diff --git a/conf/confbase.Y b/conf/confbase.Y
index b952f314..b9bc048e 100644
--- a/conf/confbase.Y
+++ b/conf/confbase.Y
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ CF_DECLS
   struct f_path_mask *h;
   struct password_item *p;
   struct rt_show_data *ra;
+  struct sym_show_data *sd;
   struct lsadb_show_data *ld;
   struct iface *iface;
   void *g;
diff --git a/doc/bird.sgml b/doc/bird.sgml
index f5cfdfb1..aabb9857 100644
--- a/doc/bird.sgml
+++ b/doc/bird.sgml
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ This argument can be omitted if there exists only a single instance.
 	<tag>show interfaces [summary]</tag>
 	Show the list of interfaces. For each interface, print its type, state, MTU and addresses assigned. 
 
-	<tag>show symbols</tag>
+	<tag>show symbols [table|filter|function|protocol|template|<symbol>]</tag>
 	Show the list of symbols defined in the configuration (names of protocols, routing tables etc.).
 
 	<tag>show route [[for] <m/prefix/|<m/IP/] [table <m/sym/] [filter <m/f/|where <m/c/] [(export|preexport) <m/p/] [protocol <m/p/] [<m/options/]</tag>
diff --git a/nest/cmds.c b/nest/cmds.c
index 8ac32096..62d7c9b4 100644
--- a/nest/cmds.c
+++ b/nest/cmds.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "nest/bird.h"
+#include "nest/route.h"
 #include "nest/cli.h"
 #include "conf/conf.h"
 #include "nest/cmds.h"
@@ -35,16 +36,22 @@ cmd_show_status(void)
 }
 
 void
-cmd_show_symbols(struct symbol *sym)
+cmd_show_symbols(struct sym_show_data *sd)
 {
   int pos = 0;
+  struct symbol *sym = sd->sym;
 
   if (sym)
-    cli_msg(1010, "%s\t%s", sym->name, cf_symbol_class_name(sym));
+    cli_msg(1010, "%-8s\t%s", sym->name, cf_symbol_class_name(sym));
   else
     {
       while (sym = cf_walk_symbols(config, sym, &pos))
-	cli_msg(-1010, "%s\t%s", sym->name, cf_symbol_class_name(sym));
+	{
+	  if (sd->type && (sym->class != sd->type))
+	    continue;
+
+	  cli_msg(-1010, "%-8s\t%s", sym->name, cf_symbol_class_name(sym));
+	}
       cli_msg(0, "");
     }
 }
diff --git a/nest/cmds.h b/nest/cmds.h
index 3b86a924..8b0bff7e 100644
--- a/nest/cmds.h
+++ b/nest/cmds.h
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
  *	Can be freely distributed and used under the terms of the GNU GPL.
  */
 
+struct sym_show_data {
+	int	type;	/* Symbols type to show */
+	struct symbol	*sym;
+};
+
 void cmd_show_status(void);
-void cmd_show_symbols(struct symbol *sym);
+void cmd_show_symbols(struct sym_show_data *sym);
 void cmd_show_memory(void);
diff --git a/nest/config.Y b/nest/config.Y
index 3fcfa528..f6795df4 100644
--- a/nest/config.Y
+++ b/nest/config.Y
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ CF_ENUM(T_ENUM_RTD, RTD_, ROUTER, DEVICE, BLACKHOLE, UNREACHABLE, PROHIBIT, MULT
 %type <r> rtable
 %type <s> optsym
 %type <ra> r_args
+%type <sd> sym_args
 %type <i> proto_start echo_mask echo_size debug_mask debug_list debug_flag mrtdump_mask mrtdump_list mrtdump_flag export_or_preexport
 %type <ps> proto_patt proto_patt2
 
@@ -432,9 +433,21 @@ export_or_preexport:
  | EXPORT { $$ = 2; }
  ;
 
-CF_CLI(SHOW SYMBOLS, optsym, [<symbol>], [[Show all known symbolic names]])
+CF_CLI(SHOW SYMBOLS, sym_args, [table|filter|function|protocol|template|<symbol>], [[Show all known symbolic names]])
 { cmd_show_symbols($3); } ;
 
+sym_args:
+   /* empty */ {
+     $$ = cfg_allocz(sizeof(struct sym_show_data));
+   }
+ | sym_args TABLE { $$ = $1; $$->type = SYM_TABLE; }
+ | sym_args FUNCTION { $$ = $1; $$->type = SYM_FUNCTION; }
+ | sym_args FILTER { $$ = $1; $$->type = SYM_FILTER; }
+ | sym_args PROTOCOL { $$ = $1; $$->type = SYM_PROTO; }
+ | sym_args TEMPLATE { $$ = $1; $$->type = SYM_TEMPLATE; }
+ | sym_args SYM { $$ = $1; $$->sym = $2; }
+ ;
+
 CF_CLI_HELP(DUMP, ..., [[Dump debugging information]])
 CF_CLI(DUMP RESOURCES,,, [[Dump all allocated resource]])
 { rdump(&root_pool); cli_msg(0, ""); } ;