diff --git a/pex/bdist_pex.py b/pex/bdist_pex.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..503387724
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pex/bdist_pex.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# Copyright 2014 Pants project contributors (see CONTRIBUTORS.md).
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (see LICENSE).
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function
+
+import os
+from distutils.core import Command
+from distutils import log as logger
+
+import pkg_resources
+
+safe_name = pkg_resources.safe_name
+safe_version = pkg_resources.safe_version
+
+from .bin.pex import main
+
+
+def safer_name(name):
+  return safe_name(name).replace('-', '_')
+
+def safer_version(version):
+  return safe_version(version).replace('-', '_')
+
+
+class bdist_pex(Command):
+  description = 'create a pex distribution'
+  user_options = [
+    ('dist-dir=', 'd',
+      "directory to put final built distributions in"),
+    ('python=', 'p',
+      "python interpreter to use"),
+  ]
+
+  def initialize_options(self):
+    self.dist_dir = None
+    self.python = None
+
+  def finalize_options(self):
+    need_options = ('dist_dir',)
+
+    self.set_undefined_options('bdist', *zip(need_options, need_options))
+
+  def run(self):
+    pexfile_path = self._get_pexfile_path()
+    logger.info('creating %s', pexfile_path)
+    args = ['.', '-o', pexfile_path]
+
+    if self.python:
+      args.append('--python=%s' % self.python)
+
+    logger.debug('invoking pex with args: %r', args)
+    main(args)
+
+  def _get_pexfile_path(self):
+    return os.path.join(self.dist_dir, '%s.pex' % self.pex_dist_name)
+
+  @property
+  def pex_dist_name(self):
+    """Return distribution full name with - replaced with _"""
+    return '-'.join((
+      safer_name(self.distribution.get_name()),
+      safer_version(self.distribution.get_version())))
diff --git a/pex/bin/pex.py b/pex/bin/pex.py
index c7b81ccca..a2b2a8d3f 100644
--- a/pex/bin/pex.py
+++ b/pex/bin/pex.py
@@ -491,11 +491,13 @@ def build_pex(args, options, resolver_option_builder):
   return pex_builder
 
 
-def main():
+def main(args=None):
   parser, resolver_options_builder = configure_clp()
 
-  # split arguments early because optparse is dumb
-  args = sys.argv[1:]
+  if args is None:
+    # split arguments early because optparse is dumb
+    args = sys.argv[1:]
+
   try:
     separator = args.index('--')
     args, cmdline = args[:separator], args[separator + 1:]
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index b50c313e2..01e8883f0 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -55,5 +55,8 @@
     'console_scripts': [
       'pex = pex.bin.pex:main',
     ],
+    'distutils.commands': [
+      'bdist_pex = pex.bdist_pex:bdist_pex',
+    ],
   },
 )