diff --git a/Jakefile b/Jakefile
index b5e67884..a1553929 100644
--- a/Jakefile
+++ b/Jakefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 var fs = require('fs')
-  , pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('package.json').toString())
+  , pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./package.json').toString())
   , version = pkg.version
 
 var t = new jake.PackageTask('jake', 'v' + version, function () {
diff --git a/bin/cli.js b/bin/cli.js
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index c066a9a1..1e1b3557
--- a/bin/cli.js
+++ b/bin/cli.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ var args = process.argv.slice(2)
   , fs = require('fs')
   , jake = require(libPath + '/jake.js')
   , api = require(libPath + '/api.js')
+  , utils = require(libPath + '/utils.js')
   , Program = require(libPath + '/program.js').Program
   , program = new Program()
   , Loader = require(libPath + '/loader.js').Loader
@@ -49,6 +50,8 @@ if (!program.preemptiveOption()) {
     global[p] = api[p];
   }
 
+  jake.exec = utils.exec;
+
   // Get convenient refs to FileList, PackageTask
   jake.FileList = require(libPath + '/file_list').FileList
   jake.PackageTask = require(libPath + '/package_task').PackageTask
diff --git a/lib/api.js b/lib/api.js
index cf442e37..c11ef97f 100644
--- a/lib/api.js
+++ b/lib/api.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  *
 */
+var exec = require('child_process').exec;
 
 var api = new (function () {
   this.task = function (name, prereqs, action, async) {
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ef1c6e43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*
+ * Jake JavaScript build tool
+ * Copyright 2112 Matthew Eernisse (mde@fleegix.org)
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ *
+*/
+
+
+var exec = require('child_process').exec
+  , utils = new (function () {
+
+  this.exec = function (arr, callback, opts) {
+    var options = opts || {}
+      , stdout = options.stdout
+      , stderr = options.stderr
+      , breakOnError = options.breakOnError
+    var run = function (cmd) {
+      exec(cmd, function (err, stdout, stderr) {
+        var next;
+        if (err && breakOnError) {
+          this.fail('Error: ' + JSON.stringify(err));
+        }
+        if (stderr && options.stderr) {
+          console.log('Error: ' + stderr);
+        }
+        if (stdout && options.stdout) {
+          console.log(stdout);
+        }
+        next = arr.shift();
+        if (next) {
+          run(next);
+        }
+        else {
+          if (callback) {
+            callback();
+          }
+        }
+      });
+    };
+    run(arr.shift());
+  };
+
+})();
+
+module.exports = utils;
diff --git a/tests/Jakefile b/tests/Jakefile
index 1cb52301..375cfd07 100644
--- a/tests/Jakefile
+++ b/tests/Jakefile
@@ -154,4 +154,18 @@ namespace('bar', function() {
   });
 });
 
+desc('Tests jake.exec API call');
+task('testExec', function () {
+  var cmds = [
+        'echo "testing"'
+      , 'true'
+      , 'echo "seems to work"'
+      ]
+    , callback = function () {
+        complete();
+      };
+  jake.exec(cmds, callback, {stdout: true});
+}, true);
+
+