diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index 995ff87e9..96cd08b6b 100644
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -1450,7 +1450,8 @@ default_commands.append(modify_cmd)
 
 # move: Move/copy files to the library or a new base directory.
 
-def move_items(lib, dest, query, copy, album, pretend, confirm=False):
+def move_items(lib, dest, query, copy, album, pretend, confirm=False,
+               export=False):
     """Moves or copies items to a new base directory, given by dest. If
     dest is None, then the library's base directory is used, making the
     command "consolidate" files.
@@ -1463,6 +1464,7 @@ def move_items(lib, dest, query, copy, album, pretend, confirm=False):
     isalbummoved = lambda album: any(isitemmoved(i) for i in album.items())
     objs = [o for o in objs if (isalbummoved if album else isitemmoved)(o)]
 
+    copy = copy or export  # Exporting always copies.
     action = u'Copying' if copy else u'Moving'
     act = u'copy' if copy else u'move'
     entity = u'album' if album else u'item'
@@ -1488,8 +1490,12 @@ def move_items(lib, dest, query, copy, album, pretend, confirm=False):
         for obj in objs:
             log.debug(u'moving: {0}', util.displayable_path(obj.path))
 
-            obj.move(copy, basedir=dest)
-            obj.store()
+            if export:
+                # Copy without affecting the database.
+                obj.move(True, basedir=dest, store=False)
+            else:
+                # Ordinary move/copy: store the new path.
+                obj.move(copy, basedir=dest)
 
 
 def move_func(lib, opts, args):
@@ -1500,7 +1506,7 @@ def move_func(lib, opts, args):
             raise ui.UserError(u'no such directory: %s' % dest)
 
     move_items(lib, dest, decargs(args), opts.copy, opts.album, opts.pretend,
-               opts.timid)
+               opts.timid, opts.export)
 
 
 move_cmd = ui.Subcommand(
@@ -1522,6 +1528,10 @@ move_cmd.parser.add_option(
     u'-t', u'--timid', dest='timid', action='store_true',
     help=u'always confirm all actions'
 )
+move_cmd.parser.add_option(
+    u'-e', u'--export', default=False, action='store_true',
+    help=u'copy without changing the database path'
+)
 move_cmd.parser.add_album_option()
 move_cmd.func = move_func
 default_commands.append(move_cmd)
diff --git a/docs/reference/cli.rst b/docs/reference/cli.rst
index b4c7b9e1b..e830d1482 100644
--- a/docs/reference/cli.rst
+++ b/docs/reference/cli.rst
@@ -275,6 +275,7 @@ query are renamed into your library directory structure. By specifying a
 destination directory with ``-d`` manually, you can move items matching a query
 anywhere in your filesystem. The ``-c`` option copies files instead of moving
 them. As with other commands, the ``-a`` option matches albums instead of items.
+The ``-e`` flag (for "export") copies files without changing the database.
 
 To perform a "dry run", just use the ``-p`` (for "pretend") flag. This will
 show you a list of files that would be moved but won't actually change anything
diff --git a/test/test_ui.py b/test/test_ui.py
index c519e66fb..04c033f51 100644
--- a/test/test_ui.py
+++ b/test/test_ui.py
@@ -421,8 +421,9 @@ class MoveTest(_common.TestCase):
         self.otherdir = os.path.join(self.temp_dir, b'testotherdir')
 
     def _move(self, query=(), dest=None, copy=False, album=False,
-              pretend=False):
-        commands.move_items(self.lib, dest, query, copy, album, pretend)
+              pretend=False, export=False):
+        commands.move_items(self.lib, dest, query, copy, album, pretend,
+                            export=export)
 
     def test_move_item(self):
         self._move()
@@ -476,6 +477,24 @@ class MoveTest(_common.TestCase):
         self.i.load()
         self.assertIn(b'srcfile', self.i.path)
 
+    def test_export_item_custom_dir(self):
+        self._move(dest=self.otherdir, export=True)
+        self.i.load()
+        self.assertEqual(self.i.path, self.itempath)
+        self.assertExists(self.otherdir)
+
+    def test_export_album_custom_dir(self):
+        self._move(dest=self.otherdir, album=True, export=True)
+        self.i.load()
+        self.assertEqual(self.i.path, self.itempath)
+        self.assertExists(self.otherdir)
+
+    def test_pretend_export_item(self):
+        self._move(dest=self.otherdir, pretend=True, export=True)
+        self.i.load()
+        self.assertIn(b'srcfile', self.i.path)
+        self.assertNotExists(self.otherdir)
+
 
 class UpdateTest(_common.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):