diff --git a/.changelog/8774.txt b/.changelog/8774.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..35f641a613
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/8774.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+```release-note:improvement
+api: The `v1/connect/ca/roots` endpoint now accepts a `pem=true` query parameter and will return a PEM encoded certificate chain of
+     all the certificates that would normally be in the JSON version of the response.
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/agent/connect_ca_endpoint.go b/agent/connect_ca_endpoint.go
index 0b58ef72b4..3075c8fa13 100644
--- a/agent/connect_ca_endpoint.go
+++ b/agent/connect_ca_endpoint.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package agent
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/consul"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/structs"
@@ -15,13 +16,39 @@ func (s *HTTPHandlers) ConnectCARoots(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Reques
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
+	pemResponse := false
+	if pemParam := req.URL.Query().Get("pem"); pemParam != "" {
+		val, err := strconv.ParseBool(pemParam)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, BadRequestError{Reason: "The 'pem' query parameter must be a boolean value"}
+		}
+		pemResponse = val
+	}
+
 	var reply structs.IndexedCARoots
 	defer setMeta(resp, &reply.QueryMeta)
 	if err := s.agent.RPC("ConnectCA.Roots", &args, &reply); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return reply, nil
+	if !pemResponse {
+		return reply, nil
+	}
+
+	// defined in RFC 8555 and registered with the IANA
+	resp.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/pem-certificate-chain")
+	for _, root := range reply.Roots {
+		if _, err := resp.Write([]byte(root.RootCert)); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		for _, intermediate := range root.IntermediateCerts {
+			if _, err := resp.Write([]byte(intermediate)); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil, nil
 }
 
 // /v1/connect/ca/configuration
diff --git a/agent/connect_ca_endpoint_test.go b/agent/connect_ca_endpoint_test.go
index adab05a0c1..a06db3556a 100644
--- a/agent/connect_ca_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/agent/connect_ca_endpoint_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package agent
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"crypto/x509"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"testing"
@@ -258,3 +260,34 @@ func TestConnectCAConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestConnectCARoots_PEMEncoding(t *testing.T) {
+	primary := NewTestAgent(t, "")
+	defer primary.Shutdown()
+	testrpc.WaitForActiveCARoot(t, primary.RPC, "dc1", nil)
+
+	secondary := NewTestAgent(t, `
+		primary_datacenter = "dc1"
+		datacenter = "dc2"
+		retry_join_wan = ["`+primary.Config.SerfBindAddrWAN.String()+`"]
+	`)
+	defer secondary.Shutdown()
+	testrpc.WaitForActiveCARoot(t, secondary.RPC, "dc2", nil)
+
+	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "/v1/connect/ca/roots?pem=true", nil)
+	recorder := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	obj, err := secondary.srv.ConnectCARoots(recorder, req)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Nil(t, obj, "Endpoint returned an object for serialization when it should have returned nil and written to the responses")
+	resp := recorder.Result()
+	require.Equal(t, resp.Header.Get("Content-Type"), "application/pem-certificate-chain")
+
+	data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	pool := x509.NewCertPool()
+
+	require.True(t, pool.AppendCertsFromPEM(data))
+	// expecting the root cert from dc1 and an intermediate in dc2
+	require.Len(t, pool.Subjects(), 2)
+}
diff --git a/website/pages/api-docs/connect/ca.mdx b/website/pages/api-docs/connect/ca.mdx
index 113a4f65df..02ba96fd66 100644
--- a/website/pages/api-docs/connect/ca.mdx
+++ b/website/pages/api-docs/connect/ca.mdx
@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@ The table below shows this endpoint's support for
 | ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------ |
 | `YES`            | `all`             | `none`        | `none`       |
 
+### Parameters
+
+- `pem` `(boolean: false)` - Specifies that the return body should be a PEM encoded
+  certificate chain suitable for use by applications needing to trust Connect CA
+  signed certificates. The Content-Type will be set to `application/pem-certificate-chain`
+  to indicate the format of the response.
+
 ### Sample Request
 
 ```shell-session
@@ -65,6 +72,39 @@ $ curl \
 }
 ```
 
+### Sample PEM Encoded Response
+
+```
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE-----
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE-----
+```
+
 ## Get CA Configuration
 
 This endpoint returns the current CA configuration.