diff --git a/lib/mix/tasks/ecto.query.ex b/lib/mix/tasks/ecto.query.ex
index b294997b..1e5983b4 100644
--- a/lib/mix/tasks/ecto.query.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/tasks/ecto.query.ex
@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Ecto.Query do
   @shortdoc "Runs a query against the repository"
 
   @switches [
+    explain: :boolean,
     limit: :integer,
     repo: [:string, :keep],
-    sql: :boolean,
+    to_sql: :boolean,
     no_compile: :boolean,
     no_deps_check: :boolean
   ]
@@ -24,19 +25,21 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Ecto.Query do
   If a local `.iex.exs` file exists, only aliases from the file are made
   available to the query.
 
-  The query runs inside a read-only transaction.
+  Unless `--to-sql` or `--explain` is given, the query runs inside a read-only transaction.
 
   ## Examples
 
       $ mix ecto.query "from p in Post, where: p.published"
       $ mix ecto.query -r Custom.Repo "from p in Post, limit: 10"
-      $ mix ecto.query --sql "from p in Post, where: p.published"
+      $ mix ecto.query --to-sql "from p in Post, where: p.published"
+      $ mix ecto.query --explain "from p in Post, where: p.published"
 
   ## Command line options
 
     * `-r`, `--repo` - the repo to query
     * `--limit` - limits the number of printed entries. Defaults to 100.
-    * `--sql` - prints the generated SQL and parameters instead of running the query
+    * `--to-sql` - prints the generated SQL and parameters instead of running the query
+    * `--explain` - prints the query plan instead of running the query
 
   """
 
@@ -67,26 +70,37 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Ecto.Query do
       end
 
     limit = Keyword.get(opts, :limit, @default_limit)
+    explain? = Keyword.get(opts, :explain, false)
+    to_sql? = Keyword.get(opts, :to_sql, false)
 
     if limit < 0 do
       Mix.raise("ecto.query expects --limit to be greater than or equal to zero")
     end
 
+    if explain? and to_sql? do
+      Mix.raise("ecto.query expects only one of --explain or --to-sql to be given")
+    end
+
     Mix.Task.run("app.start", args)
     ensure_repo(repo, args)
 
     query = eval_query(query)
 
     result =
-      if opts[:sql] do
-        {:ok, format_sql(repo, query)}
-      else
-        read_only_transaction(repo, fn ->
-          query
-          |> repo.all()
-          |> Enum.take(limit)
-          |> inspect_entries()
-        end)
+      cond do
+        explain? ->
+          {:ok, repo.explain(:all, query)}
+
+        to_sql? ->
+          {:ok, format_sql(repo, query)}
+
+        true ->
+          read_only_transaction(repo, fn ->
+            query
+            |> repo.all()
+            |> Enum.take(limit)
+            |> inspect_entries()
+          end)
       end
 
     result
diff --git a/test/mix/tasks/ecto.query_test.exs b/test/mix/tasks/ecto.query_test.exs
index 7ca1e671..66266e3e 100644
--- a/test/mix/tasks/ecto.query_test.exs
+++ b/test/mix/tasks/ecto.query_test.exs
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Ecto.QueryTest do
     assert Inspect.Opts.default_inspect_fun() == previous_fun
   end
 
-  test "prints SQL and params with --sql" do
+  test "prints SQL and params with --to-sql" do
     Process.put(
       :test_repo_to_sql,
       {"SELECT p0.\"id\" FROM \"posts\" AS p0 WHERE (p0.\"id\" = $1)", [1]}
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Ecto.QueryTest do
       run([
         "-r",
         to_string(__MODULE__.PostgresRepo),
-        "--sql",
+        "--to-sql",
         "from(p in Post, where: p.id == ^1)"
       ])
 
@@ -202,6 +202,17 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Ecto.QueryTest do
     end)
   end
 
+  test "prints explain plan with --explain" do
+    Process.put(:test_repo_explain, "Seq Scan on posts p0")
+
+    run(["-r", to_string(__MODULE__.PostgresRepo), "--explain", inspect(Post)])
+
+    assert_received {:explain, :all, %Ecto.Query{}, []}
+    refute_received {:all, _query}
+    refute_received {:read_only_transaction, __MODULE__.PostgresRepo, _fun, _opts}
+    assert_received {:mix_shell, :info, ["Seq Scan on posts p0"]}
+  end
+
   test "runs MySQL queries in a read-only transaction" do
     Process.put(:test_repo_all_results, [[1, "first", "hunter2"]])
 
@@ -216,7 +227,7 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Ecto.QueryTest do
   test "prints MySQL SQL without starting a transaction" do
     Process.put(:test_repo_to_sql, {"SELECT p0.`id` FROM `posts` AS p0", []})
 
-    run(["-r", to_string(__MODULE__.MyXQLRepo), "--sql", inspect(Post)])
+    run(["-r", to_string(__MODULE__.MyXQLRepo), "--to-sql", inspect(Post)])
 
     refute_received {:myxql_read_only_transaction, __MODULE__.MyXQLRepo, _fun, _opts}
     assert_received {:myxql_to_sql, :all, %Ecto.Query{}, []}
@@ -269,6 +280,20 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Ecto.QueryTest do
                  end
   end
 
+  test "raises when explain and to_sql are given together" do
+    assert_raise Mix.Error,
+                 "ecto.query expects only one of --explain or --to-sql to be given",
+                 fn ->
+                   run([
+                     "-r",
+                     to_string(__MODULE__.PostgresRepo),
+                     "--explain",
+                     "--to-sql",
+                     inspect(Post)
+                   ])
+                 end
+  end
+
   test "raises when the adapter does not support read-only transactions" do
     assert_raise ArgumentError, ~r/read-only transactions are not supported/, fn ->
       run(["-r", to_string(__MODULE__.NoReadOnlyRepo), inspect(Post)])
@@ -323,6 +348,11 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Ecto.QueryTest do
       send(self(), {:to_sql, operation, queryable, opts})
       Process.get(:test_repo_to_sql, {"SELECT s0.\"id\" FROM \"posts\" AS s0", []})
     end
+
+    def explain(operation, queryable, opts \\ []) do
+      send(self(), {:explain, operation, queryable, opts})
+      Process.get(:test_repo_explain, "Seq Scan on posts p0")
+    end
   end
 
   defmodule PostgresAdapter do