diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/main.go b/cmd/skopeo/main.go
index 3c791076..28b26229 100644
--- a/cmd/skopeo/main.go
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/main.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/containers/image/signature"
 	"github.com/projectatomic/skopeo/version"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
@@ -50,6 +51,11 @@ func createApp() *cli.App {
 			Name:  "tls-verify",
 			Usage: "verify certificates",
 		},
+		cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:  "policy",
+			Value: "",
+			Usage: "Path to a signature verification policy file",
+		},
 	}
 	app.Before = func(c *cli.Context) error {
 		if c.GlobalBool("debug") {
@@ -75,3 +81,19 @@ func main() {
 		logrus.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
+
+// getPolicyContext handles the global "policy" flag.
+func getPolicyContext(c *cli.Context) (*signature.PolicyContext, error) {
+	policyPath := c.GlobalString("policy")
+	var policy *signature.Policy // This could be cached across calls, if we had an application context.
+	var err error
+	if policyPath == "" {
+		policy, err = signature.DefaultPolicy(nil)
+	} else {
+		policy, err = signature.NewPolicyFromFile(policyPath)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return signature.NewPolicyContext(policy)
+}
diff --git a/docs/skopeo.1.md b/docs/skopeo.1.md
index 90852d6f..957f4211 100644
--- a/docs/skopeo.1.md
+++ b/docs/skopeo.1.md
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ Most commands refer to container images, using a _transport_`:`_details_ format.
 
   **--cert-path** _path_ Use certificates at _path_ (cert.pem, key.pem) to connect to the registry
 
+  **--policy** _path-to-policy_ Path to a policy.json file to use for verifying signatures and
+  deciding whether an image is accepted, instead of the default policy.
+
   **--tls-verify** _bool-value_ Verify certificates
 
   **--help**|**-h** Show help
@@ -128,6 +131,11 @@ Verify a signature using local files, digest will be printed on success.
 ## skopeo help
 show help for `skopeo`
 
+# FILES
+  **/etc/containers/policy.json**
+  Default signature verification policy file, if **--policy** is not specified.
+  The policy format is documented in https://github.com/containers/image/blob/master/docs/policy.json.md .
+
 # EXAMPLES
 
 ## skopeo copy