diff --git a/pex/bdist_pex.py b/pex/bdist_pex.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3a104ea10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pex/bdist_pex.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+# 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 .pex_builder import PEXBuilder
+from .interpreter import PythonInterpreter
+
+
+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):
+        pex_builder = PEXBuilder(interpreter=self.interpreter)
+        pexfile_path = self._get_pexfile_path()
+        logger.info('creating %s', pexfile_path)
+        pex_builder.build(pexfile_path)
+
+    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())))
+
+    @property
+    def interpreter(self):
+        if self.python is None:
+            interpreter = None
+        elif os.path.exists(self.python):
+            interpreter = PythonInterpreter.from_binary(self.python)
+        else:
+            interpreter = PythonInterpreter.from_env(self.python)
+
+        return interpreter
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',
+    ],
   },
 )