diff --git a/src/domain/command.ts b/src/domain/command.ts
index cca68dcb..b5de6a77 100644
--- a/src/domain/command.ts
+++ b/src/domain/command.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ export interface GluegunCommand<TContext extends Toolbox = Toolbox> {
   file?: string
   /** A reference to the plugin that contains this command. */
   plugin?: Plugin
+  /** Hints for parsing options with yargs-parser */
+  options?: object
 }
 
 /**
@@ -35,6 +37,7 @@ export class Command implements GluegunCommand<Toolbox> {
   public alias
   public dashed
   public plugin
+  public options
 
   constructor(props?: GluegunCommand) {
     this.name = null
@@ -46,6 +49,7 @@ export class Command implements GluegunCommand<Toolbox> {
     this.alias = []
     this.dashed = false
     this.plugin = null
+    this.options = null
     if (props) Object.assign(this, props)
   }
 
diff --git a/src/loaders/command-loader.test.ts b/src/loaders/command-loader.test.ts
index 6bdfcfd1..3bff4d2c 100644
--- a/src/loaders/command-loader.test.ts
+++ b/src/loaders/command-loader.test.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ test('load command from preload', async () => {
     alias: ['z'],
     dashed: true,
     run: toolbox => 'ran!',
+    options: {
+      alias: { foo: 'f' },
+    },
   })
 
   expect(command.name).toBe('hello')
@@ -46,4 +49,5 @@ test('load command from preload', async () => {
   expect(command.file).toBe(null)
   expect(command.dashed).toBe(true)
   expect(command.commandPath).toEqual(['hello'])
+  expect(command.options).toEqual({ alias: { foo: 'f' } })
 })
diff --git a/src/loaders/command-loader.ts b/src/loaders/command-loader.ts
index 57666279..c1cd509a 100644
--- a/src/loaders/command-loader.ts
+++ b/src/loaders/command-loader.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ export function loadCommandFromFile(file: string, options: Options = {}): Comman
     command.hidden = Boolean(commandModule.hidden)
     command.alias = reject(isNil, is(Array, commandModule.alias) ? commandModule.alias : [commandModule.alias])
     command.run = commandModule.run
+    command.options = commandModule.options
   } else {
     throw new Error(`Error: Couldn't load command ${command.name} -- needs a "run" property with a function.`)
   }
@@ -74,5 +75,6 @@ export function loadCommandFromPreload(preload: GluegunCommand): Command {
   command.file = null
   command.dashed = Boolean(preload.dashed)
   command.commandPath = preload.commandPath || [preload.name]
+  command.options = preload.options
   return command
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/run.ts b/src/runtime/run.ts
index f23a3d86..bfa2905c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/run.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/run.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { EmptyToolbox, GluegunToolbox } from '../domain/toolbox'
-import { createParams, parseParams } from '../toolbox/parameter-tools'
+import { createParams, parseParams, parseRawCommand } from '../toolbox/parameter-tools'
 import { Runtime } from './runtime'
 import { findCommand } from './runtime-find-command'
 import { Options } from '../domain/options'
@@ -27,16 +27,28 @@ export async function run(
   toolbox.runtime = this
 
   // parse the parameters initially
-  toolbox.parameters = parseParams(rawCommand, extraOptions)
+  rawCommand = parseRawCommand(rawCommand)
+
+  console.log('RAW COMMAND:', rawCommand)
 
   // find the command, and parse out aliases
-  const { command, array } = findCommand(this, toolbox.parameters)
+  const { command, args } = findCommand(this, rawCommand)
+
+  console.log('COMMAND:', command)
+  console.log('ARGS:   ', args)
+
+  // parse the command parameters
+  toolbox.parameters = parseParams(command, args, extraOptions)
+
+  console.log('PARAMETERS:', toolbox.parameters)
+
+  console.log('----')
 
   // rebuild the parameters, now that we know the plugin and command
   toolbox.parameters = createParams({
     plugin: command.plugin && command.plugin.name,
     command: command.name,
-    array,
+    array: toolbox.parameters.array,
     options: toolbox.parameters.options,
     raw: rawCommand,
     argv: process.argv,
diff --git a/src/runtime/runtime-find-command.ts b/src/runtime/runtime-find-command.ts
index 81384421..b551e1bb 100644
--- a/src/runtime/runtime-find-command.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/runtime-find-command.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Command } from '../domain/command'
 import { Runtime } from './runtime'
-import { GluegunParameters, GluegunToolbox } from '../domain/toolbox'
+import { GluegunToolbox } from '../domain/toolbox'
 import { equals } from '../toolbox/utils'
 
 /**
@@ -8,20 +8,21 @@ import { equals } from '../toolbox/utils'
  * set of parameters and plugins.
  *
  * @param runtime The current runtime.
- * @param parameters The parameters passed in
- * @returns object with plugin, command, and array
+ * @param args Command, options and parameters as string array.
+ * @returns object with plugin, command, array, and args
  */
-export function findCommand(runtime: Runtime, parameters: GluegunParameters): { command: Command; array: string[] } {
+export function findCommand(runtime: Runtime, args: string[]): { command: Command; args: string[] } {
   // the commandPath, which could be something like:
   // > movie list actors 2015
   // [ 'list', 'actors', '2015' ]
   // here, the '2015' might not actually be a command, but it's part of it
-  const commandPath = parameters.array
+  const commandPath = args
 
   // the part of the commandPath that doesn't match a command
   // in the above example, it will end up being [ '2015' ]
-  let tempPathRest = commandPath
-  let commandPathRest = tempPathRest
+  let pathRest = commandPath
+  let outputArgs = []
+  let potentialOptionValue = false
 
   // a fallback command
   const commandNotFound = new Command({
@@ -34,9 +35,9 @@ export function findCommand(runtime: Runtime, parameters: GluegunParameters): {
   // start by setting it to the default command, in case we don't find one
   let targetCommand: Command = runtime.defaultCommand || commandNotFound
 
-  // if the commandPath is empty, it could be a dashed command, like --help
+  // if there were no args, return the fallback command
   if (commandPath.length === 0) {
-    targetCommand = findDashedCommand(runtime.commands, parameters.options) || targetCommand
+    return { command: runtime.defaultCommand || commandNotFound, args: [] }
   }
 
   // store the resolved path as we go
@@ -45,31 +46,62 @@ export function findCommand(runtime: Runtime, parameters: GluegunParameters): {
   // we loop through each segment of the commandPath, looking for aliases among
   // parent commands, and expand those.
   commandPath.forEach((currName: string) => {
+    console.log('CURR NAME', currName)
+
     // cut another piece off the front of the commandPath
-    tempPathRest = tempPathRest.slice(1)
+    pathRest = pathRest.slice(1)
 
-    // find a command that fits the previous path + currentName, which can be an alias
-    let segmentCommand = runtime.commands
-      .slice() // dup so we keep the original order
-      .sort(sortCommands)
-      .find(command => equals(command.commandPath.slice(0, -1), resolvedPath) && command.matchesAlias(currName))
+    if (currName.startsWith('-')) {
+      outputArgs.push(currName)
+      potentialOptionValue = true
+    } else {
+      let prefix = [...resolvedPath, currName]
 
-    if (segmentCommand) {
-      // found another candidate as the "endpoint" command
-      targetCommand = segmentCommand
+      // find a command that matches the path prefix so far + currName (which may be an alias)
+      let commandWithPrefix = runtime.commands
+        .slice() // dup so we keep the original order
+        .sort(sortCommands)
+        .find(command => commandHasPrefix(command, prefix))
 
-      // since we found a command, the "commandPathRest" gets updated to the tempPathRest
-      commandPathRest = tempPathRest
+      console.log('COMMAND WITH PREFIX', commandWithPrefix)
+      console.log('PATH REST', pathRest)
 
-      // add the current command to the resolvedPath
-      resolvedPath = resolvedPath.concat([segmentCommand.name])
-    } else {
-      // no command found, let's add the segment as-is to the command path
-      resolvedPath = resolvedPath.concat([currName])
+      if (commandWithPrefix) {
+        // make sure we don't mistake option values for commands, i.e.,
+        // for `--some-option cmd cmd` treat the first `cmd` as the option
+        // value and the second as a command path segment
+        if (potentialOptionValue) {
+          if (pathRest.slice(1, 1) === [currName]) {
+            console.log('PUSH TO ARGS', currName)
+            outputArgs.push(currName)
+          } else {
+            console.log('PUSH TO RESOLVED PATH', commandWithPrefix.commandPath[prefix.length - 1])
+            resolvedPath.push(commandWithPrefix.commandPath[prefix.length - 1])
+          }
+        } else {
+          console.log('PUSH TO RESOLVED PATH', commandWithPrefix.commandPath[prefix.length - 1])
+          resolvedPath.push(commandWithPrefix.commandPath[prefix.length - 1])
+        }
+      } else {
+        console.log('PUSH TO ARGS', currName)
+        // no command includes currName in its prefix, assume it's an option value
+        outputArgs.push(currName)
+      }
+
+      potentialOptionValue = false
     }
   }, [])
 
-  return { command: targetCommand, array: commandPathRest }
+  console.log('RESOLVED PATH:', resolvedPath)
+  console.log('OUTPUT ARGS:', outputArgs)
+
+  targetCommand =
+    findCommandWithPath(runtime.commands, resolvedPath) ||
+    findDashedCommand(runtime.commands, outputArgs) ||
+    runtime.defaultCommand ||
+    commandNotFound
+
+  return { command: targetCommand, args: outputArgs }
 }
 
 // sorts shortest to longest commandPaths, so we always check the shortest ones first
@@ -77,8 +109,39 @@ function sortCommands(a, b) {
   return a.commandPath.length < b.commandPath.length ? -1 : 1
 }
 
+// returns true if the command has the given path prefix
+function commandHasPrefix(command: Command, prefix: string[]): boolean {
+  console.log('COMMAND HAS PREFIX', command.commandPath, command.aliases, prefix)
+
+  if (prefix.length > command.commandPath.length) {
+    return false
+  }
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < prefix.length - 1; i++) {
+    if (command.commandPath[i] !== prefix[i]) {
+      return false
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (command.commandPath[prefix.length - 1] === prefix[prefix.length - 1]) {
+    return true
+  }
+
+  if (command.matchesAlias(prefix[prefix.length - 1])) {
+    return true
+  }
+
+  return false
+}
+
+// finds the command that matches the given path
+function findCommandWithPath(commands: Command[], commandPath: string[]): Command | undefined {
+  return commands.find(command => equals(command.commandPath, commandPath))
+}
+
 // finds dashed commands
-function findDashedCommand(commands, options) {
-  const dashedOptions = Object.keys(options).filter(k => options[k] === true)
-  return commands.filter(c => c.dashed).find(c => c.matchesAlias(dashedOptions))
+function findDashedCommand(commands, args) {
+  const names = args.filter(a => a.startsWith('-')).map(a => a.replace(/^-+/, '').replace(/=.*$/, ''))
+  console.log('FIND DASHED COMMANDS:', names)
+  return commands.filter(c => c.dashed).find(c => c.matchesAlias(names))
 }
diff --git a/src/toolbox/parameter-tools.ts b/src/toolbox/parameter-tools.ts
index 5c680ed8..693e8f5b 100644
--- a/src/toolbox/parameter-tools.ts
+++ b/src/toolbox/parameter-tools.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,17 @@
 import { GluegunParameters } from '../domain/toolbox'
 import { Options } from '../domain/options'
 import { equals, is } from './utils'
+import { Command } from '../domain/command'
 
 const COMMAND_DELIMITER = ' '
 
 /**
- * Parses given command arguments into a more useful format.
+ * Parses the raw command into an array of strings.
  *
  * @param commandArray Command string or list of command parts.
- * @param extraOpts Extra options.
- * @returns Normalized parameters.
+ * @returns The command as an array of strings.
  */
-export function parseParams(commandArray: string | string[], extraOpts: Options = {}): GluegunParameters {
-  const yargsParse = require('yargs-parser')
-
+export function parseRawCommand(commandArray: string | string[]): string[] {
   // use the command line args if not passed in
   if (is(String, commandArray)) {
     commandArray = (commandArray as string).split(COMMAND_DELIMITER)
@@ -24,8 +22,22 @@ export function parseParams(commandArray: string | string[], extraOpts: Options
     commandArray = commandArray.slice(2)
   }
 
+  return commandArray as string[]
+}
+
+/**
+ * Parses given command arguments into a more useful format.
+ *
+ * @param command Command the parameters are for.
+ * @param args: Array of argument strings.
+ * @param extraOpts Extra options.
+ * @returns Normalized parameters.
+ */
+export function parseParams(command: Command, args: string[], extraOpts: Options = {}): GluegunParameters {
+  const yargsParse = require('yargs-parser')
+
   // chop it up yargsParse!
-  const parsed = yargsParse(commandArray)
+  const parsed = yargsParse(args, command.options || {})
   const array = parsed._.slice()
   delete parsed._
   const options = { ...parsed, ...extraOpts }