diff --git a/command/plugin/cmd.go b/command/plugin/cmd.go
index c78f43a8d4..2bb165db19 100644
--- a/command/plugin/cmd.go
+++ b/command/plugin/cmd.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ func NewPluginCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
 		newRemoveCommand(dockerCli),
 		newSetCommand(dockerCli),
 		newPushCommand(dockerCli),
+		newCreateCommand(dockerCli),
 	)
 	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/command/plugin/create.go b/command/plugin/create.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3b18ed3750
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/plugin/create.go
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+package plugin
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/cli"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/archive"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/reference"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"golang.org/x/net/context"
+)
+
+// validateTag checks if the given repoName can be resolved.
+func validateTag(rawRepo string) error {
+	_, err := reference.ParseNamed(rawRepo)
+
+	return err
+}
+
+// validateManifest ensures that a valid manifest.json is available in the given path
+func validateManifest(path string) error {
+	dt, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(path, "manifest.json"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	m := types.PluginManifest{}
+	err = json.NewDecoder(dt).Decode(&m)
+	dt.Close()
+
+	return err
+}
+
+// validateContextDir validates the given dir and returns abs path on success.
+func validateContextDir(contextDir string) (string, error) {
+	absContextDir, err := filepath.Abs(contextDir)
+
+	stat, err := os.Lstat(absContextDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	if !stat.IsDir() {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("context must be a directory")
+	}
+
+	return absContextDir, nil
+}
+
+type pluginCreateOptions struct {
+	repoName string
+	context  string
+	compress bool
+}
+
+func newCreateCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
+	options := pluginCreateOptions{}
+
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "create [OPTIONS] reponame[:tag] PATH-TO-ROOTFS (rootfs + manifest.json)",
+		Short: "Create a plugin from a rootfs and manifest",
+		Args:  cli.RequiresMinArgs(2),
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			options.repoName = args[0]
+			options.context = args[1]
+			return runCreate(dockerCli, options)
+		},
+	}
+
+	flags := cmd.Flags()
+
+	flags.BoolVar(&options.compress, "compress", false, "Compress the context using gzip")
+
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func runCreate(dockerCli *command.DockerCli, options pluginCreateOptions) error {
+	var (
+		createCtx io.ReadCloser
+		err       error
+	)
+
+	if err := validateTag(options.repoName); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	absContextDir, err := validateContextDir(options.context)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := validateManifest(options.context); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	compression := archive.Uncompressed
+	if options.compress {
+		logrus.Debugf("compression enabled")
+		compression = archive.Gzip
+	}
+
+	createCtx, err = archive.TarWithOptions(absContextDir, &archive.TarOptions{
+		Compression: compression,
+	})
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	createOptions := types.PluginCreateOptions{RepoName: options.repoName}
+	if err = dockerCli.Client().PluginCreate(ctx, createCtx, createOptions); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	fmt.Fprintln(dockerCli.Out(), options.repoName)
+	return nil
+}