diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index e59aba4..fcfb6d3 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -1 +1 @@
-waboring@hemna.com : 1
\ No newline at end of file
+waboring@hemna.com : 1
diff --git a/aprsd/main.py b/aprsd/main.py
index 25fc75b..1ed60bc 100644
--- a/aprsd/main.py
+++ b/aprsd/main.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ from oslo_config import cfg, generator
 import aprsd
 from aprsd import cli_helper, packets, threads, utils
 from aprsd.stats import collector
+from aprsd.utils import config_converter
 
 # setup the global logger
 # log.basicConfig(level=log.DEBUG) # level=10
@@ -108,8 +109,14 @@ def check_version(ctx):
 
 
 @cli.command()
+@click.option(
+    '--output-json',
+    default=False,
+    is_flag=True,
+    help='Output the sample config in JSON format instead of INI.',
+)
 @click.pass_context
-def sample_config(ctx):
+def sample_config(ctx, output_json):
     """Generate a sample Config file from aprsd and all installed plugins."""
 
     def _get_selected_entry_points():
@@ -151,8 +158,34 @@ def sample_config(ctx):
         if not sys.argv[1:]:
             raise SystemExit from ex
         raise
-    generator.generate(conf)
-    return
+
+    if not output_json:
+        generator.generate(conf)
+        return
+
+    import io
+    import json
+    from contextlib import redirect_stdout
+
+    from rich.console import Console
+
+    f = io.StringIO()
+    with redirect_stdout(f):
+        conf.format_ = 'json'
+        generator.generate(conf)
+
+    s = f.getvalue()
+    c = Console()
+    c.print_json(data=json.loads(s))
+
+
+@cli.command()
+@cli_helper.add_options(cli_helper.common_options)
+@click.pass_context
+@cli_helper.process_standard_options
+def json_config(ctx):
+    """Output the current loaded configuration in JSON format."""
+    click.echo(config_converter.conf_to_json(CONF))
 
 
 @cli.command()
diff --git a/requirements-dev.txt b/requirements-dev.txt
index 9f54a27..b545951 100644
--- a/requirements-dev.txt
+++ b/requirements-dev.txt
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ click==8.3.1              # via pip-tools
 colorama==0.4.6           # via tox
 coverage==7.13.1          # via pytest-cov
 distlib==0.4.0            # via virtualenv
-exceptiongroup==1.3.1     # via pytest
 filelock==3.20.0          # via tox, virtualenv
 identify==2.6.15          # via pre-commit
 iniconfig==2.3.0          # via pytest
@@ -32,13 +31,12 @@ pytest-cov==7.0.0         # via -r requirements-dev.in
 pyyaml==6.0.3             # via pre-commit
 ruff==0.14.13             # via -r requirements-dev.in
 setuptools==80.9.0        # via pip-tools
-tomli==2.4.0              # via build, coverage, mypy, pip-tools, pyproject-api, pytest, tox, tox-uv
 tox==4.32.0               # via tox-uv, -r requirements-dev.in
 tox-uv==1.29.0            # via -r requirements-dev.in
 types-pytz==2025.2.0.20251108  # via types-tzlocal, -r requirements-dev.in
 types-requests==2.32.4.20260107  # via -r requirements-dev.in
 types-tzlocal==5.1.0.1    # via -r requirements-dev.in
-typing-extensions==4.15.0  # via exceptiongroup, mypy, tox, virtualenv
+typing-extensions==4.15.0  # via mypy
 urllib3==2.6.2            # via types-requests
 uv==0.9.26                # via pre-commit-uv, tox-uv
 virtualenv==20.35.4       # via pre-commit, tox
diff --git a/tests/cmds/test_sample_config.py b/tests/cmds/test_sample_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae258ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cmds/test_sample_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+import sys
+import unittest
+from unittest import mock
+
+from click.testing import CliRunner
+
+from aprsd.main import cli
+
+
+class TestSampleConfigCommand(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Unit tests for the sample_config command."""
+
+    def _create_mock_entry_point(self, name):
+        """Create a mock entry point object."""
+        mock_entry = mock.Mock()
+        mock_entry.name = name
+        mock_entry.group = 'oslo.config.opts'
+        return mock_entry
+
+    @mock.patch('aprsd.main.generator.generate')
+    @mock.patch('aprsd.main.imp.entry_points')
+    @mock.patch('aprsd.main.metadata_version')
+    def test_sample_config_default_ini_output(
+        self, mock_version, mock_entry_points, mock_generate
+    ):
+        """Test sample_config command outputs INI format by default."""
+        mock_version.return_value = '1.0.0'
+        # Mock entry_points to return at least one aprsd entry point
+        # so that get_namespaces() returns a non-empty list
+        if sys.version_info >= (3, 10):
+            mock_entry_points.return_value = [
+                self._create_mock_entry_point('aprsd.conf')
+            ]
+        else:
+            # For Python < 3.10, entry_points() returns a dict-like object
+            mock_entry = self._create_mock_entry_point('aprsd.conf')
+            mock_dict = {'oslo.config.opts': [mock_entry]}
+            mock_entry_points.return_value = mock_dict
+
+        runner = CliRunner()
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            cli,
+            ['sample-config'],
+            catch_exceptions=False,
+        )
+
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        # Verify generator.generate was called
+        mock_generate.assert_called_once()
+        # The conf object passed should not have format_ set to 'json'
+        call_args = mock_generate.call_args
+        conf_obj = call_args[0][0]
+        # When output_json is False, format_ should not be set to 'json'
+        assert not hasattr(conf_obj, 'format_') or conf_obj.format_ != 'json'
+
+    @mock.patch('rich.console.Console')
+    @mock.patch('aprsd.main.generator.generate')
+    @mock.patch('aprsd.main.imp.entry_points')
+    @mock.patch('aprsd.main.metadata_version')
+    def test_sample_config_json_output(
+        self, mock_version, mock_entry_points, mock_generate, mock_console
+    ):
+        """Test sample_config command with --output-json flag outputs JSON format."""
+        mock_version.return_value = '1.0.0'
+        # Mock entry_points to return at least one aprsd entry point
+        if sys.version_info >= (3, 10):
+            mock_entry_points.return_value = [
+                self._create_mock_entry_point('aprsd.conf')
+            ]
+        else:
+            # For Python < 3.10, entry_points() returns a dict-like object
+            mock_entry = self._create_mock_entry_point('aprsd.conf')
+            mock_dict = {'oslo.config.opts': [mock_entry]}
+            mock_entry_points.return_value = mock_dict
+
+        # Mock generator.generate to write JSON to stdout
+        # This simulates what oslo.config generator does when format_='json'
+        def generate_side_effect(conf):
+            import sys
+
+            json_output = '{"test": "config", "version": "1.0"}'
+            sys.stdout.write(json_output)
+
+        mock_generate.side_effect = generate_side_effect
+
+        # Mock the Console
+        mock_console_instance = mock.Mock()
+        mock_console.return_value = mock_console_instance
+
+        runner = CliRunner()
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            cli,
+            ['sample-config', '--output-json'],
+            catch_exceptions=False,
+        )
+
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        # Verify generator.generate was called
+        mock_generate.assert_called_once()
+        # Verify Console was instantiated
+        mock_console.assert_called_once()
+        # Verify print_json was called with parsed JSON
+        mock_console_instance.print_json.assert_called_once()
+        call_args = mock_console_instance.print_json.call_args
+        # The data argument should be a dict (parsed JSON)
+        assert isinstance(call_args[1]['data'], dict)
+        assert call_args[1]['data'] == {'test': 'config', 'version': '1.0'}
+        # Verify that conf.format_ was set to 'json' before generate was called
+        generate_call_conf = mock_generate.call_args[0][0]
+        assert generate_call_conf.format_ == 'json'
+
+    @mock.patch('aprsd.main.generator.generate')
+    @mock.patch('aprsd.main.imp.entry_points')
+    @mock.patch('aprsd.main.metadata_version')
+    def test_sample_config_without_flag(
+        self, mock_version, mock_entry_points, mock_generate
+    ):
+        """Test sample_config command without --output-json flag (explicit default)."""
+        mock_version.return_value = '1.0.0'
+        # Mock entry_points to return at least one aprsd entry point
+        if sys.version_info >= (3, 10):
+            mock_entry_points.return_value = [
+                self._create_mock_entry_point('aprsd.conf')
+            ]
+        else:
+            # For Python < 3.10, entry_points() returns a dict-like object
+            mock_entry = self._create_mock_entry_point('aprsd.conf')
+            mock_dict = {'oslo.config.opts': [mock_entry]}
+            mock_entry_points.return_value = mock_dict
+
+        runner = CliRunner()
+        result = runner.invoke(
+            cli,
+            ['sample-config'],
+            catch_exceptions=False,
+        )
+
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        # Verify generator.generate was called
+        mock_generate.assert_called_once()
+        # Verify format_ was not set to 'json'
+        call_args = mock_generate.call_args
+        conf_obj = call_args[0][0]
+        assert not hasattr(conf_obj, 'format_') or conf_obj.format_ != 'json'