diff --git a/lsp/README.md b/lsp/README.md
index ab6d316e76..d9924a834c 100644
--- a/lsp/README.md
+++ b/lsp/README.md
@@ -166,4 +166,4 @@ edit `coc-settings.json`) and add:
 
 ### Emacs
 
-TODO
+Follow the instructions on the the `nickel-mode` [repo](https://github.com/nickel-lang/nickel-mode).
diff --git a/lsp/nls/README.md b/lsp/nls/README.md
index 34b113b9e4..3b251403a6 100644
--- a/lsp/nls/README.md
+++ b/lsp/nls/README.md
@@ -8,4 +8,49 @@ editor.
 
 NLS is a stand-alone binary. Once built, you must then configure you code editor
 to use it for Nickel source files. This document covers building NLS and using
-it in VSCode and (Neo)Vim.
+it in VSCode, (Neo)Vim and Emacs.
+
+## Formatting Capabilities
+
+Formatting in `nls` is currently based on [topiary](https://github.com/tweag/topiary).
+
+To use it successfully, you need ensure you follow these steps:
+
+1. Have the `topiary` binary installed in your `PATH`. See [here](https://github.com/tweag/topiary#installing).
+2. Have the [topiary](https://github.com/tweag/topiary) repo cloned locally.
+3. Set the environment variable `TOPIARY_REPO_DIR` to point to the local copy
+of the repo.
+4. And finally, an environment variable `TOPIARY_LANGUAGE_DIR` to point to `$TOPIARY_REPO_DIR/languages`.
+
+Steps 2-4 are necessary because, for now, `topiary` cannot be used outside its
+repo directory.
+
+## Alternatives
+
+I think making a user fetch the `topiary` and set those environment variables,
+just to have the formatting capability in `nls` is a bit too much. I can think
+of the following alternatives, but I don't know if they are ideal.
+
+### Keep a cache of the topiary repo
+
+Keep a cache of the `topiary` repo. Fetch the repo from GitHub if it is not
+available in the local cache or not up to date.
+
+* Pros
+  * Automatic updates of the repo (and hence the formatting rules for Nickel)
+* Cons
+  * We still have to set environment variables at runtime
+  * `nls` has to download a potentially large repo
+
+### Embedded Nickel formatting rules as a string in the `nls` binary
+
+ Since `topiary` just needs a single `nickel.scm` to be able to format nickel
+ files we could just point `TOPIARY_LANGUAGE_DIR` to `<temp-directory>/language`
+ , and put the embedded file in that directory.
+
+* Pros:
+  * It's just a single file, so it will be small
+  * No need to download/fetch anything
+* Cons:
+  * We still have to set environment variables at runtime
+  * We have to ensure the formatting rules are up to date with `topiary`
diff --git a/lsp/nls/src/requests/formatting.rs b/lsp/nls/src/requests/formatting.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b240fab7aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lsp/nls/src/requests/formatting.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+use std::process;
+
+use lsp_server::{ErrorCode, RequestId, Response, ResponseError};
+use lsp_types::{DocumentFormattingParams, Position, Range, TextEdit};
+
+use crate::server::{self, Server};
+
+/// Handle the LSP formatting request from a client using an external binary as a formatter.
+/// If this succeds, it sends a reponse to the server and returns `Ok(..)`, otherwise,
+/// it only returns an `Err(..)`.
+pub fn handle_format_document(
+    params: DocumentFormattingParams,
+    id: RequestId,
+    server: &mut Server,
+) -> Result<(), ResponseError> {
+    let document_id = params.text_document.uri.to_file_path().unwrap();
+    let file_id = server.cache.id_of(document_id).unwrap();
+    let text = server.cache.files().source(file_id).clone();
+    let document_length = text.lines().count() as u32;
+    let last_line_length = text.lines().rev().next().unwrap().len() as u32;
+
+    let formatting_command = server::FORMATTING_COMMAND;
+    let Ok(mut topiary) = process::Command::new(formatting_command[0])
+        .args(&formatting_command[1..])
+        .stdin(process::Stdio::piped())
+        .stdout(process::Stdio::piped())
+        .stderr(process::Stdio::piped())
+        .spawn() else {
+	    let message = "Executing topiary failed";
+	    return Err(ResponseError {
+		code: ErrorCode::InternalError as i32,
+		message: String::from(message),
+		data: None,
+            });
+	};
+
+    let mut stdin = topiary.stdin.take().unwrap();
+
+    std::thread::spawn(move || {
+        let mut text_bytes = text.as_bytes();
+        std::io::copy(&mut text_bytes, &mut stdin).unwrap();
+    });
+
+    let output = topiary.wait_with_output().unwrap();
+
+    if !output.status.success() {
+        let error = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+        return Err(ResponseError {
+            code: ErrorCode::InternalError as i32,
+            message: error.to_string(),
+            data: None,
+        });
+    }
+
+    let new_text = String::from_utf8(output.stdout).unwrap();
+
+    let result = Some(vec![TextEdit {
+        range: Range {
+            start: Position {
+                line: 0,
+                character: 0,
+            },
+            end: Position {
+                line: document_length - 1,
+                character: last_line_length,
+            },
+        },
+        new_text,
+    }]);
+    server.reply(Response::new_ok(id, result));
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/lsp/nls/src/requests/mod.rs b/lsp/nls/src/requests/mod.rs
index 66c441c46a..e9598ad947 100644
--- a/lsp/nls/src/requests/mod.rs
+++ b/lsp/nls/src/requests/mod.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 pub mod completion;
+pub mod formatting;
 pub mod goto;
 pub mod hover;
 pub mod symbols;
diff --git a/lsp/nls/src/server.rs b/lsp/nls/src/server.rs
index d3e72c1e61..7e7a612190 100644
--- a/lsp/nls/src/server.rs
+++ b/lsp/nls/src/server.rs
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ use lsp_types::{
     notification::{DidChangeTextDocument, DidOpenTextDocument},
     request::{Request as RequestTrait, *},
     CompletionOptions, CompletionParams, DidChangeTextDocumentParams, DidOpenTextDocumentParams,
-    DocumentSymbolParams, GotoDefinitionParams, HoverOptions, HoverParams, HoverProviderCapability,
-    OneOf, ReferenceParams, ServerCapabilities, TextDocumentSyncCapability, TextDocumentSyncKind,
-    TextDocumentSyncOptions, WorkDoneProgressOptions,
+    DocumentFormattingParams, DocumentSymbolParams, GotoDefinitionParams, HoverOptions,
+    HoverParams, HoverProviderCapability, OneOf, ReferenceParams, ServerCapabilities,
+    TextDocumentSyncCapability, TextDocumentSyncKind, TextDocumentSyncOptions,
+    WorkDoneProgressOptions,
 };
 
 use nickel_lang::{
@@ -26,11 +27,12 @@ use nickel_lang::{stdlib, typecheck::Context};
 use crate::{
     cache::CacheExt,
     linearization::{completed::Completed, Environment, ItemId},
-    requests::{completion, goto, hover, symbols},
+    requests::{completion, formatting, goto, hover, symbols},
     trace::Trace,
 };
 
 pub const DOT_COMPL_TRIGGER: &str = ".";
+pub const FORMATTING_COMMAND: [&str; 3] = ["topiary", "--language", "nickel"];
 
 pub struct Server {
     pub connection: Connection,
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ impl Server {
                 ..Default::default()
             }),
             document_symbol_provider: Some(OneOf::Left(true)),
+            document_formatting_provider: Some(OneOf::Left(true)),
             ..ServerCapabilities::default()
         }
     }
@@ -235,6 +238,12 @@ impl Server {
                 symbols::handle_document_symbols(params, req.id.clone(), self)
             }
 
+            Formatting::METHOD => {
+                debug!("handle formatting");
+                let params: DocumentFormattingParams = serde_json::from_value(req.params).unwrap();
+                formatting::handle_format_document(params, req.id.clone(), self)
+            }
+
             _ => Ok(()),
         };