diff --git a/userspace/falco/falco.cpp b/userspace/falco/falco.cpp
index 53d009fc..6b92058f 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/falco.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/falco.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ static void usage()
 	   " -p, --pidfile <pid_file>      When run as a daemon, write pid to specified file\n"
            " -e <events_file>              Read the events from <events_file> (in .scap format) instead of tapping into live.\n"
            " -r <rules_file>               Rules file (defaults to value set in configuration file, or /etc/falco_rules.yaml).\n"
+	   " -L                            Show the name and description of all rules and exit.\n"
+	   " -l <rule>                     Show the name and description of the rule with name <rule> and exit.\n"
 	   "\n"
     );
 }
@@ -217,6 +219,8 @@ int falco_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	lua_State* ls = NULL;
 	bool daemon = false;
 	string pidfilename = "/var/run/falco.pid";
+	bool describe_all_rules = false;
+	string describe_rule = "";
 
 	static struct option long_options[] =
 	{
@@ -236,7 +240,7 @@ int falco_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		// Parse the args
 		//
 		while((op = getopt_long(argc, argv,
-                                        "c:ho:e:r:dp:",
+                                        "c:ho:e:r:dp:Ll:",
                                         long_options, &long_index)) != -1)
 		{
 			switch(op)
@@ -262,6 +266,12 @@ int falco_init(int argc, char **argv)
 			case 'p':
 				pidfilename = optarg;
 				break;
+			case 'L':
+				describe_all_rules = true;
+				break;
+			case 'l':
+				describe_rule = optarg;
+				break;
 			case '?':
 				result = EXIT_FAILURE;
 				goto exit;
@@ -359,6 +369,18 @@ int falco_init(int argc, char **argv)
 		inspector->set_filter(rules->get_filter());
 		falco_logger::log(LOG_INFO, "Parsed rules from file " + config.m_rules_filename + "\n");
 
+		if (describe_all_rules)
+		{
+			rules->describe_rule(NULL);
+			goto exit;
+		}
+
+		if (describe_rule != "")
+		{
+			rules->describe_rule(&describe_rule);
+			goto exit;
+		}
+
 		inspector->set_hostname_and_port_resolution_mode(false);
 
 		if (config.m_json_output)
diff --git a/userspace/falco/lua/rule_loader.lua b/userspace/falco/lua/rule_loader.lua
index e7e9c7c5..f5cc8882 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/lua/rule_loader.lua
+++ b/userspace/falco/lua/rule_loader.lua
@@ -182,6 +182,54 @@ function load_rules(filename)
    io.flush()
 end
 
+local rule_fmt = "%-50s %s"
+
+-- http://lua-users.org/wiki/StringRecipes, with simplifications and bugfixes
+local function wrap(str, limit, indent)
+   indent = indent or ""
+   limit = limit or 72
+   local here = 1
+   return str:gsub("(%s+)()(%S+)()",
+		   function(sp, st, word, fi)
+		      if fi-here > limit then
+			 here = st
+			 return "\n"..indent..word
+		      end
+                   end)
+end
+
+local function describe_single_rule(name)
+   if (state.rules_by_name[name] == nil) then
+      error ("No such rule: "..name)
+   end
+
+   -- Wrap the description into an multiple lines each of length ~ 60
+   -- chars, with indenting to line up with the first line.
+   local wrapped = wrap(state.rules_by_name[name]['desc'], 60, string.format(rule_fmt, "", ""))
+
+   local line = string.format(rule_fmt, name, wrapped)
+   print(line)
+   print()
+end
+
+-- If name is nil, describe all rules
+function describe_rule(name)
+
+   print()
+   local line = string.format(rule_fmt, "Rule", "Description")
+   print(line)
+   line = string.format(rule_fmt, "----", "-----------")
+   print(line)
+
+   if name == nil then
+      for rulename, rule in pairs(state.rules_by_name) do
+	 describe_single_rule(rulename)
+      end
+   else
+      describe_single_rule(name)
+   end
+end
+
 function on_event(evt_, rule_id)
 
    if state.rules_by_idx[rule_id] == nil then
diff --git a/userspace/falco/rules.cpp b/userspace/falco/rules.cpp
index 5e3fa45a..dc2b7072 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/rules.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/rules.cpp
@@ -89,10 +89,34 @@ void falco_rules::load_rules(string rules_filename)
 			throw sinsp_exception(err);
 		}
 	} else {
-		throw sinsp_exception("No function " + m_lua_load_rules + " found in lua compiler module");
+		throw sinsp_exception("No function " + m_lua_load_rules + " found in lua rule module");
 	}
 }
 
+void falco_rules::describe_rule(std::string *rule)
+{
+	lua_getglobal(m_ls, m_lua_describe_rule.c_str());
+	if(lua_isfunction(m_ls, -1))
+	{
+		if (rule == NULL)
+		{
+			lua_pushnil(m_ls);
+		} else {
+			lua_pushstring(m_ls, rule->c_str());
+		}
+
+		if(lua_pcall(m_ls, 1, 0, 0) != 0)
+		{
+			const char* lerr = lua_tostring(m_ls, -1);
+			string err = "Could not describe " + (rule == NULL ? "all rules" : "rule " + *rule) + ": " + string(lerr);
+			throw sinsp_exception(err);
+		}
+	} else {
+		throw sinsp_exception("No function " + m_lua_describe_rule + " found in lua rule module");
+	}
+}
+
+
 sinsp_filter* falco_rules::get_filter()
 {
 	return m_lua_parser->get_filter();
diff --git a/userspace/falco/rules.h b/userspace/falco/rules.h
index 0d5655e8..91bf6fa5 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/rules.h
+++ b/userspace/falco/rules.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ class falco_rules
 	falco_rules(sinsp* inspector, lua_State *ls, string lua_main_filename);
 	~falco_rules();
 	void load_rules(string rules_filename);
+	void describe_rule(string *rule);
 	sinsp_filter* get_filter();
 
  private:
@@ -22,4 +23,5 @@ class falco_rules
 	string m_lua_ignored_syscalls = "ignored_syscalls";
 	string m_lua_ignored_events = "ignored_events";
 	string m_lua_on_event = "on_event";
+	string m_lua_describe_rule = "describe_rule";
 };