diff --git a/git-vogue.cabal b/git-vogue.cabal
--- a/git-vogue.cabal
+++ b/git-vogue.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                git-vogue
-version:             0.1.0.2
+version:             0.1.0.3
 synopsis:            A framework for pre-commit checks.
 description:         Make your Haskell git repositories fashionable.
 homepage:            https://github.com/anchor/git-vogue
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
   exposed-modules:     Git.Vogue
                        Git.Vogue.Types
                        Git.Vogue.Plugins
+                       Git.Vogue.PluginCommon
   other-modules:       Paths_git_vogue
   build-depends:       base >=4.7 && <4.8
                      , MissingH
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@
                      , formatting
                      , split
                      , text
+                     , optparse-applicative >= 0.11
                      , transformers
                      , mtl
                      , unix
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@
                      , filepath
                      , directory
                      , git-vogue
-                     , optparse-applicative >= 0.11
+                     , optparse-applicative
                      , split
 
 executable git-vogue-cabal
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@
   main-is:             git-vogue-cabal.hs
   build-depends:       base >=4.7 && <4.8
                      , Cabal
-                     , optparse-applicative >= 0.11
+                     , git-vogue
                      , process
 
 executable git-vogue-hlint
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@
                      , cpphs
                      , bifunctors
                      , haskell-src-exts
-                     , optparse-applicative >= 0.11
+                     , git-vogue
                      , hscolour
                      , process
   if !flag(gpl)
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@
                      , Diff
                      , directory
                      , filepath
-                     , optparse-applicative >= 0.11
+                     , git-vogue
                      , process
                      , strict
                      , stylish-haskell
@@ -103,7 +105,7 @@
                      , Diff
                      , directory
                      , filepath
-                     , optparse-applicative >= 0.11
+                     , git-vogue
                      , process
                      , strict
                      , ghc-mod
diff --git a/lib/Git/Vogue/PluginCommon.hs b/lib/Git/Vogue/PluginCommon.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Git/Vogue/PluginCommon.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+--
+-- Copyright © 2013-2015 Anchor Systems, Pty Ltd and Others
+--
+-- The code in this file, and the program it is a part of, is
+-- made available to you by its authors as open source software:
+-- you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of
+-- the 3-clause BSD licence.
+--
+
+-- | Common helpers for git vogue plugins
+module Git.Vogue.PluginCommon
+(
+    hsFiles,
+    getPluginCommand,
+    pCommand,
+    PluginCommand(..),
+) where
+
+import           Control.Applicative
+import           Data.List
+import           Options.Applicative
+
+-- | Filter the incoming file list by .hs files.
+hsFiles :: IO [FilePath]
+hsFiles = filter (isSuffixOf ".hs") . lines <$> getContents
+
+-- | Arguments to the plugin
+data PluginCommand
+    -- | Check the project for problems.
+    = CmdCheck
+    -- | Fix problems in the project.
+    | CmdFix
+    -- | Report details.
+    | CmdName
+
+-- | Parser for plugin arguments
+pluginCommandParser :: Parser PluginCommand
+pluginCommandParser = subparser
+    (  pCommand "name" CmdName "Get name of plugin"
+    <> pCommand "check" CmdCheck "Check for problems"
+    <> pCommand "fix" CmdFix "Try to fix problems"
+    )
+
+-- | Sub-command helper
+pCommand :: String -> a -> String -> Mod CommandFields a
+pCommand name ctor desc = command name (info (pure ctor) (progDesc desc))
+
+-- | Get the plugin command requested given a header and a description
+getPluginCommand :: String -> String -> IO PluginCommand
+getPluginCommand hdr desc = execParser parser
+  where
+    parser = info (helper <*> pluginCommandParser)
+        ( fullDesc
+        <> progDesc desc
+        <> header hdr)
+
diff --git a/src/git-vogue-cabal.hs b/src/git-vogue-cabal.hs
--- a/src/git-vogue-cabal.hs
+++ b/src/git-vogue-cabal.hs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 -- | Description: Check with "cabal check".
 module Main where
 
-import           Common
 import           Control.Monad                                 (unless, when)
 import           Data.Monoid
 import           Distribution.PackageDescription.Check
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@
                                                                 wrapText)
 import           Distribution.Verbosity                        (Verbosity,
                                                                 silent)
+import           Git.Vogue.PluginCommon
 import           System.Exit
 
 main :: IO ()
diff --git a/src/git-vogue-ghc-mod.hs b/src/git-vogue-ghc-mod.hs
--- a/src/git-vogue-ghc-mod.hs
+++ b/src/git-vogue-ghc-mod.hs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 -- | Description: Check with "cabal check".
 module Main where
 
-import           Common
 import           Control.Applicative
 import           Data.Char
 import           Data.Foldable
@@ -18,6 +17,7 @@
 import           Data.Maybe
 import           Data.Monoid
 import           Data.Traversable
+import           Git.Vogue.PluginCommon
 import           Language.Haskell.GhcMod
 import           Prelude                 hiding (elem)
 import           System.Exit
diff --git a/src/git-vogue-hlint.hs b/src/git-vogue-hlint.hs
--- a/src/git-vogue-hlint.hs
+++ b/src/git-vogue-hlint.hs
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@
 -- | Description: Check with "cabal check".
 module Main where
 
-import           Common
 import           Control.Applicative
 import           Data.Bifunctor
 import           Data.List
 import           Data.Monoid
 import           Data.Traversable
+import           Git.Vogue.PluginCommon
 import           Language.Haskell.Exts.SrcLoc
 import           Language.Haskell.HLint3
 import           Language.Preprocessor.Cpphs
diff --git a/src/git-vogue-stylish.hs b/src/git-vogue-stylish.hs
--- a/src/git-vogue-stylish.hs
+++ b/src/git-vogue-stylish.hs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 -- | Description: Check and fix style differences with stylish-haskell
 module Main where
 
-import           Common
 import           Control.Monad
 import           Data.Algorithm.Diff
 import           Data.Algorithm.DiffOutput
@@ -18,6 +17,7 @@
 import           Data.List                 hiding (and)
 import           Data.Monoid               hiding (First)
 import           Data.Traversable
+import           Git.Vogue.PluginCommon
 import           Language.Haskell.Stylish
 import           Prelude                   hiding (and)
 import           System.Exit
diff --git a/src/git-vogue.hs b/src/git-vogue.hs
--- a/src/git-vogue.hs
+++ b/src/git-vogue.hs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 import           Git.Vogue
 import           Git.Vogue.Types
 
-import           Common
+import           Git.Vogue.PluginCommon
 import qualified Paths_git_vogue           as Paths
 
 -- | Parse command-line options.