diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index f2ac4aed..98d823a1 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ NULL =
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS =						\
 	-DXDG_APP_BASEDIR=\"$(datadir)/xdg-app\"        \
+	-DHELPER=\"$(bindir)/xdg-app-helper\"		\
 	$(NULL)
 
 bin_PROGRAMS = \
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ xdg_app_SOURCES = \
 	xdg-app-builtins-add-repo.c \
 	xdg-app-builtins-install.c \
 	xdg-app-builtins-update.c \
+	xdg-app-builtins-run.c \
 	xdg-app-dir.c \
 	xdg-app-dir.h \
 	xdg-app-utils.h \
diff --git a/xdg-app-builtins-run.c b/xdg-app-builtins-run.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..391446ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xdg-app-builtins-run.c
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <locale.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+
+#include "libgsystem.h"
+
+#include "xdg-app-builtins.h"
+#include "xdg-app-utils.h"
+
+static char *opt_arch;
+static char *opt_branch;
+static gchar **opt_rest = NULL;
+
+static GOptionEntry options[] = {
+  { "arch", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opt_arch, "Arch to install for", NULL },
+  { "branch", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opt_branch, "Branch to run", NULL },
+  { G_OPTION_REMAINING, 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING_ARRAY, &opt_rest,
+    "Special option that collects any remaining arguments for us" },
+  { NULL }
+};
+
+static void
+usage_error (GOptionContext *context, const char *message, GError **error)
+{
+  gs_free gchar *help = g_option_context_get_help (context, TRUE, NULL);
+  g_printerr ("%s", help);
+  g_set_error_literal (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED, message);
+}
+
+#define _gs_unref_keyfile __attribute__ ((cleanup(gs_local_keyfile_unref)))
+
+gboolean
+xdg_app_builtin_run (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **error)
+{
+  GOptionContext *context;
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
+  gs_unref_object XdgAppDir *user_dir = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object XdgAppDir *system_dir = NULL;
+  gs_unref_variant_builder GVariantBuilder *optbuilder = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *deploy_base = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *var = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *var_tmp = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *var_run = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *app_deploy = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *app_files = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *runtime_deploy = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *runtime_files = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *metadata = NULL;
+  gs_free char *metadata_contents = NULL;
+  gs_free char *runtime = NULL;
+  gs_free char *runtime_ref = NULL;
+  gs_free char *app_ref = NULL;
+  _gs_unref_keyfile GKeyFile *metakey = NULL;
+  gs_free_error GError *my_error = NULL;
+  gs_free_error GError *my_error2 = NULL;
+  gs_unref_ptrarray GPtrArray *argv_array = NULL;
+  gsize metadata_size;
+  const char *app;
+  const char *branch = "master";
+  int i;
+
+  context = g_option_context_new ("APP COMMAND - Run an app");
+
+  if (!xdg_app_option_context_parse (context, options, &argc, &argv, XDG_APP_BUILTIN_FLAG_NO_DIR, NULL, cancellable, error))
+    goto out;
+
+  if (g_strv_length (opt_rest) < 2)
+    {
+      usage_error (context, "APP and COMMAND must be specified", error);
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  app = opt_rest[0];
+
+  if (opt_branch)
+    branch = opt_branch;
+
+  app_ref = xdg_app_build_app_ref (app, branch, opt_arch);
+
+  user_dir = xdg_app_dir_get_user ();
+  system_dir = xdg_app_dir_get_system ();
+
+  app_deploy = xdg_app_dir_get_if_deployed (user_dir, app_ref, NULL, cancellable);
+  if (app_deploy == NULL)
+    app_deploy = xdg_app_dir_get_if_deployed (system_dir, app_ref, NULL, cancellable);
+  if (app_deploy == NULL)
+    {
+      g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED, "App %s branch %s not installed", app, branch);
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  metadata = g_file_get_child (app_deploy, "metadata");
+  if (!g_file_load_contents (metadata, cancellable, &metadata_contents, &metadata_size, NULL, error))
+    goto out;
+
+  metakey = g_key_file_new ();
+  if (!g_key_file_load_from_data (metakey, metadata_contents, metadata_size, 0, error))
+    goto out;
+
+  runtime = g_key_file_get_string (metakey, "Application", "runtime", error);
+  if (runtime == NULL)
+    goto out;
+
+  runtime_ref = g_build_filename ("runtime", runtime, NULL);
+
+  runtime_deploy = xdg_app_dir_get_if_deployed (user_dir, runtime_ref, NULL, cancellable);
+  if (runtime_deploy == NULL)
+    runtime_deploy = xdg_app_dir_get_if_deployed (system_dir, runtime_ref, NULL, cancellable);
+  if (runtime_deploy == NULL)
+    {
+      g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED, "Required runtime %s not installed", runtime);
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  if (!xdg_app_dir_ensure_path (user_dir, cancellable, error))
+    goto out;
+
+  var = xdg_app_dir_get_app_data (user_dir, app);
+  if (!gs_file_ensure_directory (var, TRUE, cancellable, error))
+    goto out;
+
+  var_tmp = g_file_get_child (var, "tmp");
+  var_run = g_file_get_child (var, "run");
+
+  if (!g_file_make_symbolic_link (var_tmp, "/tmp", cancellable, &my_error) &&
+      !g_error_matches (my_error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_EXISTS))
+    {
+      g_propagate_error (error, my_error);
+      my_error = NULL;
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  if (!g_file_make_symbolic_link (var_run, "/run", cancellable, &my_error2) &&
+      !g_error_matches (my_error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_EXISTS))
+    {
+      g_propagate_error (error, my_error2);
+      my_error2 = NULL;
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  app_files = g_file_get_child (app_deploy, "files");
+  runtime_files = g_file_get_child (runtime_deploy, "files");
+
+  argv_array = g_ptr_array_new ();
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, HELPER);
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, "-i");
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, "-a");
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, (char *)gs_file_get_path_cached (app_files));
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, "-v");
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, (char *)gs_file_get_path_cached (var));
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, (char *)gs_file_get_path_cached (runtime_files));
+
+  for (i = 1; opt_rest[i] != NULL; i++)
+    g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, opt_rest[i]);
+
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, NULL);
+
+  if (!execve (HELPER, (char **)argv_array->pdata, NULL))
+    {
+      g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, g_io_error_from_errno (errno), "Unable to start app");
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  /* Not actually reached... */
+  ret = TRUE;
+
+ out:
+  if (context)
+    g_option_context_free (context);
+  return ret;
+}
diff --git a/xdg-app-builtins.h b/xdg-app-builtins.h
index a51174c2..3b9b1e44 100644
--- a/xdg-app-builtins.h
+++ b/xdg-app-builtins.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ BUILTINPROTO(install_runtime);
 BUILTINPROTO(update_runtime);
 BUILTINPROTO(install_app);
 BUILTINPROTO(update_app);
+BUILTINPROTO(run);
 
 #undef BUILTINPROTO
 
diff --git a/xdg-app-dir.c b/xdg-app-dir.c
index 7edbe601..950aacff 100644
--- a/xdg-app-dir.c
+++ b/xdg-app-dir.c
@@ -388,6 +388,23 @@ xdg_app_dir_deploy (XdgAppDir *self,
   return ret;
 }
 
+GFile *
+xdg_app_dir_get_if_deployed (XdgAppDir     *self,
+                             const char    *ref,
+                             const char    *hash,
+                             GCancellable  *cancellable)
+{
+  gs_unref_object GFile *deploy_base = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *deploy_dir = NULL;
+
+  deploy_base = xdg_app_dir_get_deploy_dir (self, ref);
+  deploy_dir = g_file_get_child (deploy_base, hash ? hash : "latest");
+
+  if (g_file_query_file_type (deploy_dir, G_FILE_QUERY_INFO_NONE, cancellable) == G_FILE_TYPE_DIRECTORY)
+    return g_object_ref (deploy_dir);
+  return NULL;
+}
+
 XdgAppDir*
 xdg_app_dir_new (GFile *path, gboolean user)
 {
diff --git a/xdg-app-dir.h b/xdg-app-dir.h
index e8d0a3b3..179331db 100644
--- a/xdg-app-dir.h
+++ b/xdg-app-dir.h
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ gboolean    xdg_app_dir_is_user        (XdgAppDir     *self);
 GFile *     xdg_app_dir_get_path       (XdgAppDir     *self);
 GFile *     xdg_app_dir_get_deploy_dir (XdgAppDir     *self,
                                         const char    *ref);
+GFile *     xdg_app_dir_get_if_deployed(XdgAppDir     *self,
+                                        const char    *ref,
+                                        const char    *hash,
+                                        GCancellable  *cancellable);
 GFile *     xdg_app_dir_get_app_data   (XdgAppDir     *self,
                                         const char    *app);
 OstreeRepo *xdg_app_dir_get_repo       (XdgAppDir     *self);
diff --git a/xdg-app-main.c b/xdg-app-main.c
index e1846c94..a22f61b2 100644
--- a/xdg-app-main.c
+++ b/xdg-app-main.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ static XdgAppCommand commands[] = {
   { "update-runtime", xdg_app_builtin_update_runtime },
   { "install-app", xdg_app_builtin_install_app },
   { "update-app", xdg_app_builtin_update_app },
+  { "run", xdg_app_builtin_run },
   { NULL }
 };
 
@@ -180,10 +181,6 @@ xdg_app_run (int    argc,
               continue;
             }
         }
-      else if (g_str_equal (argv[in], "--"))
-        {
-          break;
-        }
 
       argv[out] = argv[in];
     }