diff --git a/cmd/slackdump/internal/base/base.go b/cmd/slackdump/internal/base/base.go
index 22cdf764..589742d7 100644
--- a/cmd/slackdump/internal/base/base.go
+++ b/cmd/slackdump/internal/base/base.go
@@ -11,8 +11,14 @@ package base
 import (
 	"context"
 	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
 )
 
+var CmdName string
+
 // A Command is an implementation of a slackdump command.
 type Command struct {
 	// Run runs the command.
@@ -30,4 +36,68 @@ type Command struct {
 
 	// Flag is a set of flags specific to this command.
 	Flag flag.FlagSet
+
+	// Commands lists the available commands and help topics.
+	// The order here is the order in which they are printed by 'go help'.
+	// Note that subcommands are in general best avoided.
+	Commands []*Command
+}
+
+var Slackdump = &Command{
+	UsageLine: "slackdump",
+	Long:      `Slackdump is a tool for exporting Slack conversations, emojis, users, etc.`,
+	// Commands initialised in main.
+}
+
+var exitStatus = 0
+var exitMu sync.Mutex
+
+func SetExitStatus(n int) {
+	exitMu.Lock()
+	if exitStatus < n {
+		exitStatus = n
+	}
+	exitMu.Unlock()
+}
+
+func Exit() {
+	os.Exit(exitStatus)
+}
+
+// Runnable reports whether the command can be run; otherwise
+// it is a documentation pseudo-command such as importpath.
+func (c *Command) Runnable() bool {
+	return c.Run != nil
+}
+
+// LongName returns the command's long name: all the words in the usage line between "go" and a flag or argument,
+func (c *Command) LongName() string {
+	name := c.UsageLine
+	if i := strings.Index(name, " ["); i >= 0 {
+		name = name[:i]
+	}
+	if name == "slackdump" {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return strings.TrimPrefix(name, "slackdump ")
+}
+
+// Name returns the command's short name: the last word in the usage line before a flag or argument.
+func (c *Command) Name() string {
+	name := c.LongName()
+	if i := strings.LastIndex(name, " "); i >= 0 {
+		name = name[i+1:]
+	}
+	return name
+}
+
+// Usage is the usage-reporting function, filled in by package main
+// but here for reference by other packages.
+var Usage func()
+
+func (c *Command) Usage() {
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "usage: %s\n", c.UsageLine)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Run 'slackdump help %s' for details.\n", c.LongName())
+	SetExitStatus(2)
+	Exit()
 }
diff --git a/cmd/slackdump/internal/help/help.go b/cmd/slackdump/internal/help/help.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52bb4b42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/slackdump/internal/help/help.go
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+// Copyright 2022 rusq, GPL 3.0.
+//
+// Copyright 2017 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// Package help implements "slackdump help" command.
+package help
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"html/template"
+	"io"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"unicode"
+	"unicode/utf8"
+
+	"github.com/rusq/slackdump/v2/cmd/slackdump/internal/base"
+)
+
+func PrintUsage(w io.Writer, cmd *base.Command) {
+	bw := bufio.NewWriter(w)
+	tmpl(bw, usageTemplate, cmd)
+	bw.Flush()
+}
+
+// tmpl executes the given template text on data, writing the result to w.
+func tmpl(w io.Writer, text string, data any) {
+	t := template.New("top")
+	t.Funcs(template.FuncMap{"trim": strings.TrimSpace, "capitalize": capitalize})
+	template.Must(t.Parse(text))
+	ew := &errWriter{w: w}
+	err := t.Execute(ew, data)
+	if ew.err != nil {
+		// I/O error writing. Ignore write on closed pipe.
+		if strings.Contains(ew.err.Error(), "pipe") {
+			base.SetExitStatus(1)
+			base.Exit()
+		}
+		log.Fatalf("writing output: %v", ew.err)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+}
+
+func capitalize(s string) string {
+	if s == "" {
+		return s
+	}
+	r, n := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(s)
+	return string(unicode.ToTitle(r)) + s[n:]
+}
+
+// An errWriter wraps a writer, recording whether a write error occurred.
+type errWriter struct {
+	w   io.Writer
+	err error
+}
+
+func (w *errWriter) Write(b []byte) (int, error) {
+	n, err := w.w.Write(b)
+	if err != nil {
+		w.err = err
+	}
+	return n, err
+}
+
+// Help implements the 'help' command.
+func Help(w io.Writer, args []string) {
+	// 'go help documentation' generates doc.go.
+	if len(args) == 1 && args[0] == "documentation" {
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "// Copyright 2011 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w)
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "// Code generated by mkalldocs.sh; DO NOT EDIT.")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "// Edit the documentation in other files and rerun mkalldocs.sh to generate this one.")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w)
+		buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+		PrintUsage(buf, base.Slackdump)
+		usage := &base.Command{Long: buf.String()}
+		cmds := []*base.Command{usage}
+		for _, cmd := range base.Slackdump.Commands {
+			// Avoid duplication of the "get" documentation.
+			cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
+			cmds = append(cmds, cmd.Commands...)
+		}
+		tmpl(&commentWriter{W: w}, documentationTemplate, cmds)
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "package main")
+		return
+	}
+
+	cmd := base.Slackdump
+Args:
+	for i, arg := range args {
+		for _, sub := range cmd.Commands {
+			if sub.Name() == arg {
+				cmd = sub
+				continue Args
+			}
+		}
+
+		// helpSuccess is the help command using as many args as possible that would succeed.
+		helpSuccess := "slackdump help"
+		if i > 0 {
+			helpSuccess += " " + strings.Join(args[:i], " ")
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "go help %s: unknown help topic. Run '%s'.\n", strings.Join(args, " "), helpSuccess)
+		base.SetExitStatus(2) // failed at 'go help cmd'
+		base.Exit()
+	}
+
+	if len(cmd.Commands) > 0 {
+		PrintUsage(os.Stdout, cmd)
+	} else {
+		tmpl(os.Stdout, helpTemplate, cmd)
+	}
+	// not exit 2: succeeded at 'go help cmd'.
+	return
+}
+
+// commentWriter writes a Go comment to the underlying io.Writer,
+// using line comment form (//).
+type commentWriter struct {
+	W            io.Writer
+	wroteSlashes bool // Wrote "//" at the beginning of the current line.
+}
+
+func (c *commentWriter) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	var n int
+	for i, b := range p {
+		if !c.wroteSlashes {
+			s := "//"
+			if b != '\n' {
+				s = "// "
+			}
+			if _, err := io.WriteString(c.W, s); err != nil {
+				return n, err
+			}
+			c.wroteSlashes = true
+		}
+		n0, err := c.W.Write(p[i : i+1])
+		n += n0
+		if err != nil {
+			return n, err
+		}
+		if b == '\n' {
+			c.wroteSlashes = false
+		}
+	}
+	return len(p), nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/slackdump/internal/help/templates.go b/cmd/slackdump/internal/help/templates.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..10532c30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/slackdump/internal/help/templates.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package help
+
+var (
+	helpTemplate = `{{if .Runnable}}usage: {{.UsageLine}}
+
+{{end}}{{.Long | trim}}
+`
+	usageTemplate = `{{.Long | trim}}
+
+Usage:
+
+	{{.UsageLine}} <command> [arguments]
+
+The commands are:
+{{range .Commands}}{{if or (.Runnable) .Commands}}
+	{{.Name | printf "%-11s"}} {{.Short}}{{end}}{{end}}
+
+Use "slackdump help{{with .LongName}} {{.}}{{end}} <command>" for more information about a command.
+{{if eq (.UsageLine) "slackdump"}}
+Additional help topics:
+{{range .Commands}}{{if and (not .Runnable) (not .Commands)}}
+	{{.Name | printf "%-15s"}} {{.Short}}{{end}}{{end}}
+
+Use "slackdump help{{with .LongName}} {{.}}{{end}} <topic>" for more information about that topic.
+{{end}}
+`
+	documentationTemplate = `{{range .}}{{if .Short}}{{.Short | capitalize}}
+
+{{end}}{{if .Commands}}` + usageTemplate + `{{else}}{{if .Runnable}}Usage:
+
+	{{.UsageLine}}
+
+{{end}}{{.Long | trim}}
+
+
+{{end}}{{end}}`
+)
diff --git a/cmd/slackdump/internal/v1/main.go b/cmd/slackdump/internal/v1/main.go
index 5ba74697..a6c8c1eb 100644
--- a/cmd/slackdump/internal/v1/main.go
+++ b/cmd/slackdump/internal/v1/main.go
@@ -35,6 +35,15 @@ const (
 	bannerFmt = "Slackdump %[1]s Copyright (c) 2018-%[2]s rusq (build: %s)\n\n"
 )
 
+var CmdV1 = &base.Command{
+	Run:       runV1,
+	UsageLine: "slackdump v1",
+	Short:     "slackdump legacy mode",
+	Long: `
+V1 starts slackdump in legacy mode, that supports all legacy flags.	
+	`,
+}
+
 // defFilenameTemplate is the default file naming template.
 const defFilenameTemplate = "{{.ID}}{{ if .ThreadTS}}-{{.ThreadTS}}{{end}}"
 
@@ -67,7 +76,7 @@ func runV1(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 	banner(os.Stderr)
 	loadSecrets(secrets)
 
-	params, err := parseCmdLine(args[1:])
+	params, err := parseCmdLine(args[0:])
 	if err == config.ErrNothingToDo {
 		// if the user hasn't provided any required flags, let's offer
 		// an interactive prompt to fill them.
diff --git a/cmd/slackdump/main.go b/cmd/slackdump/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a438495a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/slackdump/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+	"runtime/trace"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/rusq/slackdump/v2/cmd/slackdump/internal/base"
+	"github.com/rusq/slackdump/v2/cmd/slackdump/internal/help"
+	v1 "github.com/rusq/slackdump/v2/cmd/slackdump/internal/v1"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	base.Slackdump.Commands = []*base.Command{
+		v1.CmdV1,
+	}
+}
+
+func main() {
+	flag.Usage = base.Usage
+	flag.Parse()
+	log.SetFlags(0)
+
+	args := flag.Args()
+	base.CmdName = args[0]
+	if args[0] == "help" {
+		help.Help(os.Stdout, args[1:])
+		return
+	}
+BigCmdLoop:
+	for bigCmd := base.Slackdump; ; {
+		for _, cmd := range bigCmd.Commands {
+			if cmd.Name() != args[0] {
+				continue
+			}
+			if len(cmd.Commands) > 0 {
+				bigCmd = cmd
+				args = args[1:]
+				if len(args) == 0 {
+					help.PrintUsage(os.Stderr, bigCmd)
+					base.SetExitStatus(2)
+					base.Exit()
+				}
+				if args[0] == "help" {
+					// Accept 'go mod help' and 'go mod help foo' for 'go help mod' and 'go help mod foo'.
+					help.Help(os.Stdout, append(strings.Split(base.CmdName, " "), args[1:]...))
+					return
+				}
+				base.CmdName += " " + args[0]
+				continue BigCmdLoop
+			}
+			if !cmd.Runnable() {
+				continue
+			}
+			invoke(cmd, args)
+			base.Exit()
+			return
+		}
+		helpArg := ""
+		if i := strings.LastIndex(base.CmdName, " "); i >= 0 {
+			helpArg = " " + base.CmdName[:i]
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "slackdump %s: unknown command\nRun 'go help%s' for usage.\n", base.CmdName, helpArg)
+		base.SetExitStatus(2)
+		base.Exit()
+	}
+}
+
+func init() {
+	base.Usage = mainUsage
+}
+
+func mainUsage() {
+	help.PrintUsage(os.Stderr, base.Slackdump)
+	os.Exit(2)
+}
+
+func invoke(cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
+	cmd.Flag.Usage = func() { cmd.Usage() }
+	cmd.Flag.Parse(args[1:])
+	args = cmd.Flag.Args()
+	// maybe start trace
+	ctx, task := trace.NewTask(context.Background(), fmt.Sprint("Running ", cmd.Name(), " command"))
+	defer task.End()
+	cmd.Run(ctx, cmd, args)
+}