diff --git a/commands/cli/parse.go b/commands/cli/parse.go
index 2b985a681..b8a105dbc 100644
--- a/commands/cli/parse.go
+++ b/commands/cli/parse.go
@@ -45,7 +45,14 @@ func Parse(input []string, roots ...*cmds.Command) (cmds.Request, *cmds.Command,
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
-	return cmds.NewRequest(path, opts, args, cmd), root, nil
+	req := cmds.NewRequest(path, opts, args, cmd)
+
+	err = cmd.CheckArguments(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+
+	return req, root, nil
 }
 
 // parsePath gets the command path from the command line input
@@ -108,8 +115,6 @@ func parseOptions(input []string) (map[string]interface{}, []string, error) {
 	return opts, args, nil
 }
 
-// Note that the argument handling here is dumb, it does not do any error-checking.
-// (Arguments are further processed when the request is passed to the command to run)
 func parseArgs(stringArgs []string, cmd *cmds.Command) ([]interface{}, error) {
 	var argDef cmds.Argument
 	args := make([]interface{}, len(stringArgs))
diff --git a/commands/command.go b/commands/command.go
index ea3dc2e5d..4844f1a5f 100644
--- a/commands/command.go
+++ b/commands/command.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package commands
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"strings"
 
 	u "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/util"
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ func (c *Command) Call(req Request) Response {
 		return res
 	}
 
-	err = req.CheckArguments(cmd.Arguments)
+	err = cmd.CheckArguments(req)
 	if err != nil {
 		res.SetError(err, ErrClient)
 		return res
@@ -138,6 +139,48 @@ func (c *Command) GetOptions(path []string) (map[string]Option, error) {
 	return optionsMap, nil
 }
 
+func (c *Command) CheckArguments(req Request) error {
+	var argDef Argument
+	args := req.Arguments()
+
+	var length int
+	if len(args) > len(c.Arguments) {
+		length = len(args)
+	} else {
+		length = len(c.Arguments)
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < length; i++ {
+		var arg interface{}
+		if len(args) > i {
+			arg = args[i]
+		}
+
+		if i < len(c.Arguments) {
+			argDef = c.Arguments[i]
+		} else if !argDef.Variadic {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Expected %v arguments, got %v", len(c.Arguments), len(args))
+		}
+
+		if argDef.Required && arg == nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Argument '%s' is required", argDef.Name)
+		}
+		if argDef.Type == ArgFile {
+			_, ok := arg.(io.Reader)
+			if !ok {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Argument '%s' isn't valid", argDef.Name)
+			}
+		} else if argDef.Type == ArgString {
+			_, ok := arg.(string)
+			if !ok {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Argument '%s' must be a string", argDef.Name)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Subcommand returns the subcommand with the given id
 func (c *Command) Subcommand(id string) *Command {
 	return c.Subcommands[id]
diff --git a/commands/http/parse.go b/commands/http/parse.go
index b30ef0bfd..bb2f8348a 100644
--- a/commands/http/parse.go
+++ b/commands/http/parse.go
@@ -51,7 +51,14 @@ func Parse(r *http.Request, root *cmds.Command) (cmds.Request, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return cmds.NewRequest(path, opts, args, cmd), nil
+	req := cmds.NewRequest(path, opts, args, cmd)
+
+	err = cmd.CheckArguments(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return req, nil
 }
 
 func parseOptions(r *http.Request) (map[string]interface{}, []string) {
diff --git a/commands/request.go b/commands/request.go
index ea21d4720..c26f1773b 100644
--- a/commands/request.go
+++ b/commands/request.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package commands
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"io"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 
@@ -29,7 +28,6 @@ type Request interface {
 	SetContext(Context)
 	Command() *Command
 
-	CheckArguments(args []Argument) error
 	ConvertOptions(options map[string]Option) error
 }
 
@@ -103,48 +101,6 @@ var converters = map[reflect.Kind]converter{
 	},
 }
 
-// MAYBE_TODO: maybe this should be a Command method? (taking a Request as a param)
-func (r *request) CheckArguments(args []Argument) error {
-	var argDef Argument
-
-	var length int
-	if len(r.arguments) > len(args) {
-		length = len(r.arguments)
-	} else {
-		length = len(args)
-	}
-
-	for i := 0; i < length; i++ {
-		var arg interface{}
-		if len(r.arguments) > i {
-			arg = r.arguments[i]
-		}
-
-		if i < len(args) {
-			argDef = args[i]
-		} else if !argDef.Variadic {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Expected %v arguments, got %v", len(args), len(r.arguments))
-		}
-
-		if argDef.Required && arg == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Argument '%s' is required", argDef.Name)
-		}
-		if argDef.Type == ArgFile {
-			_, ok := arg.(io.Reader)
-			if !ok {
-				return fmt.Errorf("Argument '%s' isn't valid", argDef.Name)
-			}
-		} else if argDef.Type == ArgString {
-			_, ok := arg.(string)
-			if !ok {
-				return fmt.Errorf("Argument '%s' must be a string", argDef.Name)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (r *request) ConvertOptions(options map[string]Option) error {
 	converted := make(map[string]interface{})