diff --git a/src/calibre/db/cli/cmd_export.py b/src/calibre/db/cli/cmd_export.py
index 81b38b65b3..d8c4748023 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/cli/cmd_export.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/cli/cmd_export.py
@@ -4,19 +4,140 @@
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_literals
 
-readonly = False
+import os
+
+from calibre.db.cli import integers_from_string
+from calibre.db.errors import NoSuchFormat
+from calibre.library.save_to_disk import (
+    config, do_save_book_to_disk, get_formats, sanitize_args
+)
+from calibre.utils.formatter_functions import load_user_template_functions
+
+readonly = True
 version = 0  # change this if you change signature of implementation()
 
 
-def implementation(db, notify_changes, *args):
+def implementation(db, notify_changes, action, *args):
     is_remote = notify_changes is not None
-    is_remote
+    if action == 'all_ids':
+        return db.all_book_ids()
+    if action == 'setup':
+        book_id, formats = args
+        mi = db.get_metadata(book_id)
+        plugboards = db.pref('plugboards', {})
+        formats = get_formats(db.formats(book_id), formats)
+        return mi, plugboards, formats, db.library_id, db.pref(
+            'user_template_functions', []
+        )
+    if action == 'cover':
+        return db.cover(args[0])
+    if action == 'fmt':
+        book_id, fmt, dest = args
+        if is_remote:
+            return db.format(book_id, fmt)
+        db.copy_format_to(book_id, fmt, dest)
 
 
 def option_parser(get_parser):
-    pass
+    parser = get_parser(
+        _(
+            '''\
+%prog export [options] ids
+
+Export the books specified by ids (a comma separated list) to the filesystem.
+The export operation saves all formats of the book, its cover and metadata (in
+an opf file). You can get id numbers from the search command.
+'''
+        )
+    )
+    parser.add_option(
+        '--all',
+        default=False,
+        action='store_true',
+        help=_('Export all books in database, ignoring the list of ids.')
+    )
+    parser.add_option(
+        '--to-dir',
+        default='.',
+        help=(
+            _('Export books to the specified directory. Default is') + ' %default'
+        )
+    )
+    parser.add_option(
+        '--single-dir',
+        default=False,
+        action='store_true',
+        help=_('Export all books into a single directory')
+    )
+    c = config()
+    for pref in ['asciiize', 'update_metadata', 'write_opf', 'save_cover']:
+        opt = c.get_option(pref)
+        switch = '--dont-' + pref.replace('_', '-')
+        parser.add_option(
+            switch,
+            default=True,
+            action='store_false',
+            help=opt.help + ' ' +
+            _('Specifying this switch will turn '
+              'this behavior off.'),
+            dest=pref
+        )
+
+    for pref in ['timefmt', 'template', 'formats']:
+        opt = c.get_option(pref)
+        switch = '--' + pref
+        parser.add_option(switch, default=opt.default, help=opt.help, dest=pref)
+
+    for pref in ('replace_whitespace', 'to_lowercase'):
+        opt = c.get_option(pref)
+        switch = '--' + pref.replace('_', '-')
+        parser.add_option(switch, default=False, action='store_true', help=opt.help)
+
+    return parser
+
+
+class DBProxy(object):
+
+    # Proxy to allow do_save_book_to_disk() to work with remote database
+
+    def __init__(self, dbctx):
+        self.dbctx = dbctx
+
+    def cover(self, book_id):
+        return self.dbctx.run('export', 'cover', book_id)
+
+    def copy_format_to(self, book_id, fmt, path):
+        fdata = self.dbctx.run('export', 'fmt', book_id, fmt, path)
+        if self.dbctx.is_remote:
+            if fdata is None:
+                raise NoSuchFormat(fmt)
+            with lopen(path, 'wb') as f:
+                f.write(fdata)
+
+
+def export(opts, dbctx, book_id, dest, dbproxy, length, first):
+    mi, plugboards, formats, library_id, template_funcs = dbctx.run(
+        'export', 'setup', book_id, opts.formats
+    )
+    if dbctx.is_remote and first:
+        load_user_template_functions(library_id, template_funcs)
+    return do_save_book_to_disk(
+        dbproxy, book_id, mi, plugboards, formats, dest, opts, length
+    )
 
 
 def main(opts, args, dbctx):
-    raise NotImplementedError('TODO: implement this')
+    if len(args) < 1 and not opts.all:
+        raise SystemExit(_('You must specify some ids or the %s option') % '--all')
+    if opts.all:
+        book_ids = dbctx.run('export', 'all_ids')
+    else:
+        book_ids = set()
+        for arg in args:
+            book_ids |= set(integers_from_string(arg))
+    dest = os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(opts.to_dir))
+    dbproxy = DBProxy(dbctx)
+    dest, opts, length = sanitize_args(dest, opts)
+    for i, book_id in enumerate(book_ids):
+        export(opts, dbctx, book_id, dest, dbproxy, length, i == 0)
     return 0
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/save_to_disk.py b/src/calibre/library/save_to_disk.py
index 92ad7181c9..fef2ff2f62 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/save_to_disk.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/save_to_disk.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ __copyright__ = '2009, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 import os, traceback, re, errno
-from io import BytesIO
 
 from calibre.constants import DEBUG
 from calibre.db.errors import NoSuchFormat
@@ -258,12 +257,12 @@ def get_components(template, mi, id, timefmt='%b %Y', length=250,
     return shorten_components_to(length, components, last_has_extension=last_has_extension)
 
 
-def get_formats(available_formats, opts):
+def get_formats(available_formats, formats):
     available_formats = {x.lower().strip() for x in available_formats}
-    if opts.formats == 'all':
+    if formats == 'all':
         asked_formats = available_formats
     else:
-        asked_formats = {x.lower().strip() for x in opts.formats.split(',')}
+        asked_formats = {x.lower().strip() for x in formats.split(',')}
     return available_formats & asked_formats
 
 
@@ -271,7 +270,7 @@ def save_book_to_disk(book_id, db, root, opts, length):
     db = db.new_api
     mi = db.get_metadata(book_id, index_is_id=True)
     plugboards = db.pref('plugboards', {})
-    formats = get_formats(db.formats(book_id), opts)
+    formats = get_formats(db.formats(book_id), opts.formats)
     return do_save_book_to_disk(db, book_id, mi, plugboards,
         formats, root, opts, length)
 
@@ -342,9 +341,8 @@ def do_save_book_to_disk(db, book_id, mi, plugboards,
 
         cdata = None
         if opts.save_cover or formats:
-            cbuf = BytesIO()
-            if db.copy_cover_to(book_id, cbuf):
-                cdata = cbuf.getvalue()
+            cdata = db.cover(book_id)
+            if cdata:
                 cpath = base_path + '.jpg'
                 with lopen(cpath, 'wb') as f:
                     f.write(cdata)
@@ -368,7 +366,7 @@ def do_save_book_to_disk(db, book_id, mi, plugboards,
         except NoSuchFormat:
             continue
         if opts.update_metadata:
-            with lopen(fmt_path, 'rb') as stream:
+            with lopen(fmt_path, 'r+b') as stream:
                 update_metadata(mi, fmt, stream, plugboards, cdata)
 
     return not formats_written, book_id, mi.title