diff --git a/pkg/template/jsonpath.go b/pkg/template/jsonpath.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6f0ad4560ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/template/jsonpath.go
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+package template
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"reflect"
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+
+	"k8s.io/client-go/third_party/forked/golang/template"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/util/jsonpath"
+)
+
+var (
+	// tektonVar captures strings that are enclosed in $()
+	tektonVar = regexp.MustCompile(`\$\(?([^\)]+)\)`)
+
+	// jsonRegexp is a regular expression for JSONPath expressions
+	// with or without the enclosing {} and the leading . inside the curly
+	// braces e.g.  'a.b' or '.a.b' or '{a.b}' or '{.a.b}'
+	jsonRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^\{\.?([^{}]+)\}$|^\.?([^{}]+)$`)
+)
+
+// ParseJSONPath extracts a subset of the given JSON input
+// using the provided JSONPath expression.
+func ParseJSONPath(input interface{}, expr string) (string, error) {
+	j := jsonpath.New("").AllowMissingKeys(false)
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+
+	//First turn the expression into fully valid JSONPath
+	expr, err := TektonJSONPathExpression(expr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	if err := j.Parse(expr); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	fullResults, err := j.FindResults(input)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	for _, r := range fullResults {
+		if err := printResults(buf, r); err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return buf.String(), nil
+}
+
+// PrintResults writes the results into writer
+// This is a slightly modified copy of the original
+// j.PrintResults from k8s.io/client-go/util/jsonpath/jsonpath.go
+// in that it uses calls `textValue()` for instead of `evalToText`
+// This is a workaround for kubernetes/kubernetes#16707
+func printResults(wr io.Writer, results []reflect.Value) error {
+	for i, r := range results {
+		text, err := textValue(r)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if i != len(results)-1 {
+			text = append(text, ' ')
+		}
+		if _, err := wr.Write(text); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// textValue translates reflect value to corresponding text
+// If the value if an array or map, it returns a JSON representation
+// of the value (as opposed to the internal go representation of the value)
+// Otherwise, the text value is from the `evalToText` function, originally from
+// k8s.io/client-go/util/jsonpath/jsonpath.go
+func textValue(v reflect.Value) ([]byte, error) {
+	t := reflect.TypeOf(v.Interface())
+	// special case for null values in JSON; evalToText() returns <nil> here
+	if t == nil {
+		return []byte("null"), nil
+	}
+
+	switch t.Kind() {
+	// evalToText() returns <map> ....; return JSON string instead.
+	case reflect.Map, reflect.Slice:
+		return json.Marshal(v.Interface())
+	default:
+		return evalToText(v)
+	}
+}
+
+// evalToText translates reflect value to corresponding text
+// This is a unmodified copy of j.evalToText from k8s.io/client-go/util/jsonpath/jsonpath.go
+func evalToText(v reflect.Value) ([]byte, error) {
+	iface, ok := template.PrintableValue(v)
+	if !ok {
+		// only happens if v is a Chan or a Func
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("can't print type %s", v.Type())
+	}
+	var buffer bytes.Buffer
+	fmt.Fprint(&buffer, iface)
+	return buffer.Bytes(), nil
+}
+
+// TektonJSONPathExpression returns a valid JSONPath expression. It accepts
+// a "RelaxedJSONPath" expression that is wrapped in the Tekton variable
+// interpolation syntax i.e. $(). RelaxedJSONPath expressions can optionally
+// omit the leading curly braces '{}' and '.'
+func TektonJSONPathExpression(expr string) (string, error) {
+	if !isTektonExpr(expr) {
+		return "", errors.New("expression not wrapped in $()")
+	}
+	unwrapped := strings.TrimSuffix(strings.TrimPrefix(expr, "$("), ")")
+	return relaxedJSONPathExpression(unwrapped)
+}
+
+// RelaxedJSONPathExpression attempts to be flexible with JSONPath expressions, it accepts:
+//   * metadata.name (no leading '.' or curly braces '{...}'
+//   * {metadata.name} (no leading '.')
+//   * .metadata.name (no curly braces '{...}')
+//   * {.metadata.name} (complete expression)
+// And transforms them all into a valid jsonpath expression:
+//   {.metadata.name}
+// This function has been copied as-is from
+// https://github.com/kubernetes/kubectl/blob/c273777957bd657233cf867892fb061a6498dab8/pkg/cmd/get/customcolumn.go#L47
+func relaxedJSONPathExpression(pathExpression string) (string, error) {
+	if len(pathExpression) == 0 {
+		return pathExpression, nil
+	}
+	submatches := jsonRegexp.FindStringSubmatch(pathExpression)
+	if submatches == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unexpected path string, expected a 'name1.name2' or '.name1.name2' or '{name1.name2}' or '{.name1.name2}'")
+	}
+	if len(submatches) != 3 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unexpected submatch list: %v", submatches)
+	}
+	var fieldSpec string
+	if len(submatches[1]) != 0 {
+		fieldSpec = submatches[1]
+	} else {
+		fieldSpec = submatches[2]
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("{.%s}", fieldSpec), nil
+}
+
+// IsTektonExpr returns true if the expr is wrapped in $()
+func isTektonExpr(expr string) bool {
+	return tektonVar.MatchString(expr)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/template/jsonpath_test.go b/pkg/template/jsonpath_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8ea935ed530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/template/jsonpath_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,201 @@
+package template
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
+)
+
+var objects = `{"a":"v","c":{"d":"e"},"empty": "","null": null, "number": 42}`
+var arrays = `[{"a": "b"}, {"c": "d"}, {"e": "f"}]`
+
+// Checks that we print JSON strings when the JSONPath selects
+// an array or map value and regular values otherwise
+func TestParseJSONPath(t *testing.T) {
+	var objectBody = fmt.Sprintf(`{"body":%s}`, objects)
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		expr string
+		in   string
+		want string
+	}{{
+		name: "objects",
+		in:   objectBody,
+		expr: "$(body)",
+		// TODO: Do we need to escape backslashes for backwards compat?
+		want: objects,
+	}, {
+		name: "array of objects",
+		in:   fmt.Sprintf(`{"body":%s}`, arrays),
+		expr: "$(body)",
+		want: arrays,
+	}, {
+		name: "array of values",
+		in:   `{"body": ["a", "b", "c"]}`,
+		expr: "$(body)",
+		want: `["a", "b", "c"]`,
+	}, {
+		name: "string values",
+		in:   objectBody,
+		expr: "$(body.a)",
+		want: "v",
+	}, {
+		name: "string values",
+		in:   objectBody,
+		expr: "$(body.a)",
+		want: "v",
+	}, {
+		name: "empty string",
+		in:   objectBody,
+		expr: "$(body.empty)",
+		want: "",
+	}, {
+		name: "numbers",
+		in:   objectBody,
+		expr: "$(body.number)",
+		want: "42",
+	}, {
+		name: "booleans",
+		in:   `{"body": {"bool": true}}`,
+		expr: "$(body.bool)",
+		want: "true",
+	}, {
+		name: "null values",
+		in:   objectBody,
+		expr: "$(body.null)",
+		want: "null",
+	}}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var data interface{}
+			err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(tt.in), &data)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Could not unmarshall body : %q", err)
+			}
+			got, err := ParseJSONPath(data, tt.expr)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("ParseJSONPath() error = %v", err)
+				return
+			}
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(strings.Replace(tt.want, " ", "", -1), got); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("ParseJSONPath() -want,+got: %s", diff)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseJSONPath_Error(t *testing.T) {
+	testJSON := `{"body": {"key": "val"}}`
+	invalidExprs := []string{
+		"$({.hello)",
+		"$(+12.3.0)",
+		"$([1)",
+		"$(body",
+		"body)",
+		"body",
+		"$(body.missing)",
+		"$(body.key[0])",
+	}
+	var data interface{}
+	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(testJSON), &data)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Could not unmarshall body : %q", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	for _, expr := range invalidExprs {
+		t.Run(expr, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := ParseJSONPath(data, expr)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Errorf("ParseJSONPath() did not return expected error; got = %v", got)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTektonJSONPathExpression(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		expr string
+		want string
+	}{
+		{"$(metadata.name)", "{.metadata.name}"},
+		{"$(.metadata.name)", "{.metadata.name}"},
+		{"$({.metadata.name})", "{.metadata.name}"},
+		{"$()", ""},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.expr, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := TektonJSONPathExpression(tt.expr)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("TektonJSONPathExpression() unexpected error = %v,  got = %v", err, got)
+			}
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("TektonJSONPathExpression() got = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTektonJSONPathExpression_Error(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []string{
+		"{.metadata.name}", // not wrapped in $()
+		"",
+		"$({asd)",
+		"$({)",
+		"$({foo.bar)",
+		"$(foo.bar})",
+		"$({foo.bar}})",
+		"$({{foo.bar)",
+	}
+	for _, expr := range tests {
+		t.Run(expr, func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, err := TektonJSONPathExpression(expr)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Errorf("TektonJSONPathExpression() did not get expected error for expression = %s", expr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRelaxedJSONPathExpression(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		expr string
+		want string
+	}{
+		{"metadata.name", "{.metadata.name}"},
+		{".metadata.name", "{.metadata.name}"},
+		{"{.metadata.name}", "{.metadata.name}"},
+		{"", ""},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.expr, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := relaxedJSONPathExpression(tt.expr)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("TektonJSONPathExpression() unexpected error = %v,  got = %v", err, got)
+			}
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("TektonJSONPathExpression() got = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRelaxedJSONPathExpression_Error(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []string{
+		"{foo.bar",
+		"foo.bar}",
+		"{foo.bar}}",
+		"{{foo.bar}",
+	}
+	for _, expr := range tests {
+		t.Run(expr, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := relaxedJSONPathExpression(expr)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Errorf("TektonJSONPathExpression() did not get expected error = %v,  got = %v", err, got)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}