diff --git a/api/nodes.go b/api/nodes.go
index 6a61ab90b..beb35070e 100644
--- a/api/nodes.go
+++ b/api/nodes.go
@@ -113,10 +113,32 @@ type Node struct {
 	Status            string
 	StatusDescription string
 	StatusUpdatedAt   int64
+	NodeEvents        []*NodeEvent
 	CreateIndex       uint64
 	ModifyIndex       uint64
 }
 
+// Subsystem denotes the subsystem where a node event took place.
+type Subsystem string
+
+const (
+	Drain     Subsystem = "Drain"
+	Driver    Subsystem = "Driver"
+	Heartbeat Subsystem = "Heartbeat"
+	Server    Subsystem = "Server"
+	Cluster   Subsystem = "Cluster"
+)
+
+// NodeEvent is a single unit representing a node’s state change
+type NodeEvent struct {
+	Message   string
+	Subsystem Subsystem
+	Details   map[string]string
+	Timestamp int64
+
+	CreateIndex uint64
+}
+
 // HostStats represents resource usage stats of the host running a Nomad client
 type HostStats struct {
 	Memory           *HostMemoryStats
diff --git a/api/nodes_test.go b/api/nodes_test.go
index d020d84ae..7c9a8be97 100644
--- a/api/nodes_test.go
+++ b/api/nodes_test.go
@@ -134,6 +134,10 @@ func TestNodes_Info(t *testing.T) {
 	if result.StatusUpdatedAt < startTime {
 		t.Fatalf("start time: %v, status updated: %v", startTime, result.StatusUpdatedAt)
 	}
+
+	if len(result.NodeEvents) < 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected at minimum the node register event to be populated: %+v", result)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestNodes_ToggleDrain(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/command/agent/node_endpoint_test.go b/command/agent/node_endpoint_test.go
index 8bf56e328..113fa5de8 100644
--- a/command/agent/node_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/command/agent/node_endpoint_test.go
@@ -396,5 +396,11 @@ func TestHTTP_NodeQuery(t *testing.T) {
 		if n.ID != node.ID {
 			t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", n)
 		}
+		if len(n.NodeEvents) != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("Expected node registration event to be populated: %#v", n)
+		}
+		if n.NodeEvents[0].Message != "Node Registered" {
+			t.Fatalf("Expected node registration event to be first node event: %#v", n)
+		}
 	})
 }
diff --git a/command/node_status.go b/command/node_status.go
index 804e63d34..9b35ae758 100644
--- a/command/node_status.go
+++ b/command/node_status.go
@@ -332,6 +332,8 @@ func (c *NodeStatusCommand) formatNode(client *api.Client, node *api.Node) int {
 		}
 		c.Ui.Output(c.Colorize().Color(formatKV(basic)))
 
+		c.outputNodeStatusEvents(node)
+
 		// Get list of running allocations on the node
 		runningAllocs, err := getRunningAllocs(client, node.ID)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -386,6 +388,34 @@ func (c *NodeStatusCommand) formatNode(client *api.Client, node *api.Node) int {
 
 }
 
+func (c *NodeStatusCommand) outputNodeStatusEvents(node *api.Node) {
+	c.Ui.Output(c.Colorize().Color("\n[bold]Node Events "))
+	c.outputNodeEvent(node.NodeEvents)
+}
+
+func (c *NodeStatusCommand) outputNodeEvent(events []*api.NodeEvent) {
+	size := len(events)
+	nodeEvents := make([]string, size+1)
+	nodeEvents[0] = "Timestamp|Subsystem|Message|Details"
+
+	for i, event := range events {
+		timestamp := formatUnixNanoTime(event.Timestamp)
+		subsystem := event.Subsystem
+		msg := event.Message
+		details := formatEventDetails(event.Details)
+		nodeEvents[size-i] = fmt.Sprintf("%s|%s|%s|%s", timestamp, subsystem, msg, details)
+	}
+	c.Ui.Output(formatList(nodeEvents))
+}
+
+func formatEventDetails(details map[string]string) string {
+	var output string
+	for k, v := range details {
+		output += fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s, ", k, v)
+	}
+	return output
+}
+
 func (c *NodeStatusCommand) formatAttributes(node *api.Node) {
 	// Print the attributes
 	keys := make([]string, len(node.Attributes))
diff --git a/nomad/fsm_test.go b/nomad/fsm_test.go
index b0737f187..14b630fe5 100644
--- a/nomad/fsm_test.go
+++ b/nomad/fsm_test.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func TestFSM_ApplyNodeEvent(t *testing.T) {
 
 	first := node.NodeEvents[1]
 	require.Equal(uint64(1), first.CreateIndex)
-	require.Equal("Registration failed", first.Message)
+	require.Equal("Heartbeating failed", first.Message)
 }
 
 func TestFSM_UpsertNode(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go b/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go
index 37d4d05cc..af8e7b075 100644
--- a/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go
@@ -984,6 +984,14 @@ func TestClientEndpoint_GetNode(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v \n %#v", node, resp2.Node)
 	}
 
+	// assert that the node register event was set correctly
+	if len(resp2.Node.NodeEvents) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("Did not set node events: %#v", resp2.Node)
+	}
+	if resp2.Node.NodeEvents[0].Message != "Node Registered" {
+		t.Fatalf("Did not set node register event correctly: %#v", resp2.Node)
+	}
+
 	// Lookup non-existing node
 	get.NodeID = "12345678-abcd-efab-cdef-123456789abc"
 	if err := msgpackrpc.CallWithCodec(codec, "Node.GetNode", get, &resp2); err != nil {
diff --git a/nomad/state/state_store.go b/nomad/state/state_store.go
index 41523f749..e2649cf78 100644
--- a/nomad/state/state_store.go
+++ b/nomad/state/state_store.go
@@ -526,6 +526,9 @@ func (s *StateStore) UpsertNode(index uint64, node *structs.Node) error {
 		node.CreateIndex = exist.CreateIndex
 		node.ModifyIndex = index
 		node.Drain = exist.Drain // Retain the drain mode
+
+		// retain node events that have already been set on the node
+		node.NodeEvents = exist.NodeEvents
 	} else {
 		// Because this is the first time the node is being registered, we should
 		// also create a node registration event
diff --git a/nomad/structs/structs.go b/nomad/structs/structs.go
index d320408f9..8ae65516e 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/structs.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/structs.go
@@ -1178,9 +1178,18 @@ func (n *Node) Copy() *Node {
 	nn.Reserved = nn.Reserved.Copy()
 	nn.Links = helper.CopyMapStringString(nn.Links)
 	nn.Meta = helper.CopyMapStringString(nn.Meta)
+	nn.NodeEvents = copyNodeEvents(n)
 	return nn
 }
 
+func copyNodeEvents(first *Node) []*NodeEvent {
+	nodeEvents := make([]*NodeEvent, 0)
+	for _, e := range first.NodeEvents {
+		nodeEvents = append(nodeEvents, e)
+	}
+	return nodeEvents
+}
+
 // TerminalStatus returns if the current status is terminal and
 // will no longer transition.
 func (n *Node) TerminalStatus() bool {