diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 76aad05ac66..6b9f42c882a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -21,6 +21,35 @@ version = "1.0.31"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "85bb70cc08ec97ca5450e6eba421deeea5f172c0fc61f78b5357b2a8e8be195f"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "argh"
+version = "0.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ca1877e24cecacd700d469066e0160c4f8497cc5635367163f50c8beec820154"
+dependencies = [
+ "argh_derive",
+ "argh_shared",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "argh_derive"
+version = "0.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e742194e0f43fc932bcb801708c2b279d3ec8f527e3acda05a6a9f342c5ef764"
+dependencies = [
+ "argh_shared",
+ "heck",
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "argh_shared"
+version = "0.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e1ba68f4276a778591e36a0c348a269888f3a177c8d2054969389e3b59611ff5"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "arrayvec"
 version = "0.5.1"
@@ -315,6 +344,7 @@ name = "gitoxide"
 version = "1.0.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
+ "argh",
  "git-features",
  "gitoxide-core",
  "structopt",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 80b8f57b159..b82d5e84551 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,12 +17,16 @@ doctest = false
 default = ["fast", "pretty-cli"]
 fast = ["git-features/parallel", "git-features/fast-sha1"]
 pretty-cli = ["structopt"]
+lean-cli = ["argh"]
 
 [dependencies]
+anyhow = "1.0.31"
+
 gitoxide-core = { version = "0.1.0", path = "gitoxide-core" }
 git-features = { version = "0.1.0", path = "git-features" }
+
 structopt = { version = "0.3.14", optional = true }
-anyhow = "1.0.31"
+argh = { version = "0.1.3", optional = true }
 
 [profile.release]
 overflow-checks = false
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b5f87717596..6f5ec6aa511 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ interactive-developer-environment-in-docker: ## Use docker for all dependencies
 ##@ Development
 
 target/debug/gio: always
-	cargo build
+	cargo build --no-default-features --features pretty-cli
 
 target/release/gio: always
 	cargo build --release
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ profile: target/release/gio ## run callgrind and annotate its output - linux onl
 benchmark: target/release/gio ## see how fast things are, powered by hyperfine
 	hyperfine '$<'
 
-tests: check unit-tests journey-tests ## run all tests, including journey tests
+tests: check unit-tests journey-tests journey-tests-lean-cli ## run all tests, including journey tests
 
 check: ## Build all code in suitable configurations
 	cargo check --all
@@ -43,9 +43,13 @@ 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
+journey-tests: target/debug/gio ## run stateless journey tests (pretty-cli)
 	./tests/stateless-journey.sh $<
 
+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
+
 continuous-journey-tests: ## run stateless journey tests whenever something changes
 	watchexec $(MAKE) journey-tests
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index da3abf19848..93b30783bc7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ The top-level command-line interface.
   * If disabled, the binary will be visibly smaller.
 * **pretty-cli** _(default)_
   * Use `clap` + `structopt` to build the prettiest, best documented and most user-friendly CLI at the expense of file size.
-* **small-cli** _(mutually exclusive to pretty-cli)_
+* **lean-cli** _(mutually exclusive to pretty-cli)_
   * Use `argh` to produce a usable binary with decent documentation that is smallest in size.
   * If `pretty-cli` is enabled as well, `small-cli` will take precedence, and you pay for building unnecessary dependencies.
     
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 3488d9fbacb..c66c5446798 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,61 +1,124 @@
 #![forbid(unsafe_code)]
 
-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;
+#[cfg(feature = "pretty-cli")]
+mod pretty {
+    use anyhow::Result;
+    use gitoxide_core as core;
+    use std::io::{stderr, stdout};
     use structopt::StructOpt;
 
-    #[derive(Debug, StructOpt)]
-    #[structopt(about = "The git, simply swift")]
-    #[structopt(settings = &[AppSettings::SubcommandRequired,
+    mod options {
+        use std::path::PathBuf;
+        use structopt::clap::AppSettings;
+        use structopt::StructOpt;
+
+        #[derive(Debug, StructOpt)]
+        #[structopt(about = "The git, simply swift")]
+        #[structopt(settings = &[AppSettings::SubcommandRequired,
                             AppSettings::ColoredHelp])]
-    pub struct Args {
-        #[structopt(subcommand)]
-        pub cmd: Subcommands,
+        pub struct Args {
+            #[structopt(subcommand)]
+            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),
+        }
     }
 
-    /// 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' file whose checksum to validate.
-            ///
-            /// '.pack' files have a 20 byte trailer representing the Sha1 over all the bytes that
-            /// preceded it.
-            #[structopt(parse(from_os_str))]
-            path: PathBuf,
-        },
+    pub fn main() -> Result<()> {
+        use options::*;
+        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(())
     }
+}
 
-    #[derive(Debug, StructOpt)]
-    pub enum Subcommands {
-        /// Initialize the repository in the current directory.
-        #[structopt(alias = "initialize")]
-        #[structopt(setting = AppSettings::ColoredHelp)]
-        Init,
+#[cfg(all(feature = "lean-cli", not(feature = "pretty-cli")))]
+mod lean {
+    use argh::FromArgs;
 
-        #[structopt(alias = "p")]
-        #[structopt(setting = AppSettings::ColoredHelp)]
-        Plumbing(Plumbing),
+    #[derive(FromArgs)]
+    /// A simple calculation tool
+    struct Args {
+        #[argh(subcommand)]
+        subcommand: SubCommands,
     }
-}
 
-fn main() -> Result<()> {
-    let args = options::Args::from_args();
-    match args.cmd {
-        options::Subcommands::Init => core::init(),
-        options::Subcommands::Plumbing(cmd) => match cmd {
-            options::Plumbing::VerifyPack { path } => {
+    #[derive(FromArgs, PartialEq, Debug)]
+    #[argh(subcommand)]
+    enum SubCommands {
+        Init(Init),
+        VerifyPack(VerifyPack),
+    }
+
+    /// Initialize the repository in the current directory.
+    #[derive(FromArgs, PartialEq, Debug)]
+    #[argh(subcommand, name = "init")]
+    struct Init {}
+
+    /// Initialize the repository in the current directory.
+    #[derive(FromArgs, PartialEq, Debug)]
+    #[argh(subcommand, name = "verify-pack")]
+    struct VerifyPack {
+        /// the '.pack' or '.idx' file whose checksum to validate.
+        #[argh(option)]
+        path: PathBuf,
+    }
+
+    use anyhow::Result;
+    use gitoxide_core as core;
+    use std::{
+        io::{stderr, stdout},
+        path::PathBuf,
+    };
+
+    pub fn main() -> Result<()> {
+        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())
             }
-        },
-    }?;
-    Ok(())
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+use anyhow::Result;
+
+#[cfg(feature = "pretty-cli")]
+fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    pretty::main()
+}
+
+#[cfg(all(feature = "lean-cli", not(feature = "pretty-cli")))]
+fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    lean::main()
 }