diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 573fe09b8..2d4df9166 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ RMFLAGS     :=
 
 # Possible programs
 PROGS       := \
+  base64 \
   cat \
   dirname \
   echo \
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a3a6d0eef..54a09969c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ The steps above imply that, before starting to work on a utility, you should sea
 To do
 -----
 
-- base64
 - basename
 - chcon
 - chgrp
diff --git a/base64/base64.rs b/base64/base64.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6fed354e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/base64/base64.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+#[crate_id(name="base64", vers="1.0.0", author="Jordy Dickinson")];
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the uutils coreutils package.
+ *
+ * (c) Jordy Dickinson <jordy.dickinson@gmail.com>
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE file
+ * that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+extern mod extra;
+
+use std::char;
+use std::io::{File, stdin, stdout};
+use std::os;
+use std::str;
+
+use extra::getopts::groups::{
+    getopts,
+    optflag,
+    optopt,
+    usage
+};
+use extra::base64;
+use extra::base64::{FromBase64, ToBase64};
+
+fn main() {
+    let args = ~os::args();
+    let opts = ~[
+        optflag("d", "decode", "decode data"),
+        optflag("i", "ignore-garbage",
+        "when decoding, ignore non-alphabetic characters"),
+        optopt("w", "wrap",
+        "wrap encoded lines after COLS character (default 76, 0 to \
+        disable wrapping)", "COLS"),
+        optflag("h", "help", "display this help text and exit"),
+        optflag("V", "version", "output version information and exit")
+    ];
+    let matches = match getopts(args.tail(), opts) {
+        Ok(m) => m,
+        Err(e) => {
+            error!("error: {:s}", e.to_err_msg());
+            fail!()
+        }
+    };
+
+    let progname = args[0].clone();
+    let usage = usage("Base64 encode or decode FILE, or standard input, to \
+                       standard output.", opts);
+    let mode = if matches.opt_present("help") {
+        Help
+    } else if matches.opt_present("version") {
+        Version
+    } else if matches.opt_present("decode") {
+        Decode
+    } else {
+        Encode
+    };
+    let ignore_garbage = matches.opt_present("ignore-garbage");
+    let line_wrap = match matches.opt_str("wrap") {
+        Some(s) => match from_str(s) {
+            Some(s) => s,
+            None => {
+                error!("error: {:s}", "Argument to option 'wrap' \
+                        improperly formatted.");
+                fail!()
+            }
+        },
+        None => 76
+    };
+    let mut input = if matches.free.is_empty() || matches.free[0] == ~"-" {
+        ~stdin() as ~Reader
+    } else {
+        let path = Path::new(matches.free[0]);
+        ~File::open(&path) as ~Reader
+    };
+
+    match mode {
+        Decode  => decode(input, ignore_garbage),
+        Encode  => encode(input, line_wrap),
+        Help    => help(progname, usage),
+        Version => version()
+    }
+}
+
+fn decode(input: &mut Reader, ignore_garbage: bool) {
+    let mut to_decode = str::from_utf8_owned(input.read_to_end());
+
+    to_decode = to_decode.replace("\n", "");
+
+    if ignore_garbage {
+        let standard_chars =
+            bytes!("ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ",
+            "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz",
+            "0123456789+/").map(|b| char::from_u32(*b as u32).unwrap());
+
+        to_decode = to_decode
+            .trim_chars(&|c| !standard_chars.contains(&c))
+            .to_owned();
+    }
+
+    match to_decode.from_base64() {
+        Ok(bytes) => {
+            let mut out = stdout();
+
+            out.write(bytes);
+            out.flush();
+        }
+        Err(s) => {
+            error!("error: {:s}", s);
+            fail!()
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn encode(input: &mut Reader, line_wrap: uint) {
+    let b64_conf = base64::Config {
+        char_set: base64::Standard,
+        pad: true,
+        line_length: match line_wrap {
+            0 => None,
+            _ => Some(line_wrap)
+        }
+    };
+    let to_encode = input.read_to_end();
+    let mut encoded = to_encode.to_base64(b64_conf);
+
+    // To my knowledge, RFC 3548 does not specify which line endings to use. It
+    // seems that rust's base64 algorithm uses CRLF as prescribed by RFC 2045.
+    // However, since GNU base64 outputs only LF (presumably because that is
+    // the standard UNIX line ending), we strip CRs from the output to maintain
+    // compatibility.
+    encoded = encoded.replace("\r", "");
+
+    println(encoded);
+}
+
+fn help(progname: &str, usage: &str) {
+    println!("Usage: {:s} [OPTION]... [FILE]", progname);
+    println("");
+    println(usage);
+
+    let msg = ~"With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.\n\n\
+        The data are encoded as described for the base64 alphabet in RFC \
+        3548. When\ndecoding, the input may contain newlines in addition \
+        to the bytes of the formal\nbase64 alphabet. Use --ignore-garbage \
+        to attempt to recover from any other\nnon-alphabet bytes in the \
+        encoded stream.";
+
+    println(msg);
+}
+
+fn version() {
+    println("base64 1.0.0");
+}
+
+enum Mode {
+    Decode,
+    Encode,
+    Help,
+    Version
+}
+