diff --git a/platypush/app.py b/platypush/app.py
index bb162489d..78fc8f496 100644
--- a/platypush/app.py
+++ b/platypush/app.py
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-import argparse
 import logging
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Optional, Sequence
 
 from .bus import Bus
 from .bus.redis import RedisBus
+from .cli import parse_cmdline
 from .config import Config
 from .context import register_backends, register_plugins
 from .cron.scheduler import CronScheduler
@@ -184,133 +184,11 @@ class Application:
             self._redis_proc = None
 
     @classmethod
-    def build(cls, *args: str):
+    def from_cmdline(cls, args: Sequence[str]) -> "Application":
         """
         Build the app from command line arguments.
         """
-        from . import __version__
-
-        parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--config',
-            '-c',
-            dest='config',
-            required=False,
-            default=None,
-            help='Custom location for the configuration file',
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--workdir',
-            '-w',
-            dest='workdir',
-            required=False,
-            default=None,
-            help='Custom working directory to be used for the application',
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--logsdir',
-            '-l',
-            dest='logsdir',
-            required=False,
-            default=None,
-            help='Store logs in the specified directory. By default, the '
-            '`[logging.]filename` configuration option will be used. If not '
-            'set, logging will be sent to stdout and stderr.',
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--version',
-            dest='version',
-            required=False,
-            action='store_true',
-            help="Print the current version and exit",
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--verbose',
-            '-v',
-            dest='verbose',
-            required=False,
-            action='store_true',
-            help="Enable verbose/debug logging",
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--pidfile',
-            '-P',
-            dest='pidfile',
-            required=False,
-            default=None,
-            help="File where platypush will "
-            + "store its PID, useful if you're planning to "
-            + "integrate it in a service",
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--no-capture-stdout',
-            dest='no_capture_stdout',
-            required=False,
-            action='store_true',
-            help="Set this flag if you have max stack depth "
-            + "exceeded errors so stdout won't be captured by "
-            + "the logging system",
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--no-capture-stderr',
-            dest='no_capture_stderr',
-            required=False,
-            action='store_true',
-            help="Set this flag if you have max stack depth "
-            + "exceeded errors so stderr won't be captured by "
-            + "the logging system",
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--redis-queue',
-            dest='redis_queue',
-            required=False,
-            default=cls._default_redis_queue,
-            help="Name of the Redis queue to be used to internally deliver messages "
-            "(default: platypush/bus)",
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--start-redis',
-            dest='start_redis',
-            required=False,
-            action='store_true',
-            help="Set this flag if you want to run and manage Redis internally "
-            "from the app rather than using an external server. It requires the "
-            "redis-server executable to be present in the path",
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--redis-host',
-            dest='redis_host',
-            required=False,
-            default=None,
-            help="Overrides the host specified in the redis section of the "
-            "configuration file",
-        )
-
-        parser.add_argument(
-            '--redis-port',
-            dest='redis_port',
-            required=False,
-            default=None,
-            help="Overrides the port specified in the redis section of the "
-            "configuration file",
-        )
-
-        opts, _ = parser.parse_known_args(args)
-        if opts.version:
-            print(__version__)
-            sys.exit(0)
-
+        opts = parse_cmdline(args)
         return cls(
             config_file=opts.config,
             workdir=opts.workdir,
@@ -435,7 +313,7 @@ def main(*args: str):
     """
     Application entry point.
     """
-    app = Application.build(*args)
+    app = Application.from_cmdline(args)
     app.run()
 
 
diff --git a/platypush/cli.py b/platypush/cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..81bc4c35f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platypush/cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+import argparse
+from typing import Sequence
+
+from platypush.bus.redis import RedisBus
+
+
+def parse_cmdline(args: Sequence[str]) -> argparse.Namespace:
+    """
+    Parse command-line arguments from a list of strings.
+    """
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--config',
+        '-c',
+        dest='config',
+        required=False,
+        default=None,
+        help='Custom location for the configuration file',
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--workdir',
+        '-w',
+        dest='workdir',
+        required=False,
+        default=None,
+        help='Custom working directory to be used for the application',
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--logsdir',
+        '-l',
+        dest='logsdir',
+        required=False,
+        default=None,
+        help='Store logs in the specified directory. By default, the '
+        '`[logging.]filename` configuration option will be used. If not '
+        'set, logging will be sent to stdout and stderr.',
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--version',
+        dest='version',
+        required=False,
+        action='store_true',
+        help="Print the current version and exit",
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--verbose',
+        '-v',
+        dest='verbose',
+        required=False,
+        action='store_true',
+        help="Enable verbose/debug logging",
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--pidfile',
+        '-P',
+        dest='pidfile',
+        required=False,
+        default=None,
+        help="File where platypush will "
+        + "store its PID, useful if you're planning to "
+        + "integrate it in a service",
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--no-capture-stdout',
+        dest='no_capture_stdout',
+        required=False,
+        action='store_true',
+        help="Set this flag if you have max stack depth "
+        + "exceeded errors so stdout won't be captured by "
+        + "the logging system",
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--no-capture-stderr',
+        dest='no_capture_stderr',
+        required=False,
+        action='store_true',
+        help="Set this flag if you have max stack depth "
+        + "exceeded errors so stderr won't be captured by "
+        + "the logging system",
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--redis-queue',
+        dest='redis_queue',
+        required=False,
+        default=RedisBus.DEFAULT_REDIS_QUEUE,
+        help="Name of the Redis queue to be used to internally deliver messages "
+        f"(default: {RedisBus.DEFAULT_REDIS_QUEUE})",
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--start-redis',
+        dest='start_redis',
+        required=False,
+        action='store_true',
+        help="Set this flag if you want to run and manage Redis internally "
+        "from the app rather than using an external server. It requires the "
+        "redis-server executable to be present in the path",
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--redis-host',
+        dest='redis_host',
+        required=False,
+        default=None,
+        help="Overrides the host specified in the redis section of the "
+        "configuration file",
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--redis-port',
+        dest='redis_port',
+        required=False,
+        default=None,
+        help="Overrides the port specified in the redis section of the "
+        "configuration file",
+    )
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--ctrl-sock',
+        dest='ctrl_sock',
+        required=False,
+        default=None,
+        help="If set, it identifies a path to a UNIX domain socket that "
+        "the application can use to send control messages (e.g. STOP and "
+        "RESTART) to its parent.",
+    )
+
+    opts, _ = parser.parse_known_args(args)
+    return opts