diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ee0587f..5b973c1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Performance data is also enhanced to extract performance data compliant to Nagio
 
 Usage: 
 ```
-check_json -u|--url <URL> -a|--attribute <attribute> [ -c|--critical <threshold> ] [ -w|--warning <threshold> ] [ -p|--perfvars <fields> ] [ -t|--timeout <timeout> ] [ -d|--divisor <divisor> ] [ -T|--contenttype <content-type> ] [ --ignoressl ] [ -h|--help ]
+check_json -u|--url <URL> -a|--attribute <attribute> [ -c|--critical <threshold> ] [ -w|--warning <threshold> ] [ -p|--perfvars <fields> ] [ -o|--outputvars <fields> ] [ -t|--timeout <timeout> ] [ -d|--divisor <divisor> ] [ -T|--contenttype <content-type> ] [ --ignoressl ] [ -h|--help ]
 ```
 
 Example: 
diff --git a/check_json.pl b/check_json.pl
index 3171052..ea5ff90 100755
--- a/check_json.pl
+++ b/check_json.pl
@@ -11,16 +11,18 @@ my $np = Nagios::Plugin->new(
     usage => "Usage: %s -u|--url <URL> -a|--attribute <attribute> "
     . "[ -c|--critical <threshold> ] [ -w|--warning <threshold> ] "
     . "[ -p|--perfvars <fields> ] "
+    . "[ -o|--outputvars <fields> ] "
     . "[ -t|--timeout <timeout> ] "
     . "[ -d|--divisor <divisor> ] "
     . "[ -T|--contenttype <content-type> ] "
     . "[ --ignoressl ] "
     . "[ -h|--help ] ",
-    version => '0.3',
+    version => '0.4',
     blurb   => 'Nagios plugin to check JSON attributes via http(s)',
     extra   => "\nExample: \n"
     . "check_json.pl --url http://192.168.5.10:9332/local_stats --attribute '{shares}->{dead}' "
-    . "--warning :5 --critical :10 --perfvars '{shares}->{dead},{shares}->{live}'",
+    . "--warning :5 --critical :10 --perfvars '{shares}->{dead},{shares}->{live}' "
+    . "--outputvars '{status_message}'",
     url     => 'https://github.com/c-kr/check_json',
     plugin  => 'check_json',
     timeout => 15,
@@ -33,21 +35,25 @@ $np->add_arg(
     help => '-u, --url http://192.168.5.10:9332/local_stats',
     required => 1,
 );
+
 $np->add_arg(
     spec => 'attribute|a=s',
     help => '-a, --attribute {shares}->{dead}',
     required => 1,
 );
+
 $np->add_arg(
     spec => 'divisor|d=i',
     help => '-d, --divisor 1000000',
 );
+
 $np->add_arg(
     spec => 'warning|w=s',
     help => '-w, --warning INTEGER:INTEGER . See '
     . 'http://nagiosplug.sourceforge.net/developer-guidelines.html#THRESHOLDFORMAT '
     . 'for the threshold format. ',
 );
+
 $np->add_arg(
     spec => 'critical|c=s',
     help => '-c, --critical INTEGER:INTEGER . See '
@@ -61,18 +67,24 @@ $np->add_arg(
     . "CSV list of fields from JSON response to include in perfdata "
 );
 
+$np->add_arg(
+    spec => 'outputvars|o=s',
+    help => "-o, --outputvars eg. '{status_message}'\n   "    
+    . "CSV list of fields output in status message, same syntax as perfvars"
+);
+
 $np->add_arg(
     spec => 'contenttype|T=s',
     default => 'application/json',
     help => "-T, --contenttype application/json \n   "
     . "Content-type accepted if different from application/json ",
 );
+
 $np->add_arg(
     spec => 'ignoressl',
     help => "--ignoressl\n   Ignore bad ssl certificates",
 );
 
-
 ## Parse @ARGV and process standard arguments (e.g. usage, help, version)
 $np->getopts;
 if ($np->opts->verbose) { (print Dumper ($np))};
@@ -154,6 +166,19 @@ if ($np->opts->perfvars) {
     }
 }
 
+# output some vars in message
+if ($np->opts->outputvars) {
+    foreach my $key (split(',', $np->opts->outputvars)) {
+        # use last element of key as label
+        my $label = (split('->', $key))[-1];
+        # make label ascii compatible
+        $label =~ s/[^a-zA-Z0-9_-]//g;
+        my $perf_value;
+        $perf_value = eval '$json_response->'.$key;
+	push(@statusmsg, "$label: $perf_value");
+    }
+}
+
 $np->nagios_exit(
     return_code => $result,
     message     => join(', ', @statusmsg),