diff --git a/core/api/shell/package/functions b/core/api/shell/package/functions
index 0c944ee3..2a261dfb 100644
--- a/core/api/shell/package/functions
+++ b/core/api/shell/package/functions
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ package()
   do
     _token="$1" && shift
     case "${_token}" in
+      (cli)
+        _command=cli
+        ;;
       (is)
         _command=is
         case "$1" in
@@ -145,8 +148,9 @@ package()
     esac
   done
 
+  true ${package_name:=${extension}}
+
   [[ -n "${package_name}" ]]    || fail "Package name must be set/given"
-  [[ -n "${package_version}" ]] || fail "Package version must be set/given"
 
   case "${_command}" in
     (make)
@@ -162,7 +166,7 @@ package()
     (is)
       case "$_subcommand" in
         (active|installed)
-          __sm.package.is.${_subcommand}
+          __sm.package.is.${_subcommand} "${_params[@]}"
           ;;
       esac
       ;;
diff --git a/core/api/shell/variables/functions b/core/api/shell/variables/functions
index 2970969d..5846bddd 100644
--- a/core/api/shell/variables/functions
+++ b/core/api/shell/variables/functions
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+variable() { variables "$@"; }
+
 variables()
 {
   trace_filter variables
@@ -7,6 +9,8 @@ variables()
   local _command _variables=() _type
 
   if __sm.string.starts.with.one.of  "$* " \
+    "is empty " \
+    "is nonempty " \
     "are empty " \
     "are nonempty " \
     "must be empty " \
@@ -47,9 +51,9 @@ variables()
 
   # TODO: Think through variables more...
   case "${_command}" in
-    (are.empty|are.nonempty)
+    (is.empty|is.nonempty|are.empty|are.nonempty)
       [[ -n "${_variables[*]}" ]] || error "No variable names given for validation"
-      __sm.variables.${_command} "${_variables[@]}"
+      __sm.variables.${_command/#is/are} "${_variables[@]}"
       ;;
     (must.be.empty|must.be.nonempty)
       [[ -n "${_variables[*]}" ]] || error "No variable names given for validation"
diff --git a/core/internal/shell/package/functions b/core/internal/shell/package/functions
index 01cf199f..844321fd 100644
--- a/core/internal/shell/package/functions
+++ b/core/internal/shell/package/functions
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ __sm.package.init()
 
   for variable in default_version base_url md5_url user
   do
-    if variable is empty package_${variable}
+    if variable is empty "package_${variable}"
     then
       config read file defaults from ${package_name} \
         key ${variable} variable ${variable} prefix package
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ __sm.package.init()
 
   for variable in website_url archive_format
   do
-    if variable is empty ${variable}
+    if variable is empty "${variable}"
     then
       config read file defaults from ${package_name} \
         key ${variable} variable ${variable}
@@ -810,7 +810,6 @@ __sm.package.patches.apply()
   done
 }
 
-
 __sm.package.is.active()
 {
   local _name="${1:-}" _version="${2:-}"
diff --git a/core/internal/shell/package/includes b/core/internal/shell/package/includes
index b4c46b45..2f84eda8 100644
--- a/core/internal/shell/package/includes
+++ b/core/internal/shell/package/includes
@@ -5,3 +5,5 @@ api/os
 api/defaults
 api/templates
 api/user
+api/variables
+api/config