diff --git a/lib/inspec/cli.rb b/lib/inspec/cli.rb
index 8a7a155d7..6bc1da21a 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/cli.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/cli.rb
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ class Inspec::InspecCLI < Inspec::BaseCLI # rubocop:disable Metrics/ClassLength
 
   desc 'archive PATH', 'archive a profile to tar.gz (default) or zip'
   profile_options
+  option :output, aliases: :o, type: :string,
+    desc: 'Save the archive to a path'
   option :zip, type: :boolean, default: false,
     desc: 'Generates a zip archive.'
   option :tar, type: :boolean, default: false,
diff --git a/lib/inspec/profile.rb b/lib/inspec/profile.rb
index 6b2c22cb3..bb456f902 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/profile.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/profile.rb
@@ -173,26 +173,17 @@ module Inspec
 
     # generates a archive of a folder profile
     # assumes that the profile was checked before
-    def archive(opts) # rubocop:disable Metrics/AbcSize
-      profile_name = params[:name]
-      ext = opts[:zip] ? 'zip' : 'tar.gz'
-
-      if opts[:archive]
-        archive = Pathname.new(opts[:archive])
-      else
-        slug = profile_name.downcase.strip.tr(' ', '-').gsub(/[^\w-]/, '_')
-        archive = Pathname.new(Dir.pwd).join("#{slug}.#{ext}")
-      end
-
+    def archive(opts)
       # check if file exists otherwise overwrite the archive
-      if archive.exist? && !opts[:overwrite]
-        @logger.info "Archive #{archive} exists already. Use --overwrite."
+      dst = archive_name(opts)
+      if dst.exist? && !opts[:overwrite]
+        @logger.info "Archive #{dst} exists already. Use --overwrite."
         return false
       end
 
       # remove existing archive
-      File.delete(archive) if archive.exist?
-      @logger.info "Generate archive #{archive}."
+      File.delete(dst) if dst.exist?
+      @logger.info "Generate archive #{dst}."
 
       # filter files that should not be part of the profile
       # TODO ignore all .files, but add the files to debug output
@@ -207,12 +198,12 @@ module Inspec
         # generate zip archive
         require 'inspec/archive/zip'
         zag = Inspec::Archive::ZipArchiveGenerator.new
-        zag.archive(root_path, files, archive)
+        zag.archive(root_path, files, dst)
       else
         # generate tar archive
         require 'inspec/archive/tar'
         tag = Inspec::Archive::TarArchiveGenerator.new
-        tag.archive(root_path, files, archive)
+        tag.archive(root_path, files, dst)
       end
 
       @logger.info 'Finished archive generation.'
@@ -221,6 +212,24 @@ module Inspec
 
     private
 
+    # Create an archive name for this profile and an additional options
+    # configuration. Either use :output or generate the name from metadata.
+    #
+    # @param [Hash] configuration options
+    # @return [Pathname] path for the archive
+    def archive_name(opts)
+      if (name = opts[:output])
+        return Pathname.new(name)
+      end
+
+      name = params[:name] ||
+             fail('Cannot create an archive without a profile name! Please '\
+             'specify the name in metadata or use --output to create the archive.')
+      ext = opts[:zip] ? 'zip' : 'tar.gz'
+      slug = name.downcase.strip.tr(' ', '-').gsub(/[^\w-]/, '_')
+      Pathname.new(Dir.pwd).join("#{slug}.#{ext}")
+    end
+
     def load_params
       params = @source_reader.metadata.params
       params[:name] = @profile_id unless @profile_id.nil?
diff --git a/test/functional/command_test.rb b/test/functional/command_test.rb
index 686a1fc24..c74184e69 100644
--- a/test/functional/command_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/command_test.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ describe 'Inspec::InspecCLI' do
   let(:exec_inspec) { File.join(repo_path, 'bin', 'inspec') }
   let(:profile_path) { File.join(repo_path, 'test', 'unit', 'mock', 'profiles') }
   let(:examples_path) { File.join(repo_path, 'examples') }
+  let(:dst) {
+    # create a temporary path, but we only want an auto-clean helper
+    # so remove the file and give back the path
+    res = Tempfile.new('inspec-shred')
+    FileUtils.rm(res.path)
+    res
+  }
 
   def inspec(commandline)
     CMD.run_command("#{exec_inspec} #{commandline}")
@@ -38,6 +45,54 @@ describe 'Inspec::InspecCLI' do
       out.stdout.must_match /Generate archive [^ ]*profile.tar.gz/
       out.stdout.must_include 'Finished archive generation.'
     end
+
+    it 'archives to output file' do
+      out = inspec('archive ' + path + ' --output ' + dst.path)
+      out.stderr.must_equal ''
+      out.stdout.must_include 'Generate archive '+dst.path
+      out.stdout.must_include 'Finished archive generation.'
+      out.exit_status.must_equal 0
+      File.exist?(dst.path).must_equal true
+    end
+
+    it 'auto-archives when no --output is given' do
+      auto_dst = File.join(repo_path, 'profile.tar.gz')
+      out = inspec('archive ' + path + ' --overwrite')
+      out.stderr.must_equal ''
+      out.stdout.must_include 'Generate archive '+auto_dst
+      out.stdout.must_include 'Finished archive generation.'
+      out.exit_status.must_equal 0
+      File.exist?(auto_dst).must_equal true
+    end
+
+    it 'archive on invalid archive' do
+      out = inspec('archive /proc --output ' + dst.path)
+      # out.stdout.must_equal '' => we have partial stdout output right now
+      out.stderr.must_include "Don't understand inspec profile in \"/proc\""
+      out.exit_status.must_equal 1
+      File.exist?(dst.path).must_equal false
+    end
+
+    it 'archive wont overwrite existing files' do
+      x = rand.to_s
+      File.write(dst.path, x)
+      out = inspec('archive ' + path + ' --output ' + dst.path)
+      out.stderr.must_equal '' # uh...
+      out.stdout.must_include "Archive #{dst.path} exists already. Use --overwrite."
+      out.exit_status.must_equal 1
+      File.read(dst.path).must_equal x
+    end
+
+    it 'archive will overwrite files if necessary' do
+      x = rand.to_s
+      File.write(dst.path, x)
+      out = inspec('archive ' + path + ' --output ' + dst.path + ' --overwrite')
+      out.stderr.must_equal '' # uh...
+      out.stdout.must_include 'Generate archive '+dst.path
+      out.exit_status.must_equal 0
+      File.read(dst.path).wont_equal x
+    end
+
   end
 
   describe 'example inheritance profile' do
@@ -46,26 +101,32 @@ describe 'Inspec::InspecCLI' do
     it 'check fails without --profiles-path' do
       out = inspec('check ' + path)
       out.stderr.must_include 'You must supply a --profiles-path to inherit'
+      out.stdout.must_equal ''
       out.exit_status.must_equal 1
     end
 
     it 'check succeeds with --profiles-path' do
       out = inspec('check ' + path + ' --profiles-path ' + examples_path)
+      out.stderr.must_equal ''
       out.stdout.must_match /Valid.*true/
       out.exit_status.must_equal 0
     end
 
     it 'archive fails without --profiles-path' do
-      out = inspec('archive ' + path + ' --overwrite')
+      out = inspec('archive ' + path + ' --output ' + dst.path)
+      # out.stdout.must_equal '' => we have partial stdout output right now
       out.stderr.must_include 'You must supply a --profiles-path to inherit'
       out.exit_status.must_equal 1
+      File.exist?(dst.path).must_equal false
     end
 
     it 'archive is successful with --profiles-path' do
-      out = inspec('archive ' + path + ' --overwrite --profiles-path ' + examples_path)
-      out.exit_status.must_equal 0
-      out.stdout.must_match /Generate archive [^ ]*inheritance.tar.gz/
+      out = inspec('archive ' + path + ' --output ' + dst.path + ' --profiles-path ' + examples_path)
+      out.stderr.must_equal ''
+      out.stdout.must_include 'Generate archive '+dst.path
       out.stdout.must_include 'Finished archive generation.'
+      out.exit_status.must_equal 0
+      File.exist?(dst.path).must_equal true
     end
   end
 end