diff --git a/event/manager.go b/event/manager.go
index d3f2da9a7..72cc34350 100644
--- a/event/manager.go
+++ b/event/manager.go
@@ -169,13 +169,13 @@ func (m Manager) EventCategory(ctx context.Context, event types.BaseEvent) (stri
 }
 
 // Get the events from the specified object(s) and optionanlly tail the event stream
-func (m Manager) Events(ctx context.Context, objects []types.ManagedObjectReference, pageSize int32, tail bool, force bool, f func(types.ManagedObjectReference, []types.BaseEvent) error) error {
-
+func (m Manager) Events(ctx context.Context, objects []types.ManagedObjectReference, pageSize int32, tail bool, force bool, f func(types.ManagedObjectReference, []types.BaseEvent) error, kind ...string) error {
+	// TODO: deprecated this method and add one that uses a single config struct, so we can extend further without breaking the method signature.
 	if len(objects) >= m.maxObjects && !force {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Maximum number of objects to monitor (%d) exceeded, refine search", m.maxObjects)
 	}
 
-	proc := newEventProcessor(m, pageSize, f)
+	proc := newEventProcessor(m, pageSize, f, kind)
 	for _, o := range objects {
 		proc.addObject(ctx, o)
 	}
diff --git a/event/processor.go b/event/processor.go
index cc19b7009..b8760a8e4 100644
--- a/event/processor.go
+++ b/event/processor.go
@@ -34,16 +34,18 @@ type tailInfo struct {
 type eventProcessor struct {
 	mgr      Manager
 	pageSize int32
+	kind     []string
 	tailers  map[types.ManagedObjectReference]*tailInfo // tailers by collector ref
 	callback func(types.ManagedObjectReference, []types.BaseEvent) error
 }
 
-func newEventProcessor(mgr Manager, pageSize int32, callback func(types.ManagedObjectReference, []types.BaseEvent) error) *eventProcessor {
+func newEventProcessor(mgr Manager, pageSize int32, callback func(types.ManagedObjectReference, []types.BaseEvent) error, kind []string) *eventProcessor {
 	return &eventProcessor{
 		mgr:      mgr,
 		tailers:  make(map[types.ManagedObjectReference]*tailInfo),
 		callback: callback,
 		pageSize: pageSize,
+		kind:     kind,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ func (p *eventProcessor) addObject(ctx context.Context, obj types.ManagedObjectR
 			Entity:    obj,
 			Recursion: types.EventFilterSpecRecursionOptionAll,
 		},
+		EventTypeId: p.kind,
 	}
 
 	collector, err := p.mgr.CreateCollectorForEvents(ctx, filter)
diff --git a/govc/events/command.go b/govc/events/command.go
index e57112b85..a96c83454 100644
--- a/govc/events/command.go
+++ b/govc/events/command.go
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-Copyright (c) 2015 VMware, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+Copyright (c) 2015-2017 VMware, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 
 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
+	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -40,6 +41,19 @@ type events struct {
 	Max   int32
 	Tail  bool
 	Force bool
+	Long  bool
+	Kind  kinds
+}
+
+type kinds []string
+
+func (e *kinds) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprint(*e)
+}
+
+func (e *kinds) Set(value string) error {
+	*e = append(*e, value)
+	return nil
 }
 
 func init() {
@@ -55,6 +69,8 @@ func (cmd *events) Register(ctx context.Context, f *flag.FlagSet) {
 	f.Var(flags.NewInt32(&cmd.Max), "n", "Output the last N events")
 	f.BoolVar(&cmd.Tail, "f", false, "Follow event stream")
 	f.BoolVar(&cmd.Force, "force", false, "Disable number objects to monitor limit")
+	f.BoolVar(&cmd.Long, "l", false, "Long listing format")
+	f.Var(&cmd.Kind, "type", "Include only the specified event types")
 }
 
 func (cmd *events) Description() string {
@@ -63,6 +79,7 @@ func (cmd *events) Description() string {
 Examples:
   govc events vm/my-vm1 vm/my-vm2
   govc events /dc1/vm/* /dc2/vm/*
+  govc events -type VmPoweredOffEvent -type VmPoweredOnEvent
   govc ls -t HostSystem host/* | xargs govc events | grep -i vsan`
 }
 
@@ -101,6 +118,10 @@ func (cmd *events) printEvents(ctx context.Context, obj *types.ManagedObjectRefe
 			Message:     strings.TrimSpace(event.FullFormattedMessage),
 		}
 
+		if cmd.Long {
+			r.Type = reflect.TypeOf(e).Elem().Name()
+		}
+
 		// if this is a TaskEvent gather a little more information
 		if t, ok := e.(*types.TaskEvent); ok {
 			// some tasks won't have this information, so just use the event message
@@ -118,6 +139,7 @@ func (cmd *events) printEvents(ctx context.Context, obj *types.ManagedObjectRefe
 
 type record struct {
 	Object      string `json:",omitempty"`
+	Type        string `json:",omitempty"`
 	CreatedTime time.Time
 	Category    string
 	Message     string
@@ -129,8 +151,11 @@ func writeEventAsJSON(w io.Writer, r *record) error {
 
 func writeEvent(w io.Writer, r *record) error {
 	when := r.CreatedTime.Local().Format(time.ANSIC)
-
-	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, "[%s] [%s] %s\n", when, r.Category, r.Message)
+	var kind string
+	if r.Type != "" {
+		kind = fmt.Sprintf(" [%s]", r.Type)
+	}
+	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, "[%s] [%s]%s %s\n", when, r.Category, kind, r.Message)
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -166,7 +191,7 @@ func (cmd *events) Run(ctx context.Context, f *flag.FlagSet) error {
 				return err
 			}
 			return nil
-		})
+		}, cmd.Kind...)
 
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/govc/test/events.bats b/govc/test/events.bats
index 5c5145271..4568b46e7 100755
--- a/govc/test/events.bats
+++ b/govc/test/events.bats
@@ -54,6 +54,21 @@ load test_helper
   run govc events vm
   assert_success
   [ ${#lines[@]} -ge $nevents ]
+
+  run govc events -type VmPoweredOffEvent -type VmPoweredOnEvent "vm/$vm"
+  [ ${#lines[@]} -eq 0 ]
+
+  run govc vm.power -on "$vm"
+  assert_success
+
+  run govc events -type VmPoweredOffEvent -type VmPoweredOnEvent "vm/$vm"
+  [ ${#lines[@]} -eq 1 ]
+
+  run govc vm.power -off "$vm"
+  assert_success
+
+  run govc events -type VmPoweredOffEvent -type VmPoweredOnEvent "vm/$vm"
+  [ ${#lines[@]} -eq 2 ]
 }
 
 @test "events json" {