diff --git a/build b/build
index cfb8c85..e7aa80e 100755
--- a/build
+++ b/build
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ export GOPATH=${GOPATH}:${PWD}/gopath
 
 eval $(go env)
 
-echo "Building rkt (stage0)..."
-go build -o $GOBIN/rkt ${REPO_PATH}/stage0
+echo "Building rkt..."
+go build -o $GOBIN/rkt ${REPO_PATH}/cmd
 
 echo "Building init (stage1)..."
 go build -o $GOBIN/init ${REPO_PATH}/stage1
diff --git a/cmd/help.go b/cmd/help.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3116da4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/help.go
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"text/template"
+
+	"github.com/coreos-inc/rkt/rkt"
+)
+
+var (
+	cmdHelp = &Command{
+		Name:        "help",
+		Summary:     "Show a list of commands or help for one command",
+		Usage:       "[COMMAND]",
+		Description: "Show a list of commands or detailed help for one command",
+		Run:         runHelp,
+	}
+
+	globalUsageTemplate  *template.Template
+	commandUsageTemplate *template.Template
+	templFuncs           = template.FuncMap{
+		"descToLines": func(s string) []string {
+			// trim leading/trailing whitespace and split into slice of lines
+			return strings.Split(strings.Trim(s, "\n\t "), "\n")
+		},
+		"printOption": func(name, defvalue, usage string) string {
+			prefix := "--"
+			if len(name) == 1 {
+				prefix = "-"
+			}
+			return fmt.Sprintf("\t%s%s=%s\t%s", prefix, name, defvalue, usage)
+		},
+	}
+)
+
+func init() {
+	globalUsageTemplate = template.Must(template.New("global_usage").Funcs(templFuncs).Parse(`
+NAME:
+{{printf "\t%s - %s" .Executable .Description}}
+
+USAGE: 
+{{printf "\t%s" .Executable}} [global options] <command> [command options] [arguments...]
+
+VERSION:
+{{printf "\t%s" .Version}}
+
+COMMANDS:{{range .Commands}}
+{{printf "\t%s\t%s" .Name .Summary}}{{end}}
+
+GLOBAL OPTIONS:{{range .Flags}}
+{{printOption .Name .DefValue .Usage}}{{end}}
+
+Run "{{.Executable}} help <command>" for more details on a specific command.
+`[1:]))
+	commandUsageTemplate = template.Must(template.New("command_usage").Funcs(templFuncs).Parse(`
+NAME:
+{{printf "\t%s - %s" .Cmd.Name .Cmd.Summary}}
+
+USAGE:
+{{printf "\t%s %s %s" .Executable .Cmd.Name .Cmd.Usage}}
+
+DESCRIPTION:
+{{range $line := descToLines .Cmd.Description}}{{printf "\t%s" $line}}
+{{end}}
+{{if .CmdFlags}}OPTIONS:{{range .CmdFlags}}
+{{printOption .Name .DefValue .Usage}}{{end}}
+
+{{end}}For help on global options run "{{.Executable}} help"
+`[1:]))
+}
+
+func runHelp(args []string) (exit int) {
+	if len(args) < 1 {
+		printGlobalUsage()
+		return
+	}
+
+	var cmd *Command
+
+	for _, c := range commands {
+		if c.Name == args[0] {
+			cmd = c
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	if cmd == nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Unrecognized command: %s\n", args[0])
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	printCommandUsage(cmd)
+	return
+}
+
+func printGlobalUsage() {
+	globalUsageTemplate.Execute(out, struct {
+		Executable  string
+		Commands    []*Command
+		Flags       []*flag.Flag
+		Description string
+		Version     string
+	}{
+		cliName,
+		commands,
+		getAllFlags(),
+		cliDescription,
+		rkt.Version,
+	})
+	out.Flush()
+}
+
+func printCommandUsage(cmd *Command) {
+	commandUsageTemplate.Execute(out, struct {
+		Executable string
+		Cmd        *Command
+		CmdFlags   []*flag.Flag
+	}{
+		cliName,
+		cmd,
+		getFlags(&cmd.Flags),
+	})
+	out.Flush()
+}
diff --git a/cmd/rkt.go b/cmd/rkt.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3cccad2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/rkt.go
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"text/tabwriter"
+)
+
+const (
+	cliName        = "rkt"
+	cliDescription = "rkt, the application container runner"
+)
+
+var (
+	globalFlagset = flag.NewFlagSet(cliName, flag.ExitOnError)
+	out           *tabwriter.Writer
+	commands      []*Command
+	globalFlags   = struct {
+		Dir   string
+		Debug bool
+		Help  bool
+	}{}
+)
+
+func init() {
+	globalFlagset.BoolVar(&globalFlags.Help, "help", false, "Print usage information and exit")
+	globalFlagset.BoolVar(&globalFlags.Debug, "debug", false, "Print out more debug information to stderr")
+	globalFlagset.StringVar(&globalFlags.Dir, "dir", "", "rocket data directory")
+}
+
+type Command struct {
+	Name        string       // Name of the Command and the string to use to invoke it
+	Summary     string       // One-sentence summary of what the Command does
+	Usage       string       // Usage options/arguments
+	Description string       // Detailed description of command
+	Flags       flag.FlagSet // Set of flags associated with this command
+
+	Run func(args []string) int // Run a command with the given arguments, return exit status
+
+}
+
+func init() {
+	out = new(tabwriter.Writer)
+	out.Init(os.Stdout, 0, 8, 1, '\t', 0)
+	commands = []*Command{
+		cmdHelp,
+		cmdRun,
+		cmdVersion,
+	}
+}
+
+func main() {
+	// parse global arguments
+	globalFlagset.Parse(os.Args[1:])
+	args := globalFlagset.Args()
+	if len(args) < 1 || globalFlags.Help {
+		args = []string{"help"}
+	}
+
+	var cmd *Command
+
+	// determine which Command should be run
+	for _, c := range commands {
+		if c.Name == args[0] {
+			cmd = c
+			if err := c.Flags.Parse(args[1:]); err != nil {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v", err)
+				os.Exit(2)
+			}
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	if cmd == nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: unknown subcommand: %q\n", cliName, args[0])
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Run '%v help' for usage.\n", cliName)
+		os.Exit(2)
+	}
+	os.Exit(cmd.Run(cmd.Flags.Args()))
+}
+
+func getAllFlags() (flags []*flag.Flag) {
+	return getFlags(globalFlagset)
+}
+
+func getFlags(flagset *flag.FlagSet) (flags []*flag.Flag) {
+	flags = make([]*flag.Flag, 0)
+	flagset.VisitAll(func(f *flag.Flag) {
+		flags = append(flags, f)
+	})
+	return
+}
diff --git a/cmd/run.go b/cmd/run.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab03fda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/run.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/coreos-inc/rkt/stage0"
+)
+
+var (
+	flagStage1Init   string
+	flagStage1Rootfs string
+	flagVolumes      volumeMap
+	cmdRun           = &Command{
+		Name:    "run",
+		Summary: "Run image(s) in an application container in rocket",
+		Usage:   "[--volume LABEL:SOURCE] IMAGE...",
+		Run:     runRun,
+	}
+)
+
+func init() {
+	cmdRun.Flags.StringVar(&flagStage1Init, "stage1-init", "./bin/init", "path to stage1 binary")
+	cmdRun.Flags.StringVar(&flagStage1Rootfs, "stage1-rootfs", "./stage1-rootfs.tar.gz", "path to stage1 rootfs tarball")
+	cmdRun.Flags.Var(&flagVolumes, "volume", "volumes to mount into the shared container environment")
+	flagVolumes = volumeMap{}
+}
+
+func runRun(args []string) (exit int) {
+	if len(args) < 1 {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "run: Must provide at least one image\n")
+		return 1
+	}
+	cfg := stage0.Config{
+		RktDir:       globalFlags.Dir,
+		Debug:        globalFlags.Debug,
+		Stage1Init:   flagStage1Init,
+		Stage1Rootfs: flagStage1Rootfs,
+		Images:       args,
+		Volumes:      flagVolumes,
+	}
+	stage0.Run(cfg) // execs, never returns
+	return 1
+}
+
+// volumeMap implements the flag.Value interface to contain a set of mappings
+// from mount label --> mount path
+type volumeMap map[string]string
+
+func (vm *volumeMap) Set(s string) error {
+	elems := strings.Split(s, ":")
+	if len(elems) != 2 {
+		return errors.New("volume must be of form key:path")
+	}
+	key := elems[0]
+	if _, ok := (*vm)[key]; ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("got multiple flags for volume %q", key)
+	}
+	(*vm)[key] = elems[1]
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (vm *volumeMap) String() string {
+	var ss []string
+	for k, v := range *vm {
+		ss = append(ss, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", k, v))
+	}
+	return strings.Join(ss, ",")
+}
diff --git a/cmd/version.go b/cmd/version.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8e881f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/version.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/coreos-inc/rkt/rkt"
+)
+
+var cmdVersion = &Command{
+	Name:        "version",
+	Description: "Print the version and exit",
+	Summary:     "Print the version and exit",
+	Run:         runVersion,
+}
+
+func runVersion(args []string) (exit int) {
+	fmt.Printf("rkt version %s\n", rkt.Version)
+	return
+}
diff --git a/stage0/rkt.go b/stage0/run.go
similarity index 77%
rename from stage0/rkt.go
rename to stage0/run.go
index f4b34a2..9dd45fd 100644
--- a/stage0/rkt.go
+++ b/stage0/run.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package main
+package stage0
 
 //
 // Rocket is a reference implementation of the app container specification.
@@ -29,15 +29,12 @@ import (
 	"compress/gzip"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"errors"
-	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 
 	// WARNING: here be dragons
@@ -48,42 +45,27 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos-inc/rkt/rkt"
 )
 
-var (
-	fs = flag.NewFlagSet("rkt", flag.ExitOnError)
-
-	flagDebug      bool
-	flagDir        string
-	flagStage1Init string
-	flagStage1Rfs  string
-	flagVolumes    volumeMap
-)
+type Config struct {
+	RktDir       string
+	Stage1Init   string
+	Stage1Rootfs string
+	Debug        bool
+	Images       []string
+	Volumes      map[string]string
+}
 
 func init() {
 	log.SetOutput(ioutil.Discard)
-	fs.BoolVar(&flagDebug, "debug", false, "output debugging log information")
-	fs.StringVar(&flagDir, "dir", "", "directory in which to create container filesystem")
-	fs.StringVar(&flagStage1Init, "stage1-init", "./bin/init", "path to stage1 binary")
-	fs.StringVar(&flagStage1Rfs, "stage1-rootfs", "./stage1-rootfs.tar.gz", "path to stage1 rootfs tarball")
-	fs.Var(&flagVolumes, "volume", "volumes to mount into the shared container environment")
-	flagVolumes = volumeMap{}
 }
 
-func main() {
-	fs.Parse(os.Args[1:])
-	if flagDebug {
+func Run(cfg Config) {
+	if cfg.Debug {
 		log.SetOutput(os.Stderr)
 	}
-	args := fs.Args()
-	if len(args) < 2 || args[0] != "run" {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "usage: rkt run [OPTION]... IMAGE...\n")
-		os.Exit(0)
-	}
-	images := args[1:]
-	dir := flagDir
-	if dir == "" {
-		log.Printf("-dir unset - using temporary directory")
+	if cfg.RktDir == "" {
+		log.Printf("rktDir unset - using temporary directory")
 		var err error
-		dir, err = ioutil.TempDir("", "rkt")
+		cfg.RktDir, err = ioutil.TempDir("", "rkt")
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("error creating temporary directory: %v", err)
 		}
@@ -95,13 +77,16 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatalf("error creating UID: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	// Create a directory for this container
+	dir := filepath.Join(cfg.RktDir, cuid.String())
+
 	// - Creating a filesystem for the container
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0700); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("error creating directory: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	log.Printf("Writing stage1 rootfs")
-	fh, err := os.Open(flagStage1Rfs)
+	fh, err := os.Open(cfg.Stage1Rootfs)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("error opening stage1 rootfs: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -118,7 +103,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	log.Printf("Writing stage1 init")
-	in, err := os.Open(flagStage1Init)
+	in, err := os.Open(cfg.Stage1Init)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("error loading stage1 binary: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -156,7 +141,7 @@ func main() {
 	// TODO(jonboulle): clarify imagehash<->appname. Right now we have to
 	// unpack the entire TAF to access the manifest which contains the appname.
 
-	for _, img := range images {
+	for _, img := range cfg.Images {
 		h, err := types.NewHash(img)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("bad hash given: %v", err)
@@ -224,7 +209,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	var sVols []types.Volume
-	for key, path := range flagVolumes {
+	for key, path := range cfg.Volumes {
 		v := types.Volume{
 			Kind:     "host",
 			Source:   path,
@@ -255,8 +240,8 @@ func main() {
 
 	log.Printf("Execing stage1/init")
 	init := "stage1/init"
-	args = []string{init}
-	if flagDebug {
+	args := []string{init}
+	if cfg.Debug {
 		args = append(args, "debug")
 	}
 	if err := syscall.Exec(init, args, os.Environ()); err != nil {
@@ -269,28 +254,3 @@ func main() {
 func genUID() string {
 	return "6733C088-A507-4694-AABF-EDBE4FC5266F"
 }
-
-// volumeMap implements the flag.Value interface to contain a set of mappings
-// from mount label --> mount path
-type volumeMap map[string]string
-
-func (vm *volumeMap) Set(s string) error {
-	elems := strings.Split(s, ":")
-	if len(elems) != 2 {
-		return errors.New("volume must be of form key:path")
-	}
-	key := elems[0]
-	if _, ok := (*vm)[key]; ok {
-		return fmt.Errorf("got multiple flags for volume %q", key)
-	}
-	(*vm)[key] = elems[1]
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (vm *volumeMap) String() string {
-	var ss []string
-	for k, v := range *vm {
-		ss = append(ss, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", k, v))
-	}
-	return strings.Join(ss, ",")
-}