diff --git a/cli/recipe/upgrade.go b/cli/recipe/upgrade.go
index dfbc849f..a243858e 100644
--- a/cli/recipe/upgrade.go
+++ b/cli/recipe/upgrade.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package recipe
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path"
@@ -27,6 +28,15 @@ type imgPin struct {
 	version tagcmp.Tag
 }
 
+// anUpgrade represents a single service upgrade (as within a recipe), and the list of tags that it can be upgraded to,
+// for serialization purposes.
+type anUpgrade struct {
+	Service     string   `json:"service"`
+	Image       string   `json:"image"`
+	Tag         string   `json:"tag"`
+	UpgradeTags []string `json:"upgrades"`
+}
+
 var recipeUpgradeCommand = cli.Command{
 	Name:    "upgrade",
 	Aliases: []string{"u"},
@@ -56,6 +66,7 @@ You may invoke this command in "wizard" mode and be prompted for input:
 		internal.PatchFlag,
 		internal.MinorFlag,
 		internal.MajorFlag,
+		internal.MachineReadableFlag,
 		internal.AllTagsFlag,
 	},
 	Before: internal.SubCommandBefore,
@@ -75,6 +86,13 @@ You may invoke this command in "wizard" mode and be prompted for input:
 			}
 		}
 
+		if internal.MachineReadable {
+			// -m implies -n in this case
+			internal.NoInput = true
+		}
+
+		upgradeList := make(map[string]anUpgrade)
+
 		// check for versions file and load pinned versions
 		versionsPresent := false
 		recipeDir := path.Join(config.RECIPES_DIR, recipe.Name)
@@ -241,14 +259,37 @@ You may invoke this command in "wizard" mode and be prompted for input:
 						}
 					}
 
-					prompt := &survey.Select{
-						Message: msg,
-						Help:    "enter / return to confirm, choose 'skip' to not upgrade this tag, vim mode is enabled",
-						VimMode: true,
-						Options: compatibleStrings,
+					// there is always at least the item "skip" in compatibleStrings (a list of
+					// possible upgradable tags) and at least one other tag.
+					upgradableTags := compatibleStrings[1:]
+					upgrade := anUpgrade{
+						Service:     service.Name,
+						Image:       image,
+						Tag:         tag.String(),
+						UpgradeTags: make([]string, len(upgradableTags)),
 					}
-					if err := survey.AskOne(prompt, &upgradeTag); err != nil {
-						logrus.Fatal(err)
+
+					for n, s := range upgradableTags {
+						var sb strings.Builder
+						if _, err := sb.WriteString(s); err != nil {
+						}
+						upgrade.UpgradeTags[n] = sb.String()
+					}
+
+					upgradeList[upgrade.Service] = upgrade
+
+					if internal.NoInput {
+						upgradeTag = "skip"
+					} else {
+						prompt := &survey.Select{
+							Message: msg,
+							Help:    "enter / return to confirm, choose 'skip' to not upgrade this tag, vim mode is enabled",
+							VimMode: true,
+							Options: compatibleStrings,
+						}
+						if err := survey.AskOne(prompt, &upgradeTag); err != nil {
+							logrus.Fatal(err)
+						}
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -261,10 +302,30 @@ You may invoke this command in "wizard" mode and be prompted for input:
 					logrus.Infof("tag upgraded from %s to %s for %s", tag.String(), upgradeTag, image)
 				}
 			} else {
-				logrus.Warnf("not upgrading %s, skipping as requested", image)
+				if !internal.NoInput {
+					logrus.Warnf("not upgrading %s, skipping as requested", image)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
+		if internal.NoInput {
+			if internal.MachineReadable {
+				jsonstring, err := json.Marshal(upgradeList)
+				if err != nil {
+					logrus.Fatal(err)
+				}
+
+				fmt.Println(string(jsonstring))
+				return nil
+			}
+
+			for _, upgrade := range upgradeList {
+				logrus.Infof("can upgrade service: %s, image: %s, tag: %s ::\n", upgrade.Service, upgrade.Image, upgrade.Tag)
+				for _, utag := range upgrade.UpgradeTags {
+					logrus.Infof("    %s\n", utag)
+				}
+			}
+		}
 		return nil
 	},
 }