diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
index 8418b2a384..c36e7ea906 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ pub fn create_default_context() -> Rc<RefCell<EngineState>> {
         working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Benchmark));
         working_set.add_decl(Box::new(BuildString));
         working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Cd));
+        working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Cp));
         working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Def));
         working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Do));
         working_set.add_decl(Box::new(Each));
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/cp.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/cp.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..79751f2c93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/cp.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,169 @@
+use std::env::current_dir;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+use nu_engine::CallExt;
+use nu_path::canonicalize_with;
+use nu_protocol::ast::Call;
+use nu_protocol::engine::{Command, EvaluationContext};
+use nu_protocol::{ShellError, Signature, SyntaxShape, Value};
+
+use crate::filesystem::util::FileStructure;
+
+pub struct Cp;
+
+impl Command for Cp {
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        "cp"
+    }
+
+    fn usage(&self) -> &str {
+        "Copy files."
+    }
+
+    fn signature(&self) -> Signature {
+        Signature::build("cp")
+            .required("source", SyntaxShape::GlobPattern, "the place to copy from")
+            .required("destination", SyntaxShape::Filepath, "the place to copy to")
+            .switch(
+                "recursive",
+                "copy recursively through subdirectories",
+                Some('r'),
+            )
+    }
+
+    fn run(
+        &self,
+        context: &EvaluationContext,
+        call: &Call,
+        _input: Value,
+    ) -> Result<Value, ShellError> {
+        let source: String = call.req(context, 0)?;
+        let destination: String = call.req(context, 1)?;
+
+        let path: PathBuf = current_dir().unwrap();
+        let source = path.join(source.as_str());
+        let destination = path.join(destination.as_str());
+
+        let sources =
+            glob::glob(&source.to_string_lossy()).map_or_else(|_| Vec::new(), Iterator::collect);
+        if sources.is_empty() {
+            return Err(ShellError::FileNotFound(call.positional[0].span));
+        }
+
+        if sources.len() > 1 && !destination.is_dir() {
+            return Err(ShellError::MoveNotPossible {
+                source_message: "Can't move many files".to_string(),
+                source_span: call.positional[0].span,
+                destination_message: "into single file".to_string(),
+                destination_span: call.positional[1].span,
+            });
+        }
+
+        let any_source_is_dir = sources.iter().any(|f| matches!(f, Ok(f) if f.is_dir()));
+        let recursive = call.named.iter().any(|p| &p.0 == "recursive");
+        if any_source_is_dir && !recursive {
+            return Err(ShellError::MoveNotPossibleSingle(
+                "Directories must be copied using \"--recursive\"".to_string(),
+                call.positional[0].span,
+            ));
+        }
+
+        for entry in sources.into_iter().flatten() {
+            let mut sources = FileStructure::new();
+            sources.walk_decorate(&entry)?;
+
+            if entry.is_file() {
+                let sources = sources.paths_applying_with(|(source_file, _depth_level)| {
+                    if destination.is_dir() {
+                        let mut dest = canonicalize_with(&destination, &path)?;
+                        if let Some(name) = entry.file_name() {
+                            dest.push(name);
+                        }
+                        Ok((source_file, dest))
+                    } else {
+                        Ok((source_file, destination.clone()))
+                    }
+                })?;
+
+                for (src, dst) in sources {
+                    if src.is_file() {
+                        std::fs::copy(&src, dst).map_err(|e| {
+                            ShellError::MoveNotPossibleSingle(
+                                format!(
+                                    "failed to move containing file \"{}\": {}",
+                                    src.to_string_lossy(),
+                                    e
+                                ),
+                                call.positional[0].span,
+                            )
+                        })?;
+                    }
+                }
+            } else if entry.is_dir() {
+                let destination = if !destination.exists() {
+                    destination.clone()
+                } else {
+                    match entry.file_name() {
+                        Some(name) => destination.join(name),
+                        None => {
+                            return Err(ShellError::FileNotFoundCustom(
+                                format!("containing \"{:?}\" is not a valid path", entry),
+                                call.positional[0].span,
+                            ))
+                        }
+                    }
+                };
+
+                std::fs::create_dir_all(&destination).map_err(|e| {
+                    ShellError::MoveNotPossibleSingle(
+                        format!("failed to recursively fill destination: {}", e),
+                        call.positional[1].span,
+                    )
+                })?;
+
+                let sources = sources.paths_applying_with(|(source_file, depth_level)| {
+                    let mut dest = destination.clone();
+                    let path = canonicalize_with(&source_file, &path)?;
+                    let components = path
+                        .components()
+                        .map(|fragment| fragment.as_os_str())
+                        .rev()
+                        .take(1 + depth_level);
+
+                    components.for_each(|fragment| dest.push(fragment));
+                    Ok((PathBuf::from(&source_file), dest))
+                })?;
+
+                for (src, dst) in sources {
+                    if src.is_dir() && !dst.exists() {
+                        std::fs::create_dir_all(&dst).map_err(|e| {
+                            ShellError::MoveNotPossibleSingle(
+                                format!(
+                                    "failed to create containing directory \"{}\": {}",
+                                    dst.to_string_lossy(),
+                                    e
+                                ),
+                                call.positional[1].span,
+                            )
+                        })?;
+                    }
+
+                    if src.is_file() {
+                        std::fs::copy(&src, &dst).map_err(|e| {
+                            ShellError::MoveNotPossibleSingle(
+                                format!(
+                                    "failed to move containing file \"{}\": {}",
+                                    src.to_string_lossy(),
+                                    e
+                                ),
+                                call.positional[0].span,
+                            )
+                        })?;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(Value::Nothing { span: call.head })
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/mod.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/mod.rs
index 90b697fcd8..2d2212766a 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/mod.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 mod cd;
+mod cp;
 mod ls;
 mod mv;
+mod util;
 
 pub use cd::Cd;
+pub use cp::Cp;
 pub use ls::Ls;
 pub use mv::Mv;
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/util.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/util.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a2d217cf05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/util.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+use nu_path::canonicalize_with;
+use nu_protocol::ShellError;
+
+#[derive(Default)]
+pub struct FileStructure {
+    pub resources: Vec<Resource>,
+}
+
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+impl FileStructure {
+    pub fn new() -> FileStructure {
+        FileStructure { resources: vec![] }
+    }
+
+    pub fn contains_more_than_one_file(&self) -> bool {
+        self.resources.len() > 1
+    }
+
+    pub fn contains_files(&self) -> bool {
+        !self.resources.is_empty()
+    }
+
+    pub fn paths_applying_with<F>(
+        &mut self,
+        to: F,
+    ) -> Result<Vec<(PathBuf, PathBuf)>, Box<dyn std::error::Error>>
+    where
+        F: Fn((PathBuf, usize)) -> Result<(PathBuf, PathBuf), Box<dyn std::error::Error>>,
+    {
+        self.resources
+            .iter()
+            .map(|f| (PathBuf::from(&f.location), f.at))
+            .map(to)
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    pub fn walk_decorate(&mut self, start_path: &Path) -> Result<(), ShellError> {
+        self.resources = Vec::<Resource>::new();
+        self.build(start_path, 0)?;
+        self.resources.sort();
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn build(&mut self, src: &Path, lvl: usize) -> Result<(), ShellError> {
+        let source = canonicalize_with(src, std::env::current_dir()?)?;
+
+        if source.is_dir() {
+            for entry in std::fs::read_dir(src)? {
+                let entry = entry?;
+                let path = entry.path();
+
+                if path.is_dir() {
+                    self.build(&path, lvl + 1)?;
+                }
+
+                self.resources.push(Resource {
+                    location: path.to_path_buf(),
+                    at: lvl,
+                });
+            }
+        } else {
+            self.resources.push(Resource {
+                location: source,
+                at: lvl,
+            });
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, Ord, PartialEq, PartialOrd)]
+pub struct Resource {
+    pub at: usize,
+    pub location: PathBuf,
+}
+
+impl Resource {}
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
index 0bb59291e7..6a7464508e 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
@@ -83,10 +83,18 @@ pub enum ShellError {
     #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::file_not_found), url(docsrs))]
     FileNotFound(#[label("file not found")] Span),
 
+    #[error("File not found")]
+    #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::file_not_found), url(docsrs))]
+    FileNotFoundCustom(String, #[label("{0}")] Span),
+
     #[error("Directory not found")]
     #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::directory_not_found), url(docsrs))]
     DirectoryNotFound(#[label("directory not found")] Span),
 
+    #[error("File not found")]
+    #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::file_not_found), url(docsrs))]
+    DirectoryNotFoundCustom(String, #[label("{0}")] Span),
+
     #[error("Move not possible")]
     #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::move_not_possible), url(docsrs))]
     MoveNotPossible {
@@ -97,4 +105,26 @@ pub enum ShellError {
         #[label("{destination_message}")]
         destination_span: Span,
     },
+
+    #[error("Move not possible")]
+    #[diagnostic(code(nu::shell::move_not_possible_single), url(docsrs))]
+    MoveNotPossibleSingle(String, #[label("{0}")] Span),
+}
+
+impl From<std::io::Error> for ShellError {
+    fn from(input: std::io::Error) -> ShellError {
+        ShellError::InternalError(format!("{:?}", input))
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::convert::From<Box<dyn std::error::Error>> for ShellError {
+    fn from(input: Box<dyn std::error::Error>) -> ShellError {
+        ShellError::InternalError(input.to_string())
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>> for ShellError {
+    fn from(input: Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>) -> ShellError {
+        ShellError::InternalError(format!("{:?}", input))
+    }
 }