diff --git a/weed/command/filer_export.go b/weed/command/filer_export.go
index 9bd0f3014..d05607bf5 100644
--- a/weed/command/filer_export.go
+++ b/weed/command/filer_export.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/server"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/notification"
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -22,14 +24,18 @@ var cmdFilerExport = &Command{
 
 	If target store is empty, only the directory tree will be listed.
 
+	If target store is "notification", the list of entries will be sent to notification.
+	This is usually used to bootstrap filer replication to a remote system.
+
   `,
 }
 
 var (
 	// filerExportOutputFile  = cmdFilerExport.Flag.String("output", "", "the output file. If empty, only list out the directory tree")
 	filerExportSourceStore = cmdFilerExport.Flag.String("sourceStore", "", "the source store name in filer.toml")
-	filerExportTargetStore = cmdFilerExport.Flag.String("targetStore", "", "the target store name in filer.toml")
+	filerExportTargetStore = cmdFilerExport.Flag.String("targetStore", "", "the target store name in filer.toml, or \"notification\" to export all files to message queue")
 	dirListLimit           = cmdFilerExport.Flag.Int("dirListLimit", 100000, "limit directory list size")
+	dryRun                 = cmdFilerExport.Flag.Bool("dryRun", false, "not actually moving data")
 )
 
 type statistics struct {
@@ -48,7 +54,7 @@ func runFilerExport(cmd *Command, args []string) bool {
 		if store.GetName() == *filerExportSourceStore {
 			viperSub := config.Sub(store.GetName())
 			if err := store.Initialize(viperSub); err != nil {
-				glog.Fatalf("Failed to initialize store for %s: %+v",
+				glog.Fatalf("Failed to initialize source store for %s: %+v",
 					store.GetName(), err)
 			} else {
 				sourceStore = store
@@ -61,7 +67,7 @@ func runFilerExport(cmd *Command, args []string) bool {
 		if store.GetName() == *filerExportTargetStore {
 			viperSub := config.Sub(store.GetName())
 			if err := store.Initialize(viperSub); err != nil {
-				glog.Fatalf("Failed to initialize store for %s: %+v",
+				glog.Fatalf("Failed to initialize target store for %s: %+v",
 					store.GetName(), err)
 			} else {
 				targetStore = store
@@ -79,14 +85,44 @@ func runFilerExport(cmd *Command, args []string) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
+	if targetStore == nil && *filerExportTargetStore != "" && *filerExportTargetStore != "notification" {
+		glog.Errorf("Failed to find target store %s", *filerExportTargetStore)
+		println("existing data sources are:")
+		for _, store := range filer2.Stores {
+			println("    " + store.GetName())
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+
 	stat := statistics{}
 
 	var fn func(level int, entry *filer2.Entry) error
 
-	if targetStore == nil {
+	if *filerExportTargetStore == "notification" {
+		weed_server.LoadConfiguration("notification", false)
+		v := viper.GetViper()
+		notification.LoadConfiguration(v.Sub("notification"))
+
+		fn = func(level int, entry *filer2.Entry) error {
+			printout(level, entry)
+			if *dryRun {
+				return nil
+			}
+			return notification.Queue.SendMessage(
+				string(entry.FullPath),
+				&filer_pb.EventNotification{
+					NewEntry: entry.ToProtoEntry(),
+				},
+			)
+		}
+	} else if targetStore == nil {
 		fn = printout
 	} else {
 		fn = func(level int, entry *filer2.Entry) error {
+			printout(level, entry)
+			if *dryRun {
+				return nil
+			}
 			return targetStore.InsertEntry(entry)
 		}
 	}
@@ -126,7 +162,11 @@ func doTraverse(stat *statistics, filerStore filer2.FilerStore, parentPath filer
 
 func printout(level int, entry *filer2.Entry) error {
 	for i := 0; i < level; i++ {
-		print("  ")
+		if i == level-1 {
+			print("+-")
+		} else {
+			print("| ")
+		}
 	}
 	println(entry.FullPath.Name())
 	return nil
diff --git a/weed/filer2/entry.go b/weed/filer2/entry.go
index 82bc00b27..11318a3ae 100644
--- a/weed/filer2/entry.go
+++ b/weed/filer2/entry.go
@@ -43,3 +43,15 @@ func (entry *Entry) Timestamp() time.Time {
 		return entry.Mtime
 	}
 }
+
+func (entry *Entry) ToProtoEntry() *filer_pb.Entry {
+	if entry == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return &filer_pb.Entry{
+		Name:        string(entry.FullPath),
+		IsDirectory: entry.IsDirectory(),
+		Attributes:  EntryAttributeToPb(entry),
+		Chunks:      entry.Chunks,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/weed/filer2/filer_notify.go b/weed/filer2/filer_notify.go
index 44928516c..b3c215249 100644
--- a/weed/filer2/filer_notify.go
+++ b/weed/filer2/filer_notify.go
@@ -23,23 +23,11 @@ func (f *Filer) NotifyUpdateEvent(oldEntry, newEntry *Entry, deleteChunks bool)
 		notification.Queue.SendMessage(
 			key,
 			&filer_pb.EventNotification{
-				OldEntry:     toProtoEntry(oldEntry),
-				NewEntry:     toProtoEntry(newEntry),
+				OldEntry:     oldEntry.ToProtoEntry(),
+				NewEntry:     newEntry.ToProtoEntry(),
 				DeleteChunks: deleteChunks,
 			},
 		)
 
 	}
 }
-
-func toProtoEntry(entry *Entry) *filer_pb.Entry {
-	if entry == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-	return &filer_pb.Entry{
-		Name:        string(entry.FullPath),
-		IsDirectory: entry.IsDirectory(),
-		Attributes:  EntryAttributeToPb(entry),
-		Chunks:      entry.Chunks,
-	}
-}
diff --git a/weed/filer2/filer_notify_test.go b/weed/filer2/filer_notify_test.go
index ab54cd1a2..b74e2ad35 100644
--- a/weed/filer2/filer_notify_test.go
+++ b/weed/filer2/filer_notify_test.go
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ func TestProtoMarshalText(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	notification := &filer_pb.EventNotification{
-		OldEntry:     toProtoEntry(oldEntry),
-		NewEntry:     toProtoEntry(nil),
+		OldEntry:     oldEntry.ToProtoEntry(),
+		NewEntry:     nil,
 		DeleteChunks: true,
 	}