diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -1893,6 +1893,32 @@
         return 0
     return 1
 
+@command('continue',
+    dryrunopts, helpcategory=command.CATEGORY_CHANGE_MANAGEMENT,
+    helpbasic=True)
+def continuecmd(ui, repo, **opts):
+    """finishes an interrupted operation (EXPERIMENTAL)
+
+    Finishes a multistep operation like graft, histedit, rebase, merge,
+    and unshelve if they are in an interrupted state.
+
+    use --dry-run/-n to dry run the command.
+    A new operation can be added to this by registering the operation and
+    continue logic in the unfinishedstates list under statemod.
+    """
+    dryrun = opts.get(r'dry_run')
+    contstate = cmdutil.getunfinishedstate(repo)
+    if not contstate:
+        raise error.Abort(_('no operation in progress'))
+    if not contstate.continuefunc:
+        raise error.Abort((_("%s in progress but does not support "
+                             "'hg continue'") % (contstate._opname)),
+                             hint=contstate.continuemsg())
+    if dryrun:
+        ui.status(_('%s in progress, will be resumed\n') % (contstate._opname))
+        return
+    return contstate.continuefunc(ui, repo)
+
 @command('copy|cp',
     [('A', 'after', None, _('record a copy that has already occurred')),
     ('f', 'force', None, _('forcibly copy over an existing managed file')),
diff --git a/mercurial/state.py b/mercurial/state.py
--- a/mercurial/state.py
+++ b/mercurial/state.py
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
 
     def __init__(self, opname, fname, clearable, allowcommit, reportonly,
                  continueflag, stopflag, cmdmsg, cmdhint, statushint,
-                 abortfunc):
+                 abortfunc, continuefunc):
         self._opname = opname
         self._fname = fname
         self._clearable = clearable
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@
         self._cmdhint = cmdhint
         self._statushint = statushint
         self.abortfunc = abortfunc
+        self.continuefunc = continuefunc
 
     def statusmsg(self):
         """returns the hint message corresponding to the command for
@@ -159,7 +160,8 @@
 
 def addunfinished(opname, fname, clearable=False, allowcommit=False,
                   reportonly=False, continueflag=False, stopflag=False,
-                  cmdmsg="", cmdhint="", statushint="", abortfunc=None):
+                  cmdmsg="", cmdhint="", statushint="", abortfunc=None,
+                  continuefunc=None):
     """this registers a new command or operation to unfinishedstates
     opname is the name the command or operation
     fname is the file name in which data should be stored in .hg directory.
@@ -184,10 +186,12 @@
     message of the format ('To continue:    hg cmdname --continue'
     'To abort:       hg cmdname --abort') is not desired
     abortfunc stores the function required to abort an unfinished state.
+    continuefunc stores the function required to finish an interrupted
+    operation.
     """
     statecheckobj = _statecheck(opname, fname, clearable, allowcommit,
                                 reportonly, continueflag, stopflag, cmdmsg,
-                                cmdhint, statushint, abortfunc)
+                                cmdhint, statushint, abortfunc, continuefunc)
     if opname == 'merge':
         _unfinishedstates.append(statecheckobj)
     else: