diff --git a/mdrsclient/commands/ls.py b/mdrsclient/commands/ls.py
index e7d34f2..eb79561 100644
--- a/mdrsclient/commands/ls.py
+++ b/mdrsclient/commands/ls.py
@@ -1,6 +1,27 @@
 from argparse import Namespace, _SubParsersAction
 
+from pydantic.dataclasses import dataclass
+
+from mdrsclient.api import FolderApi
 from mdrsclient.commands.base import BaseCommand
+from mdrsclient.connection import MDRSConnection
+from mdrsclient.exceptions import UnauthorizedException
+from mdrsclient.models import Folder, Laboratory
+
+
+class Config:
+    arbitrary_types_allowed = True
+    frozen = True
+
+
+@dataclass(config=Config)
+class LsCommandContext:
+    prefix: str
+    connection: MDRSConnection
+    laboratory: Laboratory
+    password: str
+    is_quick: bool
+    is_recursive: bool
 
 
 class LsCommand(BaseCommand):
@@ -9,6 +30,13 @@ class LsCommand(BaseCommand):
         command = cls()
         ls_parser = parsers.add_parser("ls", help="list the folder contents")
         ls_parser.add_argument("-p", "--password", help="password to use when open locked folder")
+        ls_parser.add_argument(
+            "-q",
+            "--quick",
+            help="don't output header row. this option is forced if the -r option is specified",
+            action="store_true",
+        )
+        ls_parser.add_argument("-r", "--recursive", help="list the folders contents recursive", action="store_true")
         ls_parser.add_argument("remote_path", help="remote folder path (remote:/lab/path/)")
         ls_parser.set_defaults(func=command.ls)
 
@@ -16,7 +44,21 @@ class LsCommand(BaseCommand):
         (remote, laboratory_name, r_path) = self._parse_remote_host_with_path(args.remote_path)
         connection = self._create_connection(remote)
         laboratory = self._find_laboratory(connection, laboratory_name)
-        folder = self._find_folder(connection, laboratory, r_path, args.password)
+        password = str(args.password)
+        is_recursive = bool(args.recursive)
+        is_quick = bool(args.quick) if not is_recursive else True
+        self.context = LsCommandContext(
+            f"{remote}:/{laboratory_name}",
+            connection,
+            laboratory,
+            password,
+            is_quick,
+            is_recursive,
+        )
+        folder = self._find_folder(connection, laboratory, r_path, password)
+        self._ls_body(folder)
+
+    def _ls_body(self, folder: Folder) -> None:
         label = {
             "type": "Type",
             "acl": "Access",
@@ -27,9 +69,9 @@ class LsCommand(BaseCommand):
         }
         length: dict[str, int] = {}
         for key in label.keys():
-            length[key] = len(label[key])
+            length[key] = len(label[key]) if not self.context.is_quick else 0
         for sub_folder in folder.sub_folders:
-            sub_laboratory = connection.laboratories.find_by_id(sub_folder.lab_id)
+            sub_laboratory = self.context.connection.laboratories.find_by_id(sub_folder.lab_id)
             sub_laboratory_name = sub_laboratory.name if sub_laboratory is not None else "(invalid)"
             length["acl"] = max(length["acl"], len(sub_folder.access_level_name))
             length["laboratory"] = max(length["laboratory"], len(sub_laboratory_name))
@@ -41,17 +83,23 @@ class LsCommand(BaseCommand):
             length["date"] = max(length["date"], len(file.updated_at_name))
             length["name"] = max(length["name"], len(file.name))
         length["acl"] = max(length["acl"], len(folder.access_level_name))
-        length["laboratory"] = max(length["laboratory"], len(laboratory.name))
+        length["laboratory"] = max(length["laboratory"], len(self.context.laboratory.name))
         header = (
             f"{label['type']:{length['type']}}\t{label['acl']:{length['acl']}}\t"
             f"{label['laboratory']:{length['laboratory']}}\t{label['size']:{length['size']}}\t"
             f"{label['date']:{length['date']}}\t{label['name']:{length['name']}}"
         )
-        print(header)
-        print("-" * len(header.expandtabs()))
+
+        if self.context.is_recursive:
+            print(f"{self.context.prefix}{folder.path}:")
+            print(f"total {sum(f.size for f in folder.files)}")
+
+        if not self.context.is_quick:
+            print(header)
+            print("-" * len(header.expandtabs()))
 
         for sub_folder in sorted(folder.sub_folders, key=lambda x: x.name):
-            sub_laboratory = connection.laboratories.find_by_id(sub_folder.lab_id)
+            sub_laboratory = self.context.connection.laboratories.find_by_id(sub_folder.lab_id)
             sub_laboratory_name = sub_laboratory.name if sub_laboratory is not None else "(invalid)"
             print(
                 f"{'[d]':{length['type']}}\t{sub_folder.access_level_name:{length['acl']}}\t"
@@ -61,6 +109,18 @@ class LsCommand(BaseCommand):
         for file in sorted(folder.files, key=lambda x: x.name):
             print(
                 f"{'[f]':{length['type']}}\t{folder.access_level_name:{length['acl']}}\t"
-                f"{laboratory.name:{length['laboratory']}}\t{file.size:{length['size']}}\t"
+                f"{self.context.laboratory.name:{length['laboratory']}}\t{file.size:{length['size']}}\t"
                 f"{file.updated_at_name:{length['date']}}\t{file.name:{length['name']}}"
             )
+
+        if self.context.is_recursive:
+            print("")
+            for sub_folder in sorted(folder.sub_folders, key=lambda x: x.name):
+                folder_api = FolderApi(self.context.connection)
+                try:
+                    if sub_folder.lock:
+                        folder_api.auth(sub_folder.id, self.context.password)
+                    folder = folder_api.retrieve(sub_folder.id)
+                    self._ls_body(folder)
+                except UnauthorizedException:
+                    pass