diff --git a/cmd/tailscale/cli/cli.go b/cmd/tailscale/cli/cli.go
index 0fa4cf6ad..4e777c2df 100644
--- a/cmd/tailscale/cli/cli.go
+++ b/cmd/tailscale/cli/cli.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ change in the future.
 			pingCmd,
 			versionCmd,
 			webCmd,
-			pushCmd,
+			fileCmd,
 			bugReportCmd,
 		},
 		FlagSet:   rootfs,
diff --git a/cmd/tailscale/cli/file.go b/cmd/tailscale/cli/file.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0933ca5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/tailscale/cli/file.go
@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2021 Tailscale Inc & AUTHORS All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"log"
+	"mime"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+	"unicode/utf8"
+
+	"github.com/peterbourgon/ff/v2/ffcli"
+	"golang.org/x/time/rate"
+	"inet.af/netaddr"
+	"tailscale.com/client/tailscale"
+)
+
+var fileCmd = &ffcli.Command{
+	Name:       "file",
+	ShortUsage: "file <cp|get> ...",
+	ShortHelp:  "Send or receive files",
+	Subcommands: []*ffcli.Command{
+		fileCpCmd,
+		// TODO: fileGetCmd,
+	},
+	Exec: func(context.Context, []string) error {
+		// TODO(bradfitz): is there a better ffcli way to
+		// annotate subcommand-required commands that don't
+		// have an exec body of their own?
+		return errors.New("file subcommand required; run 'tailscale file -h' for details")
+	},
+}
+
+var fileCpCmd = &ffcli.Command{
+	Name:       "cp",
+	ShortUsage: "file cp <files...> <target>:",
+	ShortHelp:  "Copy file(s) to a host",
+	Exec:       runCp,
+	FlagSet: (func() *flag.FlagSet {
+		fs := flag.NewFlagSet("cp", flag.ExitOnError)
+		fs.StringVar(&cpArgs.name, "name", "", "alternate filename to use, especially useful when <file> is \"-\" (stdin)")
+		fs.BoolVar(&cpArgs.verbose, "verbose", false, "verbose output")
+		fs.BoolVar(&cpArgs.targets, "targets", false, "list possible file cp targets")
+		return fs
+	})(),
+}
+
+var cpArgs struct {
+	name    string
+	verbose bool
+	targets bool
+}
+
+func runCp(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
+	if cpArgs.targets {
+		return runCpTargets(ctx, args)
+	}
+	if len(args) < 2 {
+		//lint:ignore ST1005 no sorry need that colon at the end
+		return errors.New("usage: tailscale file cp <files...> <target>:")
+	}
+	files, target := args[:len(args)-1], args[len(args)-1]
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(target, ":") {
+		return fmt.Errorf("final argument to 'tailscale file cp' must end in colon")
+	}
+	target = strings.TrimSuffix(target, ":")
+	hadBrackets := false
+	if strings.HasPrefix(target, "[") && strings.HasSuffix(target, "]") {
+		hadBrackets = true
+		target = strings.TrimSuffix(strings.TrimPrefix(target, "["), "]")
+	}
+	if ip, err := netaddr.ParseIP(target); err == nil && ip.Is6() && !hadBrackets {
+		return fmt.Errorf("an IPv6 literal must be written as [%s]", ip)
+	} else if hadBrackets && (err != nil || !ip.Is6()) {
+		return errors.New("unexpected brackets around target")
+	}
+	ip, err := tailscaleIPFromArg(ctx, target)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	peerAPIBase, lastSeen, isOffline, err := discoverPeerAPIBase(ctx, ip)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if isOffline {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "# warning: %s is offline\n", target)
+	} else if !lastSeen.IsZero() && time.Since(lastSeen) > lastSeenOld {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "# warning: %s last seen %v ago\n", target, time.Since(lastSeen).Round(time.Minute))
+	}
+
+	if len(files) > 1 {
+		if cpArgs.name != "" {
+			return errors.New("can't use --name= with multiple files")
+		}
+		for _, fileArg := range files {
+			if fileArg == "-" {
+				return errors.New("can't use '-' as STDIN file when providing filename arguments")
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	for _, fileArg := range files {
+		var fileContents io.Reader
+		var name = cpArgs.name
+		var contentLength int64 = -1
+		if fileArg == "-" {
+			fileContents = os.Stdin
+			if name == "" {
+				name, fileContents, err = pickStdinFilename()
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+		} else {
+			f, err := os.Open(fileArg)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			defer f.Close()
+			fi, err := f.Stat()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if fi.IsDir() {
+				return errors.New("directories not supported")
+			}
+			contentLength = fi.Size()
+			fileContents = io.LimitReader(f, contentLength)
+			if name == "" {
+				name = filepath.Base(fileArg)
+			}
+
+			if slow, _ := strconv.ParseBool(os.Getenv("TS_DEBUG_SLOW_PUSH")); slow {
+				fileContents = &slowReader{r: fileContents}
+			}
+		}
+
+		dstURL := peerAPIBase + "/v0/put/" + url.PathEscape(name)
+		req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, "PUT", dstURL, fileContents)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		req.ContentLength = contentLength
+		if cpArgs.verbose {
+			log.Printf("sending to %v ...", dstURL)
+		}
+		res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if res.StatusCode == 200 {
+			io.Copy(ioutil.Discard, res.Body)
+			res.Body.Close()
+			continue
+		}
+		io.Copy(os.Stdout, res.Body)
+		res.Body.Close()
+		return errors.New(res.Status)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func discoverPeerAPIBase(ctx context.Context, ipStr string) (base string, lastSeen time.Time, isOffline bool, err error) {
+	ip, err := netaddr.ParseIP(ipStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", time.Time{}, false, err
+	}
+	fts, err := tailscale.FileTargets(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", time.Time{}, false, err
+	}
+	for _, ft := range fts {
+		n := ft.Node
+		for _, a := range n.Addresses {
+			if a.IP != ip {
+				continue
+			}
+			if n.LastSeen != nil {
+				lastSeen = *n.LastSeen
+			}
+			isOffline = n.Online != nil && !*n.Online
+			return ft.PeerAPIURL, lastSeen, isOffline, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return "", time.Time{}, false, errors.New("target seems to be running an old Tailscale version")
+}
+
+const maxSniff = 4 << 20
+
+func ext(b []byte) string {
+	if len(b) < maxSniff && utf8.Valid(b) {
+		return ".txt"
+	}
+	if exts, _ := mime.ExtensionsByType(http.DetectContentType(b)); len(exts) > 0 {
+		return exts[0]
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+// pickStdinFilename reads a bit of stdin to return a good filename
+// for its contents. The returned Reader is the concatenation of the
+// read and unread bits.
+func pickStdinFilename() (name string, r io.Reader, err error) {
+	sniff, err := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(os.Stdin, maxSniff))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", nil, err
+	}
+	return "stdin" + ext(sniff), io.MultiReader(bytes.NewReader(sniff), os.Stdin), nil
+}
+
+type slowReader struct {
+	r  io.Reader
+	rl *rate.Limiter
+}
+
+func (r *slowReader) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	const burst = 4 << 10
+	plen := len(p)
+	if plen > burst {
+		plen = burst
+	}
+	if r.rl == nil {
+		r.rl = rate.NewLimiter(rate.Limit(1<<10), burst)
+	}
+	n, err = r.r.Read(p[:plen])
+	r.rl.WaitN(context.Background(), n)
+	return
+}
+
+const lastSeenOld = 20 * time.Minute
+
+func runCpTargets(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
+	if len(args) > 0 {
+		return errors.New("invalid arguments with --targets")
+	}
+	fts, err := tailscale.FileTargets(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for _, ft := range fts {
+		n := ft.Node
+		var detail string
+		if n.Online != nil {
+			if !*n.Online {
+				detail = "offline"
+			}
+		} else {
+			detail = "unknown-status"
+		}
+		if detail != "" && n.LastSeen != nil {
+			d := time.Since(*n.LastSeen)
+			detail += fmt.Sprintf("; last seen %v ago", d.Round(time.Minute))
+		}
+		if detail != "" {
+			detail = "\t" + detail
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("%s\t%s%s\n", n.Addresses[0].IP, n.ComputedName, detail)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/tailscale/cli/push.go b/cmd/tailscale/cli/push.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 721ca2e6d..000000000
--- a/cmd/tailscale/cli/push.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,228 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright (c) 2021 Tailscale Inc & AUTHORS All rights reserved.
-// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
-// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
-
-package cli
-
-import (
-	"bytes"
-	"context"
-	"errors"
-	"flag"
-	"fmt"
-	"io"
-	"log"
-	"mime"
-	"net/http"
-	"net/url"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"strconv"
-	"time"
-	"unicode/utf8"
-
-	"github.com/peterbourgon/ff/v2/ffcli"
-	"golang.org/x/time/rate"
-	"inet.af/netaddr"
-	"tailscale.com/client/tailscale"
-)
-
-var pushCmd = &ffcli.Command{
-	Name:       "push",
-	ShortUsage: "push [--flags] <hostname-or-IP> <file>",
-	ShortHelp:  "Push a file to a host",
-	Exec:       runPush,
-	FlagSet: (func() *flag.FlagSet {
-		fs := flag.NewFlagSet("push", flag.ExitOnError)
-		fs.StringVar(&pushArgs.name, "name", "", "alternate filename to use, especially useful when <file> is \"-\" (stdin)")
-		fs.BoolVar(&pushArgs.verbose, "verbose", false, "verbose output")
-		fs.BoolVar(&pushArgs.targets, "targets", false, "list possible push targets")
-		return fs
-	})(),
-}
-
-var pushArgs struct {
-	name    string
-	verbose bool
-	targets bool
-}
-
-func runPush(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
-	if pushArgs.targets {
-		return runPushTargets(ctx, args)
-	}
-	if len(args) != 2 || args[0] == "" {
-		return errors.New("usage: push <hostname-or-IP> <file>\n       push --targets")
-	}
-	var ip string
-
-	hostOrIP, fileArg := args[0], args[1]
-	ip, err := tailscaleIPFromArg(ctx, hostOrIP)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	peerAPIBase, lastSeen, isOffline, err := discoverPeerAPIBase(ctx, ip)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if isOffline {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "# warning: %s is offline\n", hostOrIP)
-	} else if !lastSeen.IsZero() && time.Since(lastSeen) > lastSeenOld {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "# warning: %s last seen %v ago\n", hostOrIP, time.Since(lastSeen).Round(time.Minute))
-	}
-
-	var fileContents io.Reader
-	var name = pushArgs.name
-	var contentLength int64 = -1
-	if fileArg == "-" {
-		fileContents = os.Stdin
-		if name == "" {
-			name, fileContents, err = pickStdinFilename()
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-		}
-	} else {
-		f, err := os.Open(fileArg)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		defer f.Close()
-		fi, err := f.Stat()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if fi.IsDir() {
-			return errors.New("directories not supported")
-		}
-		contentLength = fi.Size()
-		fileContents = io.LimitReader(f, contentLength)
-		if name == "" {
-			name = filepath.Base(fileArg)
-		}
-
-		if slow, _ := strconv.ParseBool(os.Getenv("TS_DEBUG_SLOW_PUSH")); slow {
-			fileContents = &slowReader{r: fileContents}
-		}
-	}
-
-	dstURL := peerAPIBase + "/v0/put/" + url.PathEscape(name)
-	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, "PUT", dstURL, fileContents)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	req.ContentLength = contentLength
-	if pushArgs.verbose {
-		log.Printf("sending to %v ...", dstURL)
-	}
-	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer res.Body.Close()
-	if res.StatusCode == 200 {
-		return nil
-	}
-	io.Copy(os.Stdout, res.Body)
-	return errors.New(res.Status)
-}
-
-func discoverPeerAPIBase(ctx context.Context, ipStr string) (base string, lastSeen time.Time, isOffline bool, err error) {
-	ip, err := netaddr.ParseIP(ipStr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", time.Time{}, false, err
-	}
-	fts, err := tailscale.FileTargets(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", time.Time{}, false, err
-	}
-	for _, ft := range fts {
-		n := ft.Node
-		for _, a := range n.Addresses {
-			if a.IP != ip {
-				continue
-			}
-			if n.LastSeen != nil {
-				lastSeen = *n.LastSeen
-			}
-			isOffline = n.Online != nil && !*n.Online
-			return ft.PeerAPIURL, lastSeen, isOffline, nil
-		}
-	}
-	return "", time.Time{}, false, errors.New("target seems to be running an old Tailscale version")
-}
-
-const maxSniff = 4 << 20
-
-func ext(b []byte) string {
-	if len(b) < maxSniff && utf8.Valid(b) {
-		return ".txt"
-	}
-	if exts, _ := mime.ExtensionsByType(http.DetectContentType(b)); len(exts) > 0 {
-		return exts[0]
-	}
-	return ""
-}
-
-// pickStdinFilename reads a bit of stdin to return a good filename
-// for its contents. The returned Reader is the concatenation of the
-// read and unread bits.
-func pickStdinFilename() (name string, r io.Reader, err error) {
-	sniff, err := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(os.Stdin, maxSniff))
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", nil, err
-	}
-	return "stdin" + ext(sniff), io.MultiReader(bytes.NewReader(sniff), os.Stdin), nil
-}
-
-type slowReader struct {
-	r  io.Reader
-	rl *rate.Limiter
-}
-
-func (r *slowReader) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
-	const burst = 4 << 10
-	plen := len(p)
-	if plen > burst {
-		plen = burst
-	}
-	if r.rl == nil {
-		r.rl = rate.NewLimiter(rate.Limit(1<<10), burst)
-	}
-	n, err = r.r.Read(p[:plen])
-	r.rl.WaitN(context.Background(), n)
-	return
-}
-
-const lastSeenOld = 20 * time.Minute
-
-func runPushTargets(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
-	if len(args) > 0 {
-		return errors.New("invalid arguments with --targets")
-	}
-	fts, err := tailscale.FileTargets(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	for _, ft := range fts {
-		n := ft.Node
-		var detail string
-		if n.Online != nil {
-			if !*n.Online {
-				detail = "offline"
-			}
-		} else {
-			detail = "unknown-status"
-		}
-		if detail != "" && n.LastSeen != nil {
-			d := time.Since(*n.LastSeen)
-			detail += fmt.Sprintf("; last seen %v ago", d.Round(time.Minute))
-		}
-		if detail != "" {
-			detail = "\t" + detail
-		}
-		fmt.Printf("%s\t%s%s\n", n.Addresses[0].IP, n.ComputedName, detail)
-	}
-	return nil
-}