diff --git a/src/python/jw/build/App.py b/src/python/jw/build/App.py
index 39d298b5..c1b4f08f 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/build/App.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/build/App.py
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ class App(object):
             r = r + ':' + pd + '/lib'
         print(r[1:])
 
-    def cmd_pythonpath(self, args_):
+    def cmd_pythonpath_orig(self, args_):
         parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='pythonpath')
         parser.add_argument('module', nargs='*', help='Modules')
         args = parser.parse_args(args_)
@@ -959,6 +959,18 @@ class App(object):
         args = parser.parse_args(args_)
         print(self.get_value(args.project, args.section, args.key))
 
+    def run_from_cmd_module(self, name: str, args_) -> None:
+        import importlib
+        name = name.replace('-', '_')
+        cc_name = 'Cmd' + ''.join(x.capitalize() for x in name.lower().split("_"))
+        module = importlib.import_module('jw.build.cmds.' + cc_name)
+        cmd = getattr(module, cc_name)()
+        cmd.app = self
+        parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=name)
+        cmd.add_arguments(parser)
+        args = parser.parse_args(args_)
+        return cmd.run(args)
+
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------- here we go
     def run(self):
 
@@ -1003,6 +1015,10 @@ class App(object):
             if not self.top_name:
                 self.top_name = re.sub('-[0-9.-]*$', '', basename(realpath(self.topdir)))
 
+        try:
+            return self.run_from_cmd_module(args.cmd, sys.argv[(len(self.global_args) + 1)::])
+        except:
+            pass
         cmd_name = 'cmd_' + args.cmd.replace('-', '_')
         cmd = getattr(self, cmd_name)
         cmd(sys.argv[(len(self.global_args) + 1)::])
diff --git a/src/python/jw/build/Cmd.py b/src/python/jw/build/Cmd.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f163cf5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/jw/build/Cmd.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+from typing import Type, Union, TypeVar
+import inspect, abc, argparse
+from argparse import ArgumentParser
+
+class Cmd(abc.ABC): # export
+
+    def __init__(self, name: str, help: str) -> None:
+        from .App import App
+        self.name = name
+        self.help = help
+        self.parent = None
+        self.children: list[Cmd] = []
+        self.child_classes: list[Type[Cmd]] = []
+        self.app: App|None = None
+
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def _run(self, args):
+        pass
+
+    def run(self, args):
+        return self._run(args)
+
+    def add_parser(self, parsers) -> ArgumentParser:
+        r = parsers.add_parser(self.name, help=self.help,
+            formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
+        r.set_defaults(func=self.run)
+        return r
+
+    def add_subcommands(self, cmd: Union[str, Type[Cmd], list[Type[Cmd]]]) -> None:
+        if isinstance(cmd, str):
+            import sys, re
+            sc = []
+            for name, obj in inspect.getmembers(sys.modules[self.__class__.__module__]):
+                if inspect.isclass(obj):
+                    if re.search(cmd, str(obj)):
+                        sc.append(obj)
+                        log.slog(log.DEBUG, f"Found subcommand {obj}")
+            self.add_subcommands(sc)
+            return
+        if isinstance(cmd, list):
+            for c in cmd:
+                self.add_subcommands(c)
+            return
+        self.child_classes.append(cmd)
+
+    # To be overridden by derived class in case the command does take arguments.
+    # Will be called from App base class constructor and set up the parser hierarchy
+    def add_arguments(self, parser: ArgumentParser) -> None:
+        pass
+
+    def conf_value(self, path, default=None):
+        ret = None if self.app is None else self.app.conf_value(path, default)
+        if ret is None and default is not None:
+            return default
+        return ret
diff --git a/src/python/jw/build/cmds/Makefile b/src/python/jw/build/cmds/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..781b0c8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/jw/build/cmds/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+TOPDIR = ../../../../..
+
+include $(TOPDIR)/make/proj.mk
+include $(JWBDIR)/make/py-mod.mk