diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 79d0985bb11..f1809a816b7 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ path="src/porcelain-cli.rs"
 test = false
 doctest = false
 
+[[bin]]
+name="gio-plumbing"
+path="src/plumbing-cli.rs"
+test = false
+doctest = false
+
 [features]
 default = ["fast", "pretty-cli"]
 fast = ["git-features/parallel", "git-features/fast-sha1"]
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6f5ec6aa511..47efc0cd4c9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,11 +13,8 @@ interactive-developer-environment-in-docker: ## Use docker for all dependencies
 
 ##@ Development
 
-target/debug/gio: always
-	cargo build --no-default-features --features pretty-cli
-
 target/release/gio: always
-	cargo build --release
+	cargo build --release --no-default-features --features lean-cli
 
 lint: ## Run lints with clippy
 	cargo clippy
@@ -33,6 +30,10 @@ tests: check unit-tests journey-tests journey-tests-lean-cli ## run all tests, i
 
 check: ## Build all code in suitable configurations
 	cargo check --all
+	cargo check --all --all-features
+	cargo check --no-default-features --features lean-cli
+	cargo check --no-default-features --features pretty-cli
+	cargo check --no-default-features --features lean-cli,fast
 	cd git-features && cargo check --all-features \
 			   && cargo check --features parallel \
 			   && cargo check --features fast-sha1
@@ -43,12 +44,13 @@ unit-tests: ## run all unit tests
 continuous-unit-tests: ## run all unit tests whenever something changes
 	watchexec -w src $(MAKE) unit-tests
 
-journey-tests: target/debug/gio ## run stateless journey tests (pretty-cli)
-	./tests/stateless-journey.sh $<
+journey-tests: always  ## run stateless journey tests (pretty-cli)
+	cargo build
+	./tests/stateless-journey.sh target/debug/gio target/debug/gio-plumbing
 
 journey-tests-lean-cli: always ## run stateless journey tests (lean-cli)
 	cargo build --no-default-features --features lean-cli
-	./tests/stateless-journey.sh target/debug/gio
+	./tests/stateless-journey.sh target/debug/gio target/debug/gio-plumbing
 
 continuous-journey-tests: ## run stateless journey tests whenever something changes
 	watchexec $(MAKE) journey-tests
diff --git a/src/plumbing-cli.rs b/src/plumbing-cli.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c55db842d4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plumbing-cli.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+
+mod plumbing;
+
+use anyhow::Result;
+
+#[cfg(feature = "pretty-cli")]
+fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    plumbing::pretty::main()
+}
+
+#[cfg(all(feature = "lean-cli", not(feature = "pretty-cli")))]
+fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    plumbing::lean::main()
+}
diff --git a/src/plumbing/lean.rs b/src/plumbing/lean.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8e9cffe30f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plumbing/lean.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+mod options {
+    use argh::FromArgs;
+    use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+    #[derive(FromArgs)]
+    /// A simple calculation tool
+    pub struct Args {
+        #[argh(subcommand)]
+        pub subcommand: SubCommands,
+    }
+
+    #[derive(FromArgs, PartialEq, Debug)]
+    #[argh(subcommand)]
+    pub enum SubCommands {
+        VerifyPack(VerifyPack),
+    }
+
+    /// Initialize the repository in the current directory.
+    #[derive(FromArgs, PartialEq, Debug)]
+    #[argh(subcommand, name = "verify-pack")]
+    pub struct VerifyPack {
+        /// the '.pack' or '.idx' file whose checksum to validate.
+        #[argh(positional)]
+        pub path: PathBuf,
+    }
+}
+
+use anyhow::Result;
+use gitoxide_core as core;
+use std::io::{stderr, stdout};
+
+pub fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    pub use options::*;
+    let cli: Args = argh::from_env();
+    match cli.subcommand {
+        SubCommands::VerifyPack(VerifyPack { path }) => {
+            core::verify_pack_or_pack_index(path, stdout(), stderr())
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/plumbing/mod.rs b/src/plumbing/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..86c6d20d2d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plumbing/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#[cfg(feature = "pretty-cli")]
+pub mod pretty;
+
+#[cfg(all(feature = "lean-cli", not(feature = "pretty-cli")))]
+pub mod lean;
diff --git a/src/plumbing/pretty.rs b/src/plumbing/pretty.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..92c6ee25942
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plumbing/pretty.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+use anyhow::Result;
+use gitoxide_core as core;
+use std::io::{stderr, stdout};
+use structopt::StructOpt;
+
+mod options {
+    use std::path::PathBuf;
+    use structopt::{clap::AppSettings, StructOpt};
+
+    #[derive(Debug, StructOpt)]
+    #[structopt(about = "The git, simply swift")]
+    #[structopt(settings = &[AppSettings::SubcommandRequired,
+                        AppSettings::ColoredHelp])]
+    pub struct Args {
+        #[structopt(subcommand)]
+        pub cmd: Subcommands,
+    }
+
+    #[derive(Debug, StructOpt)]
+    pub enum Subcommands {
+        /// Verify the integrity of a pack or index file
+        #[structopt(setting = AppSettings::ColoredHelp)]
+        VerifyPack {
+            /// The '.pack' or '.idx' file whose checksum to validate.
+            #[structopt(parse(from_os_str))]
+            path: PathBuf,
+        },
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    use options::*;
+    let args = Args::from_args();
+    match args.cmd {
+        Subcommands::VerifyPack { path } => {
+            core::verify_pack_or_pack_index(path, stdout(), stderr())
+        }
+    }?;
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/src/porcelain/lean.rs b/src/porcelain/lean.rs
index a67de0a2820..2c45af47598 100644
--- a/src/porcelain/lean.rs
+++ b/src/porcelain/lean.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 mod options {
     use argh::FromArgs;
-    use std::path::PathBuf;
 
     #[derive(FromArgs)]
     /// A simple calculation tool
@@ -13,35 +12,21 @@ mod options {
     #[argh(subcommand)]
     pub enum SubCommands {
         Init(Init),
-        VerifyPack(VerifyPack),
     }
 
     /// Initialize the repository in the current directory.
     #[derive(FromArgs, PartialEq, Debug)]
     #[argh(subcommand, name = "init")]
     pub struct Init {}
-
-    /// Initialize the repository in the current directory.
-    #[derive(FromArgs, PartialEq, Debug)]
-    #[argh(subcommand, name = "verify-pack")]
-    pub struct VerifyPack {
-        /// the '.pack' or '.idx' file whose checksum to validate.
-        #[argh(option)]
-        pub path: PathBuf,
-    }
 }
 
 use anyhow::Result;
 use gitoxide_core as core;
-use std::io::{stderr, stdout};
 
 pub fn main() -> Result<()> {
     pub use options::*;
     let cli: Args = argh::from_env();
     match cli.subcommand {
         SubCommands::Init(_) => core::init(),
-        SubCommands::VerifyPack(VerifyPack { path }) => {
-            core::verify_pack_or_pack_index(path, stdout(), stderr())
-        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/porcelain/pretty.rs b/src/porcelain/pretty.rs
index 3ca5819d852..5c36a862eed 100644
--- a/src/porcelain/pretty.rs
+++ b/src/porcelain/pretty.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 use anyhow::Result;
 use gitoxide_core as core;
-use std::io::{stderr, stdout};
 use structopt::StructOpt;
 
 mod options {
-    use std::path::PathBuf;
-    use structopt::clap::AppSettings;
-    use structopt::StructOpt;
+    use structopt::{clap::AppSettings, StructOpt};
 
     #[derive(Debug, StructOpt)]
     #[structopt(about = "The git, simply swift")]
@@ -17,28 +14,12 @@ mod options {
         pub cmd: Subcommands,
     }
 
-    /// Low-level commands that are not used every day
-    #[derive(Debug, StructOpt)]
-    pub enum Plumbing {
-        /// Verify the integrity of a pack or index file
-        #[structopt(setting = AppSettings::ColoredHelp)]
-        VerifyPack {
-            /// The '.pack' or '.idx' file whose checksum to validate.
-            #[structopt(parse(from_os_str))]
-            path: PathBuf,
-        },
-    }
-
     #[derive(Debug, StructOpt)]
     pub enum Subcommands {
         /// Initialize the repository in the current directory.
         #[structopt(alias = "initialize")]
         #[structopt(setting = AppSettings::ColoredHelp)]
         Init,
-
-        #[structopt(alias = "p")]
-        #[structopt(setting = AppSettings::ColoredHelp)]
-        Plumbing(Plumbing),
     }
 }
 
@@ -47,11 +28,6 @@ pub fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let args = Args::from_args();
     match args.cmd {
         Subcommands::Init => core::init(),
-        Subcommands::Plumbing(cmd) => match cmd {
-            Plumbing::VerifyPack { path } => {
-                core::verify_pack_or_pack_index(path, stdout(), stderr())
-            }
-        },
     }?;
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/tests/stateless-journey.sh b/tests/stateless-journey.sh
index af078f2a05e..9bb990d9bc1 100755
--- a/tests/stateless-journey.sh
+++ b/tests/stateless-journey.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 set -eu
 
 exe=${1:?First argument must be the executable to test}
+exe_plumbing=${2:?Second argument must be the plumbing executable to test}
 
 root="$(cd "${0%/*}" && pwd)"
 exe="${root}/../$exe"
@@ -49,14 +50,14 @@ title "CLI"
       PACK_FILE="$fixtures/packs/pack-11fdfa9e156ab73caae3b6da867192221f2089c2.pack"
       it "verifies the pack successfully and with desired output" && {
         WITH_SNAPSHOT="$snapshot/plumbing-verify-pack-success" \
-        expect_run $SUCCESSFULLY "$exe" plumbing verify-pack "$PACK_FILE"
+        expect_run $SUCCESSFULLY "$exe_plumbing" verify-pack "$PACK_FILE"
       }
     )
     (with "a valid pack file"
       PACK_INDEX_FILE="$fixtures/packs/pack-11fdfa9e156ab73caae3b6da867192221f2089c2.idx"
       it "verifies the pack index successfully and with desired output" && {
         WITH_SNAPSHOT="$snapshot/plumbing-verify-pack-index-success" \
-        expect_run $SUCCESSFULLY "$exe" plumbing verify-pack "$PACK_INDEX_FILE"
+        expect_run $SUCCESSFULLY "$exe_plumbing" verify-pack "$PACK_INDEX_FILE"
       }
     )
   )