diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 49960186..85e923b0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -159,6 +159,13 @@ grpcurl -protoset my-protos.bin list
 
 # Using proto sources
 grpcurl -import-path ../protos -proto my-stuff.proto list
+
+# Export proto files (use -proto-out-dir to specify the output directory)
+grpcurl -plaintext -proto-out-dir "out_protos" "localhost:8787" describe my.custom.server.Service
+
+# Export protoset file (use -protoset-out to specify the output file)
+grpcurl -plaintext -protoset-out "out.protoset" "localhost:8787" describe my.custom.server.Service
+
 ```
 
 The "list" verb also lets you see all methods in a particular service:
diff --git a/cmd/grpcurl/grpcurl.go b/cmd/grpcurl/grpcurl.go
index 70d079bc..80f87bfc 100644
--- a/cmd/grpcurl/grpcurl.go
+++ b/cmd/grpcurl/grpcurl.go
@@ -151,6 +151,14 @@ var (
 		file if this option is given. When invoking an RPC and this option is
 		given, the method being invoked and its transitive dependencies will be
 		included in the output file.`))
+	protoOut = flags.String("proto-out-dir", "", prettify(`
+		The name of a directory where the generated .proto files will be written.
+		With the list and describe verbs, the listed or described elements and
+		their transitive dependencies will be written as .proto files in the
+		specified directory if this option is given. When invoking an RPC and
+		this option is given, the method being invoked and its transitive
+		dependencies will be included in the generated .proto files in the
+		output directory.`))
 	msgTemplate = flags.Bool("msg-template", false, prettify(`
 		When describing messages, show a template of input data.`))
 	verbose = flags.Bool("v", false, prettify(`
@@ -645,6 +653,9 @@ func main() {
 			if err := writeProtoset(descSource, svcs...); err != nil {
 				fail(err, "Failed to write protoset to %s", *protosetOut)
 			}
+			if err := writeProtos(descSource, svcs...); err != nil {
+				fail(err, "Failed to write protos to %s", *protoOut)
+			}
 		} else {
 			methods, err := grpcurl.ListMethods(descSource, symbol)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -660,6 +671,9 @@ func main() {
 			if err := writeProtoset(descSource, symbol); err != nil {
 				fail(err, "Failed to write protoset to %s", *protosetOut)
 			}
+			if err := writeProtos(descSource, symbol); err != nil {
+				fail(err, "Failed to write protos to %s", *protoOut)
+			}
 		}
 
 	} else if describe {
@@ -764,6 +778,9 @@ func main() {
 		if err := writeProtoset(descSource, symbols...); err != nil {
 			fail(err, "Failed to write protoset to %s", *protosetOut)
 		}
+		if err := writeProtos(descSource, symbol); err != nil {
+			fail(err, "Failed to write protos to %s", *protoOut)
+		}
 
 	} else {
 		// Invoke an RPC
@@ -923,6 +940,13 @@ func writeProtoset(descSource grpcurl.DescriptorSource, symbols ...string) error
 	return grpcurl.WriteProtoset(f, descSource, symbols...)
 }
 
+func writeProtos(descSource grpcurl.DescriptorSource, symbols ...string) error {
+	if *protoOut == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return grpcurl.WriteProtoFiles(*protoOut, descSource, symbols...)
+}
+
 type optionalBoolFlag struct {
 	set, val bool
 }
diff --git a/desc_source.go b/desc_source.go
index d12fae0d..87f1403b 100644
--- a/desc_source.go
+++ b/desc_source.go
@@ -6,11 +6,13 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto" //lint:ignore SA1019 we have to import this because it appears in exported API
 	"github.com/jhump/protoreflect/desc"
 	"github.com/jhump/protoreflect/desc/protoparse"
+	"github.com/jhump/protoreflect/desc/protoprint"
 	"github.com/jhump/protoreflect/dynamic"
 	"github.com/jhump/protoreflect/grpcreflect"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
@@ -258,19 +260,9 @@ func reflectionSupport(err error) error {
 // given output. The output will include descriptors for all files in which the
 // symbols are defined as well as their transitive dependencies.
 func WriteProtoset(out io.Writer, descSource DescriptorSource, symbols ...string) error {
-	// compute set of file descriptors
-	filenames := make([]string, 0, len(symbols))
-	fds := make(map[string]*desc.FileDescriptor, len(symbols))
-	for _, sym := range symbols {
-		d, err := descSource.FindSymbol(sym)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to find descriptor for %q: %v", sym, err)
-		}
-		fd := d.GetFile()
-		if _, ok := fds[fd.GetName()]; !ok {
-			fds[fd.GetName()] = fd
-			filenames = append(filenames, fd.GetName())
-		}
+	filenames, fds, err := getFileDescriptors(symbols, descSource)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	// now expand that to include transitive dependencies in topologically sorted
 	// order (such that file always appears after its dependencies)
@@ -302,3 +294,76 @@ func addFilesToSet(allFiles []*descriptorpb.FileDescriptorProto, expanded map[st
 	}
 	return append(allFiles, fd.AsFileDescriptorProto())
 }
+
+// WriteProtoFiles will use the given descriptor source to resolve all the given
+// symbols and write proto files with their definitions to the given output directory.
+func WriteProtoFiles(outProtoDirPath string, descSource DescriptorSource, symbols ...string) error {
+	filenames, fds, err := getFileDescriptors(symbols, descSource)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// now expand that to include transitive dependencies in topologically sorted
+	// order (such that file always appears after its dependencies)
+	expandedFiles := make(map[string]struct{}, len(fds))
+	allFileDescriptors := make([]*desc.FileDescriptor, 0, len(fds))
+	for _, filename := range filenames {
+		allFileDescriptors = addFilesToFileDescriptorList(allFileDescriptors, expandedFiles, fds[filename])
+	}
+	pr := protoprint.Printer{}
+	// now we can serialize to files
+	for i := range allFileDescriptors {
+		if err := writeProtoFile(outProtoDirPath, allFileDescriptors[i], &pr); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func writeProtoFile(outProtoDirPath string, fd *desc.FileDescriptor, pr *protoprint.Printer) error {
+	outFile := filepath.Join(outProtoDirPath, fd.GetFullyQualifiedName())
+	outDir := filepath.Dir(outFile)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(outDir, 0777); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create directory %q: %w", outDir, err)
+	}
+
+	f, err := os.Create(outFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create proto file %q: %w", outFile, err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	if err := pr.PrintProtoFile(fd, f); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write proto file %q: %w", outFile, err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func getFileDescriptors(symbols []string, descSource DescriptorSource) ([]string, map[string]*desc.FileDescriptor, error) {
+	// compute set of file descriptors
+	filenames := make([]string, 0, len(symbols))
+	fds := make(map[string]*desc.FileDescriptor, len(symbols))
+	for _, sym := range symbols {
+		d, err := descSource.FindSymbol(sym)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to find descriptor for %q: %v", sym, err)
+		}
+		fd := d.GetFile()
+		if _, ok := fds[fd.GetName()]; !ok {
+			fds[fd.GetName()] = fd
+			filenames = append(filenames, fd.GetName())
+		}
+	}
+	return filenames, fds, nil
+}
+
+func addFilesToFileDescriptorList(allFiles []*desc.FileDescriptor, expanded map[string]struct{}, fd *desc.FileDescriptor) []*desc.FileDescriptor {
+	if _, ok := expanded[fd.GetName()]; ok {
+		// already seen this one
+		return allFiles
+	}
+	expanded[fd.GetName()] = struct{}{}
+	// add all dependencies first
+	for _, dep := range fd.GetDependencies() {
+		allFiles = addFilesToFileDescriptorList(allFiles, expanded, dep)
+	}
+	return append(allFiles, fd)
+}