diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_restore.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_restore.go
index b3f55d959..aea6457bd 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_restore.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_restore.go
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ type RestoreOptions struct {
 	includePatternOptions
 	Target string
 	restic.SnapshotFilter
+	DryRun    bool
 	Sparse    bool
 	Verify    bool
 	Overwrite restorer.OverwriteBehavior
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ func init() {
 	initIncludePatternOptions(flags, &restoreOptions.includePatternOptions)
 
 	initSingleSnapshotFilter(flags, &restoreOptions.SnapshotFilter)
+	flags.BoolVar(&restoreOptions.DryRun, "dry-run", false, "do not write any data, just show what would be done")
 	flags.BoolVar(&restoreOptions.Sparse, "sparse", false, "restore files as sparse")
 	flags.BoolVar(&restoreOptions.Verify, "verify", false, "verify restored files content")
 	flags.Var(&restoreOptions.Overwrite, "overwrite", "overwrite behavior, one of (always|if-changed|if-newer|never) (default: always)")
@@ -99,6 +101,9 @@ func runRestore(ctx context.Context, opts RestoreOptions, gopts GlobalOptions,
 	if hasExcludes && hasIncludes {
 		return errors.Fatal("exclude and include patterns are mutually exclusive")
 	}
+	if opts.DryRun && opts.Verify {
+		return errors.Fatal("--dry-run and --verify are mutually exclusive")
+	}
 
 	snapshotIDString := args[0]
 
@@ -140,6 +145,7 @@ func runRestore(ctx context.Context, opts RestoreOptions, gopts GlobalOptions,
 
 	progress := restoreui.NewProgress(printer, calculateProgressInterval(!gopts.Quiet, gopts.JSON))
 	res := restorer.NewRestorer(repo, sn, restorer.Options{
+		DryRun:    opts.DryRun,
 		Sparse:    opts.Sparse,
 		Progress:  progress,
 		Overwrite: opts.Overwrite,
diff --git a/internal/restorer/restorer.go b/internal/restorer/restorer.go
index 07356433b..4ecd762b4 100644
--- a/internal/restorer/restorer.go
+++ b/internal/restorer/restorer.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ type Restorer struct {
 var restorerAbortOnAllErrors = func(_ string, err error) error { return err }
 
 type Options struct {
+	DryRun    bool
 	Sparse    bool
 	Progress  *restoreui.Progress
 	Overwrite OverwriteBehavior
@@ -220,15 +221,17 @@ func (res *Restorer) traverseTree(ctx context.Context, target, location string,
 }
 
 func (res *Restorer) restoreNodeTo(ctx context.Context, node *restic.Node, target, location string) error {
-	debug.Log("restoreNode %v %v %v", node.Name, target, location)
-	if err := fs.Remove(target); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "RemoveNode")
-	}
+	if !res.opts.DryRun {
+		debug.Log("restoreNode %v %v %v", node.Name, target, location)
+		if err := fs.Remove(target); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "RemoveNode")
+		}
 
-	err := node.CreateAt(ctx, target, res.repo)
-	if err != nil {
-		debug.Log("node.CreateAt(%s) error %v", target, err)
-		return err
+		err := node.CreateAt(ctx, target, res.repo)
+		if err != nil {
+			debug.Log("node.CreateAt(%s) error %v", target, err)
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	res.opts.Progress.AddProgress(location, false, true, 0, 0)
@@ -236,6 +239,9 @@ func (res *Restorer) restoreNodeTo(ctx context.Context, node *restic.Node, targe
 }
 
 func (res *Restorer) restoreNodeMetadataTo(node *restic.Node, target, location string) error {
+	if res.opts.DryRun {
+		return nil
+	}
 	debug.Log("restoreNodeMetadata %v %v %v", node.Name, target, location)
 	err := node.RestoreMetadata(target, res.Warn)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -245,12 +251,14 @@ func (res *Restorer) restoreNodeMetadataTo(node *restic.Node, target, location s
 }
 
 func (res *Restorer) restoreHardlinkAt(node *restic.Node, target, path, location string) error {
-	if err := fs.Remove(path); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "RemoveCreateHardlink")
-	}
-	err := fs.Link(target, path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.WithStack(err)
+	if !res.opts.DryRun {
+		if err := fs.Remove(path); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "RemoveCreateHardlink")
+		}
+		err := fs.Link(target, path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.WithStack(err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	res.opts.Progress.AddProgress(location, false, true, 0, 0)
@@ -259,6 +267,10 @@ func (res *Restorer) restoreHardlinkAt(node *restic.Node, target, path, location
 }
 
 func (res *Restorer) ensureDir(target string) error {
+	if res.opts.DryRun {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	fi, err := fs.Lstat(target)
 	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check for directory: %w", err)
@@ -328,7 +340,12 @@ func (res *Restorer) RestoreTo(ctx context.Context, dst string) error {
 					res.opts.Progress.AddSkippedFile(location, node.Size)
 				} else {
 					res.opts.Progress.AddFile(node.Size)
-					filerestorer.addFile(location, node.Content, int64(node.Size), matches)
+					if !res.opts.DryRun {
+						filerestorer.addFile(location, node.Content, int64(node.Size), matches)
+					} else {
+						// immediately mark as completed
+						res.opts.Progress.AddProgress(location, false, matches == nil, node.Size, node.Size)
+					}
 				}
 				res.trackFile(location, updateMetadataOnly)
 				return nil
@@ -340,9 +357,11 @@ func (res *Restorer) RestoreTo(ctx context.Context, dst string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	err = filerestorer.restoreFiles(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	if !res.opts.DryRun {
+		err = filerestorer.restoreFiles(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	debug.Log("second pass for %q", dst)
diff --git a/internal/restorer/restorer_test.go b/internal/restorer/restorer_test.go
index d70f1f162..5eca779c6 100644
--- a/internal/restorer/restorer_test.go
+++ b/internal/restorer/restorer_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/archiver"
+	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/errors"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/fs"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/repository"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/restic"
@@ -1166,3 +1167,32 @@ func TestRestoreIfChanged(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRestoreDryRun(t *testing.T) {
+	snapshot := Snapshot{
+		Nodes: map[string]Node{
+			"foo":  File{Data: "content: foo\n", Links: 2, Inode: 42},
+			"foo2": File{Data: "content: foo\n", Links: 2, Inode: 42},
+			"dirtest": Dir{
+				Nodes: map[string]Node{
+					"file": File{Data: "content: file\n"},
+				},
+			},
+			"link": Symlink{Target: "foo"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	repo := repository.TestRepository(t)
+	tempdir := filepath.Join(rtest.TempDir(t), "target")
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	sn, id := saveSnapshot(t, repo, snapshot, noopGetGenericAttributes)
+	t.Logf("snapshot saved as %v", id.Str())
+
+	res := NewRestorer(repo, sn, Options{DryRun: true})
+	rtest.OK(t, res.RestoreTo(ctx, tempdir))
+
+	_, err := os.Stat(tempdir)
+	rtest.Assert(t, errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist), "expected no file to be created, got %v", err)
+}
diff --git a/internal/restorer/restorer_unix_test.go b/internal/restorer/restorer_unix_test.go
index 034935c24..2ad28a0f6 100644
--- a/internal/restorer/restorer_unix_test.go
+++ b/internal/restorer/restorer_unix_test.go
@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ func (p *printerMock) Finish(s restoreui.State, _ time.Duration) {
 }
 
 func TestRestorerProgressBar(t *testing.T) {
+	testRestorerProgressBar(t, false)
+}
+
+func TestRestorerProgressBarDryRun(t *testing.T) {
+	testRestorerProgressBar(t, true)
+}
+
+func testRestorerProgressBar(t *testing.T, dryRun bool) {
 	repo := repository.TestRepository(t)
 
 	sn, _ := saveSnapshot(t, repo, Snapshot{
@@ -99,7 +107,7 @@ func TestRestorerProgressBar(t *testing.T) {
 
 	mock := &printerMock{}
 	progress := restoreui.NewProgress(mock, 0)
-	res := NewRestorer(repo, sn, Options{Progress: progress})
+	res := NewRestorer(repo, sn, Options{Progress: progress, DryRun: dryRun})
 	res.SelectFilter = func(item string, dstpath string, node *restic.Node) (selectedForRestore bool, childMayBeSelected bool) {
 		return true, true
 	}