricted to a subdictionary using the optional "
+      "'--subdictionary' parameter, which can be given in Lua syntax.\n"
+      "The logs of the configuration file resolver are written to stderr if "
+      "'--logtostderr' is given.");
+  google::ParseCommandLineFlags(&argc, &argv, true);
+
+  if (FLAGS_configuration_directories.empty() ||
+      FLAGS_configuration_basename.empty()) {
+    google::ShowUsageWithFlagsRestrict(argv[0], "print_configuration_main");
+    return EXIT_FAILURE;
+  }
+
+  const std::vector<std::string> configuration_directories =
+      absl::StrSplit(FLAGS_configuration_directories, ',', absl::SkipEmpty());
+
+  auto lua_dictionary = ::cartographer::common::LoadLuaDictionary(
+      configuration_directories, FLAGS_configuration_basename);
+
+  if (FLAGS_subdictionary.empty()) {
+    std::cout << "return " << lua_dictionary->ToString() << std::endl;
+    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+  }
+  ::cartographer::common::PrintSubdictionaryById(lua_dictionary.get(),
+                                                 FLAGS_subdictionary);
+}