diff --git a/bolt/kv.go b/bolt/kv.go
index edeb35de597..6d31d5833f7 100644
--- a/bolt/kv.go
+++ b/bolt/kv.go
@@ -191,6 +191,17 @@ func (b *Bucket) Delete(key []byte) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+// ForwardCursor retrieves a cursor for iterating through the entries
+// in the key value store in a given direction (ascending / descending).
+func (b *Bucket) ForwardCursor(seek []byte, opts ...kv.CursorOption) (kv.ForwardCursor, error) {
+	cursor := b.bucket.Cursor()
+	cursor.Seek(seek)
+	return &Cursor{
+		cursor: cursor,
+		config: kv.NewCursorConfig(opts...),
+	}, nil
+}
+
 // Cursor retrieves a cursor for iterating through the entries
 // in the key value store.
 func (b *Bucket) Cursor(opts ...kv.CursorHint) (kv.Cursor, error) {
@@ -203,6 +214,8 @@ func (b *Bucket) Cursor(opts ...kv.CursorHint) (kv.Cursor, error) {
 // in the key value store.
 type Cursor struct {
 	cursor *bolt.Cursor
+
+	config kv.CursorConfig
 }
 
 // Seek seeks for the first key that matches the prefix provided.
@@ -234,7 +247,12 @@ func (c *Cursor) Last() ([]byte, []byte) {
 
 // Next retrieves the next key in the bucket.
 func (c *Cursor) Next() ([]byte, []byte) {
-	k, v := c.cursor.Next()
+	next := c.cursor.Next
+	if c.config.Direction == kv.CursorDescending {
+		next = c.cursor.Prev
+	}
+
+	k, v := next()
 	if len(k) == 0 && len(v) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
@@ -243,7 +261,12 @@ func (c *Cursor) Next() ([]byte, []byte) {
 
 // Prev retrieves the previous key in the bucket.
 func (c *Cursor) Prev() ([]byte, []byte) {
-	k, v := c.cursor.Prev()
+	prev := c.cursor.Prev
+	if c.config.Direction == kv.CursorDescending {
+		prev = c.cursor.Next
+	}
+
+	k, v := prev()
 	if len(k) == 0 && len(v) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
diff --git a/inmem/kv.go b/inmem/kv.go
index da719fd11c0..0f34a760e41 100644
--- a/inmem/kv.go
+++ b/inmem/kv.go
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/influxdata/influxdb/kv"
 )
 
+// ensure *KVStore implement kv.Store interface
+var _ kv.Store = (*KVStore)(nil)
+
 // KVStore is an in memory btree backed kv.Store.
 type KVStore struct {
 	mu      sync.RWMutex
@@ -232,3 +235,56 @@ func (b *Bucket) getAll(o *kv.CursorHints) ([]kv.Pair, error) {
 
 	return pairs, nil
 }
+
+// ForwardCursor returns a directional cursor which starts at the provided seeked key
+func (b *Bucket) ForwardCursor(seek []byte, opts ...kv.CursorOption) (kv.ForwardCursor, error) {
+	pairs := make(chan kv.Pair)
+	go func() {
+		defer close(pairs)
+
+		var (
+			config  = kv.NewCursorConfig(opts...)
+			fn      = config.Hints.PredicateFn
+			iterate = func(it btree.ItemIterator) {
+				b.btree.AscendGreaterOrEqual(&item{key: seek}, it)
+			}
+		)
+
+		if config.Direction == kv.CursorDescending {
+			iterate = func(it btree.ItemIterator) {
+				b.btree.DescendLessOrEqual(&item{key: seek}, it)
+			}
+		}
+
+		iterate(func(i btree.Item) bool {
+			j, ok := i.(*item)
+			if !ok {
+				// this shouldn't happen
+				return false
+			}
+
+			if fn == nil || fn(j.key, j.value) {
+				pairs <- kv.Pair{Key: j.key, Value: j.value}
+			}
+
+			return true
+		})
+	}()
+
+	return &ForwardCursor{pairs}, nil
+}
+
+// ForwardCursor is a kv.ForwardCursor which iterates over an in-memory btree
+type ForwardCursor struct {
+	pairs <-chan kv.Pair
+}
+
+// Next returns the next key/value pair in the cursor
+func (c *ForwardCursor) Next() ([]byte, []byte) {
+	pair, ok := <-c.pairs
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	return pair.Key, pair.Value
+}
diff --git a/kv/store.go b/kv/store.go
index a20b7460868..c08fc3d45c1 100644
--- a/kv/store.go
+++ b/kv/store.go
@@ -137,6 +137,16 @@ type CursorConfig struct {
 	Hints     CursorHints
 }
 
+// NewCursorConfig constructs and configures a CursorConfig used to configure
+// a forward cursor.
+func NewCursorConfig(opts ...CursorOption) CursorConfig {
+	conf := CursorConfig{}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(&conf)
+	}
+	return conf
+}
+
 // CursorOption is a functional option for configuring a forward cursor
 type CursorOption func(*CursorConfig)
 
diff --git a/mock/kv.go b/mock/kv.go
index d7304bcddfb..87359a9c013 100644
--- a/mock/kv.go
+++ b/mock/kv.go
@@ -54,10 +54,11 @@ var _ (kv.Bucket) = (*Bucket)(nil)
 // Bucket is the abstraction used to perform get/put/delete/get-many operations
 // in a key value store
 type Bucket struct {
-	GetFn    func(key []byte) ([]byte, error)
-	CursorFn func() (kv.Cursor, error)
-	PutFn    func(key, value []byte) error
-	DeleteFn func(key []byte) error
+	GetFn           func(key []byte) ([]byte, error)
+	CursorFn        func() (kv.Cursor, error)
+	PutFn           func(key, value []byte) error
+	DeleteFn        func(key []byte) error
+	ForwardCursorFn func([]byte, ...kv.CursorOption) kv.ForwardCursor
 }
 
 // Get returns a key within this bucket. Errors if key does not exist.
@@ -80,6 +81,11 @@ func (b *Bucket) Delete(key []byte) error {
 	return b.DeleteFn(key)
 }
 
+// ForwardCursor returns a cursor from the seek points in the configured direction.
+func (b *Bucket) ForwardCursor(seek []byte, opts ...kv.CursorOption) (kv.ForwardCursor, error) {
+	return b.ForwardCursorFn(seek, opts...), nil
+}
+
 var _ (kv.Cursor) = (*Cursor)(nil)
 
 // Cursor is an abstraction for iterating/ranging through data. A concrete implementation