diff --git a/moonbuild/_cmd.moon b/moonbuild/_cmd.moon
index 9645aed..6a67b74 100644
--- a/moonbuild/_cmd.moon
+++ b/moonbuild/_cmd.moon
@@ -17,5 +17,11 @@ cmd.backend = backend
 cmd.parseargs = parseargs
 cmd.escape = escape
 
+-- derived cmd functions
+_cmd = cmd.cmd
+_cmdrst = cmd.cmdrst
+cmd.cmdline = (cmdline) -> _cmd parseargs cmdline
+cmd.cmdlinerst = (cmdline) -> _cmdrst parseargs cmdline
+
 -- the library itself
-setmetatable cmd, __call: => {'cmd', 'cmdrst', 'sh'}
+setmetatable cmd, __call: => {'cmd', 'cmdrst', 'cmdline', 'cmdlinerst', 'sh'}
diff --git a/out/moonbuild.lua b/out/moonbuild.lua
index 9c89e01..e3e9b74 100644
--- a/out/moonbuild.lua
+++ b/out/moonbuild.lua
@@ -69,11 +69,21 @@ end
 cmd.backend = backend
 cmd.parseargs = parseargs
 cmd.escape = escape
+local _cmd = cmd.cmd
+local _cmdrst = cmd.cmdrst
+cmd.cmdline = function(cmdline)
+  return _cmd(parseargs(cmdline))
+end
+cmd.cmdlinerst = function(cmdline)
+  return _cmdrst(parseargs(cmdline))
+end
 return setmetatable(cmd, {
   __call = function(self)
     return {
       'cmd',
       'cmdrst',
+      'cmdline',
+      'cmdlinerst',
       'sh'
     }
   end