diff --git a/hgext3rd/fbhistedit.py b/hgext3rd/fbhistedit.py
--- a/hgext3rd/fbhistedit.py
+++ b/hgext3rd/fbhistedit.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 Adds a s/stop verb to histedit to stop after a changeset was picked.
 """
 
+import json
 from pipes import quote
 
 from mercurial.i18n import _
@@ -196,6 +197,31 @@
     options.append(('', 'show-plan', False, _('show remaining actions list')))
 
     extensions.wrapfunction(histedit, '_histedit', _histedit)
+    extensions.wrapfunction(histedit, 'parserules', parserules)
+
+def parserules(orig, rules, state):
+    try:
+        rules = _parsejsonrules(rules, state)
+    except ValueError:
+        pass
+    return orig(rules, state)
+
+def _parsejsonrules(rules, state):
+    jsondata = json.loads(rules)
+    parsedrules = ''
+    try:
+        for entry in jsondata['histedit']:
+            if entry['action'] in set(['exec', 'execr']):
+                rest = entry['command']
+            else:
+                rest = entry['node']
+            parsedrules += (entry['action'] + ' ' + rest + '\n')
+    except KeyError:
+        state.repo.ui.status(_("invalid JSON format, falling back "
+                               "to normal parsing\n"))
+        return rules
+
+    return parsedrules
 
 goalretry = 'retry'
 goalshowplan = 'show-plan'
diff --git a/tests/test-fbhistedit-json.t b/tests/test-fbhistedit-json.t
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-fbhistedit-json.t
@@ -0,0 +1,222 @@
+Tests JSON Input support for histedit
+
+  $ . "$TESTDIR/histedit-helpers.sh"
+
+  $ cat >> $HGRCPATH <<EOF
+  > [extensions]
+  > fbhistedit=$TESTDIR/../hgext3rd/fbhistedit.py
+  > histedit=
+  > rebase=
+  > [experimental]
+  > evolution=createmarkers
+  > EOF
+
+  $ initrepo ()
+  > {
+  >     hg init r
+  >     cd r
+  >     for x in a b c ; do
+  >         echo $x > $x
+  >         hg add $x
+  >         hg ci -m $x
+  >     done
+  > }
+
+  $ initrepo
+
+log before edit
+
+  $ hg log --graph -T "{rev}:{node|short} {desc}"
+  @  2:177f92b77385 c
+  |
+  o  1:d2ae7f538514 b
+  |
+  o  0:cb9a9f314b8b a
+  
+
+passing a json with invalid format
+
+  $ cat >> input <<EOF
+  > {
+  >    "rebase": [
+  >                 {"action": "foo", "node": "cb9a9f314b8b"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "d2ae7f538514"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "177f92b77385"}
+  >                ]
+  > }
+  > EOF
+
+  $ hg histedit --commands input
+  invalid JSON format, falling back to normal parsing
+  hg: parse error: malformed line "{"
+  [255]
+
+  $ cat >> input2 <<EOF
+  > {
+  >    "histedit": [
+  >                 {"node": "cb9a9f314b8b"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "d2ae7f538514"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "177f92b77385"}
+  >                ]
+  > }
+  > EOF
+
+  $ hg histedit --commands input2
+  invalid JSON format, falling back to normal parsing
+  hg: parse error: malformed line "{"
+  [255]
+
+  $ cat >> input3 <<EOF
+  > {
+  >    "histedit": [
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "cb9a9f314b8b"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "177f92b77385"}
+  >                ]
+  > }
+  > EOF
+
+  $ hg histedit --commands input3
+  invalid JSON format, falling back to normal parsing
+  hg: parse error: malformed line "{"
+  [255]
+
+passing a json with invalid action
+
+  $ cat >> foo <<EOF
+  > {
+  >    "histedit": [
+  >                 {"action": "foo", "node": "cb9a9f314b8b"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "d2ae7f538514"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "177f92b77385"}
+  >                ]
+  > }
+  > EOF
+
+  $ hg histedit --commands foo
+  hg: parse error: unknown action "foo"
+  [255]
+
+passing a json with invalid node
+  $ cat >> bar <<EOF
+  > {
+  >    "histedit": [
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "123456abcdef"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "d2ae7f538514"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "177f92b77385"}
+  >                ]
+  > }
+  > EOF
+
+  $ hg histedit --commands bar
+  hg: parse error: unknown changeset 123456abcdef listed
+  [255]
+
+running histedit with a valid json file
+
+  $ cat >> a.json <<EOF
+  > {
+  >    "histedit": [
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "cb9a9f314b8b"},
+  >                 {"action": "exec", "command": "hg exp"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "177f92b77385"},
+  >                 {"action": "exec", "command": "hg exp"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "d2ae7f538514"},
+  >                 {"action": "exec", "command": "hg exp"}
+  >                ]
+  > }
+  > EOF
+
+  $ hg histedit --commands a.json
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 2 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  # HG changeset patch
+  # User test
+  # Date 0 0
+  #      Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  # Node ID cb9a9f314b8b07ba71012fcdbc544b5a4d82ff5b
+  # Parent  0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
+  a
+  
+  diff -r 000000000000 -r cb9a9f314b8b a
+  --- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  +++ b/a	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  @@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
+  +a
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  # HG changeset patch
+  # User test
+  # Date 0 0
+  #      Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  # Node ID b346ab9a313db8537ecf96fca3ca3ca984ef3bd7
+  # Parent  cb9a9f314b8b07ba71012fcdbc544b5a4d82ff5b
+  c
+  
+  diff -r cb9a9f314b8b -r b346ab9a313d c
+  --- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  +++ b/c	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  @@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
+  +c
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  # HG changeset patch
+  # User test
+  # Date 0 0
+  #      Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  # Node ID 503d1c1b466881fd108c7d4d26e78b510df14350
+  # Parent  b346ab9a313db8537ecf96fca3ca3ca984ef3bd7
+  b
+  
+  diff -r b346ab9a313d -r 503d1c1b4668 b
+  --- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  +++ b/b	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  @@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
+  +b
+
+log after histedit
+
+  $ hg log --graph -T "{rev}:{node|short} {desc}"
+  @  4:503d1c1b4668 b
+  |
+  o  3:b346ab9a313d c
+  |
+  o  0:cb9a9f314b8b a
+  
+testing with abbreviated/small verbs
+
+  $ cat >> small <<EOF
+  > {
+  >    "histedit": [
+  >                 {"action": "p", "node": "cb9a9f314b8b"},
+  >                 {"action": "p", "node": "503d1c1b4668"},
+  >                 {"action": "p", "node": "b346ab9a313d"}
+  >                ]
+  > }
+  > EOF
+
+  $ hg histedit --commands small
+
+  $ hg log --graph -T "{rev}:{node} {desc}"
+  @  6:573a8c672aaf44d2cf3f9467e5463f51f7414084 c
+  |
+  o  5:85032a8e4f13e773c4075d7c006e0f1bc1c63967 b
+  |
+  o  0:cb9a9f314b8b07ba71012fcdbc544b5a4d82ff5b a
+  
+more testing with full hashes
+
+  $ cat >> b.json <<EOF
+  > {
+  >    "histedit": [
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "cb9a9f314b8b07ba71012fcdbc544b5a4d82ff5b"},
+  >                 {"action": "pick", "node": "85032a8e4f13e773c4075d7c006e0f1bc1c63967"},
+  >                 {"action": "roll", "node": "573a8c672aaf44d2cf3f9467e5463f51f7414084"}
+  >                ]
+  > }
+  > EOF
+
+  $ hg histedit --commands b.json
+
+  $ hg log --graph -T "{rev}:{node|short} {desc}"
+  @  8:04e1eac0d294 b
+  |
+  o  0:cb9a9f314b8b a
+