diff --git a/.hof/shadow/Cli/cmd/hof/cmd/gen.go b/.hof/shadow/Cli/cmd/hof/cmd/gen.go
index ae276ef31..936eedd4b 100644
--- a/.hof/shadow/Cli/cmd/hof/cmd/gen.go
+++ b/.hof/shadow/Cli/cmd/hof/cmd/gen.go
@@ -66,14 +66,15 @@ hof gen data.cue ...
 
 func init() {
 
-	GenCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Stats), "stats", "s", false, "Print generator statistics")
-	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Generator), "generator", "G", nil, "Generators to run, default is all discovered")
-	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Template), "template", "T", nil, "Template mappings to render as '<filepath>;<?cuepath>;<?outpath>'")
+	GenCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Stats), "stats", "s", false, "print generator statistics")
+	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Generator), "generator", "G", nil, "generator tags to run, default is all")
+	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Template), "template", "T", nil, "template mappings to render as '<filepath>;<?cuepath>;<?outpath>'")
 	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Partial), "partial", "P", nil, "file globs to partial templates to register with the templates")
 	GenCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Diff3), "diff3", "D", false, "enable diff3 support for adhoc render, generators are configured in code")
 	GenCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Watch), "watch", "w", false, "run in watch mode, regenerating when files change")
 	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.WatchGlobs), "watch-globs", "W", nil, "filepath globs to watch for changes and regen")
 	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.WatchXcue), "watch-xcue", "X", nil, "like watch, but skips CUE reload, useful when working on templates, can be used with watch")
+	GenCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.CreateModule), "create-module", "", "", "output path to write a generator module for the given flags")
 }
 
 func GenRun(args []string) (err error) {
diff --git a/.hof/shadow/Cli/cmd/hof/flags/gen.go b/.hof/shadow/Cli/cmd/hof/flags/gen.go
index 14516fea9..75fcff91d 100644
--- a/.hof/shadow/Cli/cmd/hof/flags/gen.go
+++ b/.hof/shadow/Cli/cmd/hof/flags/gen.go
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 package flags
 
 type GenFlagpole struct {
-	Stats      bool
-	Generator  []string
-	Template   []string
-	Partial    []string
-	Diff3      bool
-	Watch      bool
-	WatchGlobs []string
-	WatchXcue  []string
+	Stats        bool
+	Generator    []string
+	Template     []string
+	Partial      []string
+	Diff3        bool
+	Watch        bool
+	WatchGlobs   []string
+	WatchXcue    []string
+	CreateModule string
 }
 
 var GenFlags GenFlagpole
diff --git a/cmd/hof/cmd/gen.go b/cmd/hof/cmd/gen.go
index f25dd03bb..8e710aa76 100644
--- a/cmd/hof/cmd/gen.go
+++ b/cmd/hof/cmd/gen.go
@@ -68,14 +68,15 @@ hof gen data.cue ...
 
 func init() {
 
-	GenCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Stats), "stats", "s", false, "Print generator statistics")
-	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Generator), "generator", "G", nil, "Generators to run, default is all discovered")
-	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Template), "template", "T", nil, "Template mappings to render as '<filepath>;<?cuepath>;<?outpath>'")
+	GenCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Stats), "stats", "s", false, "print generator statistics")
+	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Generator), "generator", "G", nil, "generator tags to run, default is all")
+	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Template), "template", "T", nil, "template mappings to render as '<filepath>;<?cuepath>;<?outpath>'")
 	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Partial), "partial", "P", nil, "file globs to partial templates to register with the templates")
 	GenCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Diff3), "diff3", "D", false, "enable diff3 support for adhoc render, generators are configured in code")
 	GenCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.Watch), "watch", "w", false, "run in watch mode, regenerating when files change")
 	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.WatchGlobs), "watch-globs", "W", nil, "filepath globs to watch for changes and regen")
 	GenCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.WatchXcue), "watch-xcue", "X", nil, "like watch, but skips CUE reload, useful when working on templates, can be used with watch")
+	GenCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&(flags.GenFlags.CreateModule), "create-module", "", "", "output path to write a generator module for the given flags")
 }
 
 func GenRun(args []string) (err error) {
diff --git a/cmd/hof/flags/gen.go b/cmd/hof/flags/gen.go
index 9b18358d8..f1346cad6 100644
--- a/cmd/hof/flags/gen.go
+++ b/cmd/hof/flags/gen.go
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 package flags
 
 type GenFlagpole struct {
-	Stats      bool
-	Generator  []string
-	Template   []string
-	Partial    []string
-	Diff3      bool
-	Watch      bool
-	WatchGlobs []string
-	WatchXcue  []string
+	Stats        bool
+	Generator    []string
+	Template     []string
+	Partial      []string
+	Diff3        bool
+	Watch        bool
+	WatchGlobs   []string
+	WatchXcue    []string
+	CreateModule string
 }
 
 var GenFlags GenFlagpole
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/design/cli/cmds/gen.cue b/design/cli/cmds/gen.cue
index fecf26231..d437b0643 100644
--- a/design/cli/cmds/gen.cue
+++ b/design/cli/cmds/gen.cue
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 			Name:    "stats"
 			Type:    "bool"
 			Default: "false"
-			Help:    "Print generator statistics"
+			Help:    "print generator statistics"
 			Long:    "stats"
 			Short:   "s"
 		},
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import (
 			Name:    "generator"
 			Type:    "[]string"
 			Default: "nil"
-			Help:    "Generators to run, default is all discovered"
+			Help:    "generator tags to run, default is all"
 			Long:    "generator"
 			Short:   "G"
 		},
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import (
 			Name:    "template"
 			Type:    "[]string"
 			Default: "nil"
-			Help:    "Template mappings to render as '<filepath>;<?cuepath>;<?outpath>'"
+			Help:    "template mappings to render as '<filepath>;<?cuepath>;<?outpath>'"
 			Long:    "template"
 			Short:   "T"
 		},
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ import (
 			Long:    "watch-xcue"
 			Short:   "X"
 		},
+		{
+			Name:    "CreateModule"
+			Type:    "string"
+			Default: ""
+			Help:    "output path to write a generator module for the given flags"
+			Long:    "create-module"
+		},
 	]
 }
 
diff --git a/test/watch/data.cue b/test/watch/data.cue
index 6b32a81fc..edc44b0bb 100644
--- a/test/watch/data.cue
+++ b/test/watch/data.cue
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import "strings"
 
 users: [n=string]: { name: n, NAME: strings.ToUpper(n) }
 users: {
+	aaah: role: "cat"
 	alice: role: "user"
 	bob: role: "user"
 	cow: role: "mooer"
diff --git a/test/watch/ext.txt b/test/watch/ext.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f67696052
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/watch/ext.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package foo
+{{ range .users }}
+// function {{ camelT .name }} pretend time
+func {{ camelT .name }}( {{ title .role }} int ) error {
+	fmt.Println("hey {{ .NAME }}!!")
+
+	return nil
+}
+{{ end }}
diff --git a/test/watch/out.txt b/test/watch/out.txt
index db8d6e3ce..010ba88bb 100644
--- a/test/watch/out.txt
+++ b/test/watch/out.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+// hallo!!!
+NAME: AAAH
+name: aaah
+role: cat
+
+
+
 // hallo!!!
 NAME: ALICE
 name: alice
diff --git a/test/watch/template.txt b/test/watch/template.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 7ffc35a4d..000000000
--- a/test/watch/template.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-package foo
-{{ range .users }}
-// function {{ camelT .name }} yells loudly
-func {{ camelT .name }}( {{ .role }} string ) error {
-	fmt.Println("hey {{ .NAME }}!!")
-
-	return nil
-}
-{{ end }}
diff --git a/test/watch/users.txt b/test/watch/users.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63be2ffbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/watch/users.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package foo
+
+// function Aaah pretend time
+func Aaah( Cat int ) error {
+	fmt.Println("hey AAAH!!")
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// function Alice pretend time
+func Alice( User int ) error {
+	fmt.Println("hey ALICE!!")
+
+	// if in wonderland?
+	// if white rabbit?
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// function Bob pretend time
+func Bob( User int ) error {
+	fmt.Println("hey BOB!!")
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// function Cow pretend time
+func Cow( Mooer int ) error {
+	fmt.Println("hey COW!!")
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// function Darth pretend time
+func Darth( Evil int ) error {
+	fmt.Println("hey DARTH!!")
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// function Mary pretend time
+func Mary( Admin int ) error {
+	fmt.Println("hey MARY!!")
+
+	return nil
+}
\ No newline at end of file