diff --git a/command/lock.go b/command/lock.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e6b2d211bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/lock.go
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+package command
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/state"
+)
+
+// LockCommand is a cli.Command implementation that manually locks
+// the state.
+type LockCommand struct {
+	Meta
+}
+
+func (c *LockCommand) Run(args []string) int {
+	args = c.Meta.process(args, false)
+
+	cmdFlags := c.Meta.flagSet("lock")
+	cmdFlags.Usage = func() { c.Ui.Error(c.Help()) }
+	if err := cmdFlags.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	// assume everything is initialized. The user can manually init if this is
+	// required.
+	configPath, err := ModulePath(cmdFlags.Args())
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(err.Error())
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	// Load the backend
+	b, err := c.Backend(&BackendOpts{
+		ConfigPath: configPath,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to load backend: %s", err))
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	st, err := b.State()
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to load state: %s", err))
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	s, ok := st.(state.Locker)
+	if !ok {
+		c.Ui.Error("Current state does not support locking")
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	if err := s.Lock("lock"); err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to lock state: %s", err))
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	return 0
+}
+
+func (c *LockCommand) Help() string {
+	helpText := `
+Usage: terraform lock [DIR]
+
+  Manually lock the state for the defined configuration.
+
+  This will not modify your infrastructure. This command obtains a lock on the
+  state for the current configuration. The behavior of this lock is dependent
+  on the backend being used. A lock on a local state file only lasts for the
+  duration of the calling process.
+`
+	return strings.TrimSpace(helpText)
+}
+
+func (c *LockCommand) Synopsis() string {
+	return "Manually lock the terraform state"
+}
diff --git a/command/lock_test.go b/command/lock_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0e5331133e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/lock_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package command
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
+)
+
+func TestLock(t *testing.T) {
+	testData, _ := filepath.Abs("./testdata")
+
+	td := tempDir(t)
+	os.MkdirAll(td, 0755)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(td)
+	defer testChdir(t, td)()
+
+	// Write the legacy state
+	statePath := DefaultStateFilename
+	{
+		f, err := os.Create(statePath)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+		err = terraform.WriteState(testState(), f)
+		f.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	p := testProvider()
+	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+	c := &LockCommand{
+		Meta: Meta{
+			ContextOpts: testCtxConfig(p),
+			Ui:          ui,
+		},
+	}
+
+	if code := c.Run(nil); code != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %d\n\n%s", code, ui.ErrorWriter.String())
+	}
+
+	unlock, err := testLockState(testData, statePath)
+	if err == nil {
+		unlock()
+		t.Fatal("expected error locking state")
+	} else if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "locked") {
+		t.Fatal("does not appear to be a lock error:", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLock_lockedState(t *testing.T) {
+	testData, _ := filepath.Abs("./testdata")
+
+	td := tempDir(t)
+	os.MkdirAll(td, 0755)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(td)
+	defer testChdir(t, td)()
+
+	// Write the legacy state
+	statePath := DefaultStateFilename
+	{
+		f, err := os.Create(statePath)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+		err = terraform.WriteState(testState(), f)
+		f.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	p := testProvider()
+	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+	c := &LockCommand{
+		Meta: Meta{
+			ContextOpts: testCtxConfig(p),
+			Ui:          ui,
+		},
+	}
+
+	unlock, err := testLockState(testData, statePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer unlock()
+
+	if code := c.Run(nil); code == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("expected error when locking a locked state")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/command/unlock.go b/command/unlock.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c31e82ad97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/unlock.go
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+package command
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/state"
+)
+
+// UnlockCommand is a cli.Command implementation that manually unlocks
+// the state.
+type UnlockCommand struct {
+	Meta
+}
+
+func (c *UnlockCommand) Run(args []string) int {
+	args = c.Meta.process(args, false)
+
+	cmdFlags := c.Meta.flagSet("unlock")
+	cmdFlags.Usage = func() { c.Ui.Error(c.Help()) }
+	if err := cmdFlags.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	// assume everything is initialized. The user can manually init if this is
+	// required.
+	configPath, err := ModulePath(cmdFlags.Args())
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(err.Error())
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	// Load the backend
+	b, err := c.Backend(&BackendOpts{
+		ConfigPath: configPath,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to load backend: %s", err))
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	st, err := b.State()
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to load state: %s", err))
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	s, ok := st.(state.Locker)
+	if !ok {
+		c.Ui.Error("Current state does not support locking")
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	if err := s.Unlock(); err != nil {
+		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to unlock state: %s", err))
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	return 0
+}
+
+func (c *UnlockCommand) Help() string {
+	helpText := `
+Usage: terraform unlock [DIR]
+
+  Manually unlock the state for the defined configuration.
+
+  This will not modify your infrastructure. This command removes the lock on the
+  state for the current configuration. The behavior of this lock is dependent
+  on the backend being used. Local state files cannot be unlocked by another
+  process.
+`
+	return strings.TrimSpace(helpText)
+}
+
+func (c *UnlockCommand) Synopsis() string {
+	return "Manually unlock the terraform state"
+}
diff --git a/command/unlock_test.go b/command/unlock_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b133dcb187
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/unlock_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package command
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
+)
+
+// Since we can't unlock a local state file, just test that calling unlock
+// doesn't fail.
+// TODO: mock remote state for UI testing
+func TestUnlock(t *testing.T) {
+	td := tempDir(t)
+	os.MkdirAll(td, 0755)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(td)
+	defer testChdir(t, td)()
+
+	// Write the legacy state
+	statePath := DefaultStateFilename
+	{
+		f, err := os.Create(statePath)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+		err = terraform.WriteState(testState(), f)
+		f.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	p := testProvider()
+	ui := new(cli.MockUi)
+	c := &UnlockCommand{
+		Meta: Meta{
+			ContextOpts: testCtxConfig(p),
+			Ui:          ui,
+		},
+	}
+
+	if code := c.Run(nil); code != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %d\n\n%s", code, ui.ErrorWriter.String())
+	}
+}