diff --git a/pillar/web/nodes/routes.py b/pillar/web/nodes/routes.py
index 1c8a5818..7bff2113 100644
--- a/pillar/web/nodes/routes.py
+++ b/pillar/web/nodes/routes.py
@@ -604,5 +604,94 @@ def url_for_node(node_id=None, node=None):
     return finders.find_url_for_node(node)
 
 
+@blueprint.route("/<node_id>/breadcrumbs")
+def breadcrumbs(node_id: str):
+    """Return breadcrumbs for the given node, as JSON.
+
+    Note that a missing parent is still returned in the breadcrumbs,
+    but with `{_exists: false, name: '-unknown-'}`.
+
+    The breadcrumbs start with the top-level parent, and end with the node
+    itself (marked by {_self: true}). Returns JSON like this:
+
+    {breadcrumbs: [
+        ...,
+        {_id: "parentID",
+         name: "The Parent Node",
+         node_type: "group",
+         url: "/p/project/parentID"},
+        {_id: "deadbeefbeefbeefbeeffeee",
+         _self: true,
+         name: "The Node Itself",
+         node_type: "asset",
+         url: "/p/project/nodeID"},
+    ]}
+
+    When a parent node is missing, it has a breadcrumb like this:
+
+    {_id: "deadbeefbeefbeefbeeffeee",
+     _exists': false,
+     name': '-unknown-'}
+    """
+
+    api = system_util.pillar_api()
+    is_self = True
+
+    def make_crumb(some_node: None) -> dict:
+        """Construct a breadcrumb for this node."""
+        nonlocal is_self
+
+        crumb = {
+            '_id': some_node._id,
+            'name': some_node.name,
+            'node_type': some_node.node_type,
+            'url': finders.find_url_for_node(some_node),
+        }
+        if is_self:
+            crumb['_self'] = True
+            is_self = False
+        return crumb
+
+    def make_missing_crumb(some_node_id: None) -> dict:
+        """Construct 'missing parent' breadcrumb."""
+
+        return {
+            '_id': some_node_id,
+            '_exists': False,
+            'name': '-unknown-',
+        }
+
+    # The first node MUST exist.
+    try:
+        node = Node.find(node_id, api=api)
+    except ResourceNotFound:
+        log.warning('breadcrumbs(node_id=%r): Unable to find node', node_id)
+        raise wz_exceptions.NotFound(f'Unable to find node {node_id}')
+    except ForbiddenAccess:
+        log.warning('breadcrumbs(node_id=%r): access denied to current user', node_id)
+        raise wz_exceptions.Forbidden(f'No access to node {node_id}')
+
+    crumbs = []
+    while True:
+        crumbs.append(make_crumb(node))
+
+        child_id = node._id
+        node_id = node.parent
+        if not node_id:
+            break
+
+        # If a subsequent node doesn't exist any more, include that in the breadcrumbs.
+        # Forbidden nodes are handled as if they don't exist.
+        try:
+            node = Node.find(node_id, api=api)
+        except (ResourceNotFound, ForbiddenAccess):
+            log.warning('breadcrumbs: Unable to find node %r but it is marked as parent of %r',
+                        node_id, child_id)
+            crumbs.append(make_missing_crumb(node_id))
+            break
+
+    return jsonify({'breadcrumbs': list(reversed(crumbs))})
+
+
 # Import of custom modules (using the same nodes decorator)
 from .custom import groups, storage, posts
diff --git a/src/scripts/js/es6/common/events/Nodes.js b/src/scripts/js/es6/common/events/Nodes.js
index 1af26120..cc0b7f63 100644
--- a/src/scripts/js/es6/common/events/Nodes.js
+++ b/src/scripts/js/es6/common/events/Nodes.js
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ class EventName {
     static deleted(nodeId) {
         return `pillar:node:${nodeId}:deleted`;
     }
+
+    static loaded() {
+        return `pillar:node:loaded`;
+    }
 }
 
 function trigger(eventName, data) {
@@ -139,6 +143,23 @@ class Nodes {
             EventName.deleted(nodeId),
             cb);
     }
+
+    static triggerLoaded(nodeId) {
+        trigger(EventName.loaded(), {nodeId: nodeId});
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Listen to events of nodes being loaded for display
+     * @param {Function(Event)} cb
+     */
+    static onLoaded(cb) {
+        on(EventName.loaded(), cb);
+    }
+
+    static offLoaded(cb) {
+        off(EventName.loaded(), cb);
+    }
+
 }
 
 export { Nodes }
diff --git a/src/scripts/js/es6/common/vuecomponents/breadcrumbs/Breadcrumbs.js b/src/scripts/js/es6/common/vuecomponents/breadcrumbs/Breadcrumbs.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..51314662
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/scripts/js/es6/common/vuecomponents/breadcrumbs/Breadcrumbs.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+const TEMPLATE = `
+<div class='breadcrumbs' v-if="breadcrumbs.length">
+    <ul>
+        <li v-for="crumb in breadcrumbs">
+            <a :href="crumb.url" v-if="!crumb._self">{{ crumb.name }}</a>
+            <template v-else>{{ crumb.name }}</template>
+        </li>
+    </ul>
+</div>
+`
+
+Vue.component("node-breadcrumbs", {
+    template: TEMPLATE,
+    created() {
+        this.loadBreadcrumbs();
+        pillar.events.Nodes.onLoaded(event => {
+            this.nodeId = event.detail.nodeId;
+        });
+    },
+    props: {
+        nodeId: String,
+    },
+    data() { return {
+        breadcrumbs: [],
+    }},
+    watch: {
+        nodeId() {
+            this.loadBreadcrumbs();
+        },
+    },
+    methods: {
+        loadBreadcrumbs() {
+            // The node ID may not exist (when at project level, for example).
+            if (!this.nodeId) {
+                this.breadcrumbs = [];
+                return;
+            }
+
+            $.get(`/nodes/${this.nodeId}/breadcrumbs`)
+            .done(data => {
+                this.breadcrumbs = data.breadcrumbs;
+            })
+            .fail(error => {
+                toastr.error(xhrErrorResponseMessage(error), "Unable to load breadcrumbs");
+            })
+            ;
+        },
+    },
+});
diff --git a/src/scripts/js/es6/common/vuecomponents/init.js b/src/scripts/js/es6/common/vuecomponents/init.js
index 86fd612f..26a30795 100644
--- a/src/scripts/js/es6/common/vuecomponents/init.js
+++ b/src/scripts/js/es6/common/vuecomponents/init.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import './breadcrumbs/Breadcrumbs'
 import './comments/CommentTree'
 import './customdirectives/click-outside'
 import { UnitOfWorkTracker } from './mixins/UnitOfWorkTracker'
diff --git a/tests/test_web/test_nodes.py b/tests/test_web/test_nodes.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..292ced59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_web/test_nodes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+import typing
+
+from bson import ObjectId
+import flask
+
+from pillar.tests import AbstractPillarTest
+
+
+class BreadcrumbsTest(AbstractPillarTest):
+    def setUp(self, **kwargs):
+        super().setUp(**kwargs)
+        self.project_id, self.project = self.ensure_project_exists()
+
+    def _create_group(self,
+                      parent_id: typing.Optional[ObjectId],
+                      name: str) -> ObjectId:
+        node = {
+            'name': name,
+            'description': '',
+            'node_type': 'group',
+            'user': self.project['user'],
+            'properties': {'status': 'published'},
+            'project': self.project_id,
+        }
+        if parent_id:
+            node['parent'] = parent_id
+        return self.create_node(node)
+
+    def test_happy(self) -> ObjectId:
+        # Create the nodes we expect to be returned in the breadcrumbs.
+        top_group_node_id = self._create_group(None, 'Top-level node')
+        group_node_id = self._create_group(top_group_node_id, 'Group node')
+
+        fid, _ = self.ensure_file_exists()
+        node_id = self.create_node({
+            'name': 'Asset node',
+            'parent': group_node_id,
+            'description': '',
+            'node_type': 'asset',
+            'user': self.project['user'],
+            'properties': {'status': 'published', 'file': fid},
+            'project': self.project_id,
+        })
+
+        # Create some siblings that should not be returned.
+        self._create_group(None, 'Sibling of top node')
+        self._create_group(top_group_node_id, 'Sibling of group node')
+        self._create_group(group_node_id, 'Sibling of asset node')
+
+        expected = {'breadcrumbs': [
+            {'_id': str(top_group_node_id),
+             'name': 'Top-level node',
+             'node_type': 'group',
+             'url': f'/p/{self.project["url"]}/{top_group_node_id}'},
+            {'_id': str(group_node_id),
+             'name': 'Group node',
+             'node_type': 'group',
+             'url': f'/p/{self.project["url"]}/{group_node_id}'},
+            {'_id': str(node_id),
+             '_self': True,
+             'name': 'Asset node',
+             'node_type': 'asset',
+             'url': f'/p/{self.project["url"]}/{node_id}'},
+        ]}
+
+        with self.app.app_context():
+            url = flask.url_for('nodes.breadcrumbs', node_id=str(node_id))
+
+        actual = self.get(url).json
+        self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+
+        return node_id
+
+    def test_missing_parent(self):
+        # Note that this group node doesn't exist in the database:
+        group_node_id = ObjectId(3 * 'deadbeef')
+
+        fid, _ = self.ensure_file_exists()
+        node_id = self.create_node({
+            'name': 'Asset node',
+            'parent': group_node_id,
+            'description': '',
+            'node_type': 'asset',
+            'user': self.project['user'],
+            'properties': {'status': 'published', 'file': fid},
+            'project': self.project_id,
+        })
+
+        expected = {'breadcrumbs': [
+            {'_id': str(group_node_id),
+             '_exists': False,
+             'name': '-unknown-'},
+            {'_id': str(node_id),
+             '_self': True,
+             'name': 'Asset node',
+             'node_type': 'asset',
+             'url': f'/p/{self.project["url"]}/{node_id}'},
+        ]}
+
+        with self.app.app_context():
+            url = flask.url_for('nodes.breadcrumbs', node_id=str(node_id))
+
+        actual = self.get(url).json
+        self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+
+    def test_missing_node(self):
+        with self.app.app_context():
+            url = flask.url_for('nodes.breadcrumbs', node_id=3 * 'deadbeef')
+        self.get(url, expected_status=404)
+
+    def test_permissions(self):
+        # Use the same test case as the happy case.
+        node_id = self.test_happy()
+
+        # Tweak the project to make it private.
+        with self.app.app_context():
+            proj_coll = self.app.db('projects')
+            result = proj_coll.update_one({'_id': self.project_id},
+                                          {'$set': {'permissions.world': []}})
+            self.assertEqual(1, result.modified_count)
+            self.project = self.fetch_project_from_db(self.project_id)
+
+        with self.app.app_context():
+            url = flask.url_for('nodes.breadcrumbs', node_id=str(node_id))
+
+        # Anonymous access should be forbidden.
+        self.get(url, expected_status=403)
+
+        # Authorized access should work, though.
+        self.create_valid_auth_token(self.project['user'], token='user-token')
+        self.get(url, auth_token='user-token')