diff --git a/cli.go b/cli.go
index 4f89b055ae..2a50b44ee6 100644
--- a/cli.go
+++ b/cli.go
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ func (cli *Cli) Run(args []string) (err error) {
 	if ctx.Command == nil {
 		return ErrHelp
 	}
-	ctx.Args, ctx.App, err = parseArgs(ctx.Command, args[2:])
+	if ctx.Command.VariableArgs {
+		ctx.Args, ctx.App, err = parseVarArgs(ctx.Command, args[2:])
+	} else {
+		ctx.Args, ctx.App, err = parseArgs(ctx.Command, args[2:])
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -70,13 +74,33 @@ func (cli *Cli) ParseCmd(cmd string) (topic *Topic, command *Command) {
 	return topic, cli.Commands.ByTopicAndCommand(tc[0], "")
 }
 
+func parseVarArgs(command *Command, args []string) (result []string, appName string, err error) {
+	result = args
+	parseFlags := true
+	for i := 0; i < len(args); i++ {
+		switch {
+		case parseFlags && (args[i] == "help" || args[i] == "--help" || args[i] == "-h"):
+			return nil, "", ErrHelp
+		case args[i] == "--":
+			parseFlags = false
+		case args[i] == "-a" || args[i] == "--app":
+			i++
+			if len(args) == i {
+				return nil, "", errors.New("Must specify app name")
+			}
+			appName = args[i]
+		}
+	}
+	return result, appName, nil
+}
+
 func parseArgs(command *Command, args []string) (result map[string]string, appName string, err error) {
 	result = map[string]string{}
 	numArgs := 0
 	parseFlags := true
 	for i := 0; i < len(args); i++ {
 		switch {
-		case args[i] == "help" || args[i] == "--help" || args[i] == "-h":
+		case parseFlags && (args[i] == "help" || args[i] == "--help" || args[i] == "-h"):
 			return nil, "", ErrHelp
 		case args[i] == "--":
 			parseFlags = false
diff --git a/command.go b/command.go
index d0c2cba814..e37e75381c 100644
--- a/command.go
+++ b/command.go
@@ -11,19 +11,20 @@ import (
 // For example, in the command `heroku apps:create` the command would be `create`.
 // They must have a Topic name that links to a real topic's name.
 type Command struct {
-	Topic       string             `json:"topic"`
-	Command     string             `json:"command,omitempty"`
-	Plugin      string             `json:"plugin"`
-	Usage       string             `json:"usage"`
-	Description string             `json:"description"`
-	Help        string             `json:"help"`
-	FullHelp    string             `json:"fullHelp"`
-	Hidden      bool               `json:"hidden"`
-	NeedsApp    bool               `json:"needsApp"`
-	NeedsAuth   bool               `json:"needsAuth"`
-	Args        []Arg              `json:"args"`
-	Flags       []Flag             `json:"flags"`
-	Run         func(ctx *Context) `json:"-"`
+	Topic        string             `json:"topic"`
+	Command      string             `json:"command,omitempty"`
+	Plugin       string             `json:"plugin"`
+	Usage        string             `json:"usage"`
+	Description  string             `json:"description"`
+	Help         string             `json:"help"`
+	FullHelp     string             `json:"fullHelp"`
+	Hidden       bool               `json:"hidden"`
+	NeedsApp     bool               `json:"needsApp"`
+	NeedsAuth    bool               `json:"needsAuth"`
+	VariableArgs bool               `json:"variableArgs"`
+	Args         []Arg              `json:"args"`
+	Flags        []Flag             `json:"flags"`
+	Run          func(ctx *Context) `json:"-"`
 }
 
 func (c *Command) String() string {
@@ -143,8 +144,7 @@ var commandsListCmd = &Command{
 	Description: "list all commands",
 	Flags:       []Flag{{Name: "json"}},
 	Run: func(ctx *Context) {
-		if ctx.Args["json"] != "True" {
-			// TODO: remove this and make json default
+		if ctx.Args.(map[string]string)["json"] != "True" {
 			for _, command := range cli.Commands {
 				if command.Command == "" {
 					Printf("%s\n", command.Topic)
diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
index b33741c071..1f4f76edc9 100644
--- a/context.go
+++ b/context.go
@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@ package main
 // It contains information about the user's command arguments
 // as well as Heroku information like the auth token and app name (if requested).
 type Context struct {
-	Topic     *Topic            `json:"topic"`
-	Command   *Command          `json:"command"`
-	App       string            `json:"app"`
-	Args      map[string]string `json:"args"`
-	Cwd       string            `json:"cwd"`
-	HerokuDir string            `json:"herokuDir"`
+	Topic     *Topic      `json:"topic"`
+	Command   *Command    `json:"command"`
+	App       string      `json:"app"`
+	Args      interface{} `json:"args"`
+	Cwd       string      `json:"cwd"`
+	HerokuDir string      `json:"herokuDir"`
 	Auth      struct {
 		Username string `json:"username"`
 		Password string `json:"password"`
diff --git a/plugins.go b/plugins.go
index b8b6d249ee..62746de146 100644
--- a/plugins.go
+++ b/plugins.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ var pluginsInstallCmd = &Command{
   $ heroku plugins:install dickeyxxx/heroku-production-status`,
 
 	Run: func(ctx *Context) {
-		name := ctx.Args["name"]
+		name := ctx.Args.(map[string]string)["name"]
 		if len(name) == 0 {
 			Errln("Must specify a plugin name")
 			return
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ var pluginsUninstallCmd = &Command{
   $ heroku plugins:uninstall heroku-production-status`,
 
 	Run: func(ctx *Context) {
-		name := ctx.Args["name"]
+		name := ctx.Args.(map[string]string)["name"]
 		Errf("Uninstalling plugin %s... ", name)
 		if err := node.RemovePackage(name); err != nil {
 			panic(err)
diff --git a/update.go b/update.go
index c42de8eba2..eb919f7f51 100644
--- a/update.go
+++ b/update.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ var updateCmd = &Command{
 	Description: "updates heroku-cli",
 	Args:        []Arg{{Name: "channel", Optional: true}},
 	Run: func(ctx *Context) {
-		channel := ctx.Args["channel"]
+		channel := ctx.Args.(map[string]string)["channel"]
 		if channel == "" {
 			channel = "master"
 		}