diff --git a/src/commands/runtime/action/create.js b/src/commands/runtime/action/create.js
index 75aac90e..8f3e6537 100644
--- a/src/commands/runtime/action/create.js
+++ b/src/commands/runtime/action/create.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class ActionCreate extends RuntimeBaseCommand {
     let annotationParams
     const webAction = flags.web ? flags.web.toLowerCase() : false
     const webSecure = flags['web-secure'] ? flags['web-secure'].toLowerCase() : false
+    const method = this.isUpdate() ? 'update' : 'create'
 
     try {
       // sanity check web secure must have web truthy
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ class ActionCreate extends RuntimeBaseCommand {
         throw (new Error(ActionCreate.errorMessages.sequenceWithDocker))
       } else if (flags.docker && flags.kind) {
         throw (new Error(ActionCreate.errorMessages.kindWithDocker))
-      } else if (!args.actionPath && !flags.sequence && !flags.docker && !this.isUpdate()) {
+      } else if (!flags.copy && !args.actionPath && !flags.sequence && !flags.docker && !this.isUpdate()) {
         throw (new Error(ActionCreate.errorMessages.missingKind))
       }
 
@@ -94,6 +95,9 @@ class ActionCreate extends RuntimeBaseCommand {
         } else {
           exec = createComponentsfromSequence(sequenceAction)
         }
+      } else if (flags.copy) {
+        const ow = await this.wsk()
+        return await this.syncAction(ow, name, null, flags, method)
       }
 
       if (flags.docker) {
@@ -112,7 +116,7 @@ class ActionCreate extends RuntimeBaseCommand {
         envParams = createKeyValueArrayFromFile(flags['env-file'])
       }
 
-      // merge parametes and environemtn variables
+      // merge parameters and environment variables
       if (envParams) {
         envParams = envParams.map(e => ({ ...e, init: true }))
         if (paramsAction) {
@@ -178,22 +182,42 @@ class ActionCreate extends RuntimeBaseCommand {
       }
 
       const options = { name }
-      if (exec) options.exec = exec
-      if (limits) options.limits = limits
-      if (paramsAction) options.parameters = paramsAction
-      if (annotationParams) options.annotations = annotationParams
-
-      const ow = await this.wsk()
-      const method = this.isUpdate() ? 'update' : 'create'
-      const result = await ow.actions[method]({ name, action: options })
-      if (flags.json) {
-        this.logJSON('', result)
+      if (exec) {
+        options.exec = exec
+      }
+      if (limits) {
+        options.limits = limits
       }
+      if (paramsAction) {
+        options.parameters = paramsAction
+      }
+      if (annotationParams) {
+        options.annotations = annotationParams
+      }
+      const ow = await this.wsk()
+      await this.syncAction(ow, name, options, flags, method)
     } catch (err) {
-      const method = this.isUpdate() ? 'update' : 'create'
       this.handleError(`failed to ${method} the action`, err)
     }
   }
+
+  /** @private
+   * @param {OpenwhiskClient} ow
+   * @param {string} actionName
+   * @param {object} actionData
+   * @param {object} flags
+   * @param {'update' | 'create'} method
+   * */
+  async syncAction (ow, actionName, actionData, flags, method) {
+    let action = actionData
+    if (flags.copy) {
+      action = await ow.actions.get(flags.copy)
+    }
+    const result = await ow.actions[method]({ name: actionName, action })
+    if (flags.json) {
+      this.logJSON('', result)
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 ActionCreate.args = [
@@ -213,6 +237,9 @@ ActionCreate.flags = {
     description: 'parameter values in KEY VALUE format', // help description for flag
     multiple: true // allow setting this flag multiple times
   }),
+  copy: flags.string({
+    description: 'copy an existing action' // help description for flag
+  }),
   env: flags.string({
     char: 'e',
     description: 'environment values in KEY VALUE format', // help description for flag
diff --git a/test/commands/runtime/action/create.test.js b/test/commands/runtime/action/create.test.js
index 438553cd..93704e07 100644
--- a/test/commands/runtime/action/create.test.js
+++ b/test/commands/runtime/action/create.test.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const RuntimeBaseCommand = require('../../../../src/RuntimeBaseCommand.js')
 const RuntimeLib = require('@adobe/aio-lib-runtime')
 const rtUtils = RuntimeLib.utils
 const rtAction = 'actions.create'
+const rtActionGet = 'actions.get'
 
 test('exports', async () => {
   expect(typeof TheCommand).toEqual('function')
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ test('flags', async () => {
   expect(TheCommand.flags['annotation-file'].char).toBe('A')
   expect(typeof TheCommand.flags['annotation-file']).toBe('object')
   expect(typeof TheCommand.flags.sequence).toBe('object')
+  expect(typeof TheCommand.flags.copy).toBe('object')
 })
 
 test('args', async () => {
@@ -878,5 +880,20 @@ describe('instance methods', () => {
           })
       })
     })
+
+    test('aio runtime:action:create newAction --copy oldAction', () => {
+      const oldActionJson = require('../../../__fixtures__/action/get.json')
+      const cmdGet = rtLib.mockResolvedFixture(rtActionGet, 'action/get.json')
+      const cmdCreate = rtLib.mockResolved(rtAction, { fake: '' })
+      const name = 'oldAction'
+      const newAction = 'newAction'
+      command.argv = [newAction, '--copy', name]
+      return command.run()
+        .then(() => {
+          expect(cmdGet).toHaveBeenCalledWith(name)
+          expect(cmdCreate).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ name: newAction, action: oldActionJson })
+          expect(stdout.output).toMatch('')
+        })
+    })
   })
 })