diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 38b701b..e6a35b1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ Usage: ulid [-hlqz] [-f <format>] [parameters ...]
  -h, --help             print this help text
  -l, --local            when parsing, show local time instead of UTC
  -q, --quick            when generating, use non-crypto-grade entropy
+ -u, --uuid             when parsing or generating, print as UUID string
  -z, --zero             when generating, fix entropy to all-zeroes
 ```
 
@@ -134,6 +135,10 @@ $ ulid 01D78XZ44G0000000000000000
 Sun Mar 31 03:51:23.536 UTC 2019
 $ ulid --format=rfc3339 --local 01D78XZ44G0000000000000000
 2019-03-31T05:51:23.536+02:00
+$ ulid -u 01D78XZ44G0000000000000000
+0169d1df-9090-0000-0000-000000000000
+$ ulid --uuid
+0184ceda-2982-6f83-9645-7fc810743a30
 ```
 
 ## Specification
diff --git a/cmd/ulid/main.go b/cmd/ulid/main.go
index 50e62cc..730787b 100644
--- a/cmd/ulid/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ulid/main.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ func main() {
 		local  = fs.BoolLong("local", 'l', "when parsing, show local time instead of UTC")
 		quick  = fs.BoolLong("quick", 'q', "when generating, use non-crypto-grade entropy")
 		zero   = fs.BoolLong("zero", 'z', "when generating, fix entropy to all-zeroes")
+		asUUID = fs.BoolLong("uuid", 'u', "when parsing or generating, print as UUID string")
 		help   = fs.BoolLong("help", 'h', "print this help text")
 	)
 	if err := fs.Getopt(os.Args, nil); err != nil {
@@ -56,13 +57,13 @@ func main() {
 
 	switch args := fs.Args(); len(args) {
 	case 0:
-		generate(*quick, *zero)
+		generate(*quick, *zero, *asUUID)
 	default:
-		parse(args[0], *local, formatFunc)
+		parse(args[0], *local, *asUUID, formatFunc)
 	}
 }
 
-func generate(quick, zero bool) {
+func generate(quick, zero, asUUID bool) {
 	entropy := cryptorand.Reader
 	if quick {
 		seed := time.Now().UnixNano()
@@ -79,16 +80,21 @@ func generate(quick, zero bool) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "%s\n", id)
+	printID(id, asUUID)
 }
 
-func parse(s string, local bool, f func(time.Time) string) {
+func parse(s string, local, asUUID bool, f func(time.Time) string) {
 	id, err := ulid.Parse(s)
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
+	if asUUID {
+		printID(id, true)
+		return
+	}
+
 	t := ulid.Time(id.Time())
 	if !local {
 		t = t.UTC()
@@ -104,3 +110,11 @@ func (zeroReader) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
 	}
 	return len(p), nil
 }
+
+func printID(id ulid.ULID, asUUID bool) {
+	if !asUUID {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "%s\n", id)
+		return
+	}
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, "%s\n", id.UUIDString())
+}
diff --git a/ulid.go b/ulid.go
index 81f9c8d..c020ea8 100644
--- a/ulid.go
+++ b/ulid.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"database/sql/driver"
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"math"
@@ -282,6 +283,25 @@ func (id ULID) String() string {
 	return string(ulid)
 }
 
+// UUIDString returns an UUID representation of the ULID
+// (36 characters, 32 hex encoded repr plus 4 dashes)
+// e.g. 01AN4Z07BY79KA1307SR9X4MV3 will be 015549f0-1d7e-3a66-a08c-07ce13d25363
+func (id ULID) UUIDString() string {
+	var buf [36]byte
+
+	hex.Encode(buf[:], id[:4])
+	buf[8] = '-'
+	hex.Encode(buf[9:13], id[4:6])
+	buf[13] = '-'
+	hex.Encode(buf[14:18], id[6:8])
+	buf[18] = '-'
+	hex.Encode(buf[19:23], id[8:10])
+	buf[23] = '-'
+	hex.Encode(buf[24:], id[10:])
+
+	return string(buf[:])
+}
+
 // MarshalBinary implements the encoding.BinaryMarshaler interface by
 // returning the ULID as a byte slice.
 func (id ULID) MarshalBinary() ([]byte, error) {