diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 833ef3b0b7..d4c3914167 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@
 /gitweb/static/gitweb.js
 /gitweb/static/gitweb.min.*
 /common-cmds.h
+/command-list.h
 *.tar.gz
 *.dsc
 *.deb
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f181687250..2a8913ea21 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@ LIB_FILE = libgit.a
 XDIFF_LIB = xdiff/lib.a
 VCSSVN_LIB = vcs-svn/lib.a
 
-GENERATED_H += common-cmds.h
+GENERATED_H += common-cmds.h command-list.h
 
 LIB_H = $(shell $(FIND) . \
 	-name .git -prune -o \
@@ -1938,6 +1938,11 @@ $(BUILT_INS): git$X
 common-cmds.h: generate-cmdlist.sh command-list.txt
 
 common-cmds.h: $(wildcard Documentation/git-*.txt)
+	$(QUIET_GEN)$(SHELL_PATH) ./generate-cmdlist.sh command-list.txt COMMON >$@+ && mv $@+ $@
+
+command-list.h: generate-cmdlist.sh command-list.txt
+
+command-list.h: $(wildcard Documentation/git-*.txt)
 	$(QUIET_GEN)$(SHELL_PATH) ./generate-cmdlist.sh command-list.txt >$@+ && mv $@+ $@
 
 SCRIPT_DEFINES = $(SHELL_PATH_SQ):$(DIFF_SQ):$(GIT_VERSION):\
@@ -2148,7 +2153,7 @@ else
 # Dependencies on header files, for platforms that do not support
 # the gcc -MMD option.
 #
-# Dependencies on automatically generated headers such as common-cmds.h
+# Dependencies on automatically generated headers such as common-cmds.h or command-list.h
 # should _not_ be included here, since they are necessary even when
 # building an object for the first time.
 
@@ -2527,7 +2532,7 @@ sparse: $(SP_OBJ)
 style:
 	git clang-format --style file --diff --extensions c,h
 
-check: common-cmds.h
+check: common-cmds.h command-list.h
 	@if sparse; \
 	then \
 		echo >&2 "Use 'make sparse' instead"; \
@@ -2775,7 +2780,7 @@ clean: profile-clean coverage-clean
 	$(RM) $(TEST_PROGRAMS) $(NO_INSTALL)
 	$(RM) -r bin-wrappers $(dep_dirs)
 	$(RM) -r po/build/
-	$(RM) *.pyc *.pyo */*.pyc */*.pyo common-cmds.h $(ETAGS_TARGET) tags cscope*
+	$(RM) *.pyc *.pyo */*.pyc */*.pyo common-cmds.h command-list.h $(ETAGS_TARGET) tags cscope*
 	$(RM) -r $(GIT_TARNAME) .doc-tmp-dir
 	$(RM) $(GIT_TARNAME).tar.gz git-core_$(GIT_VERSION)-*.tar.gz
 	$(RM) $(htmldocs).tar.gz $(manpages).tar.gz
diff --git a/command-list.txt b/command-list.txt
index a1fad28fd8..786536aba0 100644
--- a/command-list.txt
+++ b/command-list.txt
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ info         examine the history and state (see also: git help revisions)
 history      grow, mark and tweak your common history
 remote       collaborate (see also: git help workflows)
 
-### command list (do not change this line)
-# command name                          category [deprecated] [common]
+### command list (do not change this line, also do not change alignment)
+# command name                          category [category] [category]
 git-add                                 mainporcelain           worktree
 git-am                                  mainporcelain
 git-annotate                            ancillaryinterrogators
diff --git a/generate-cmdlist.sh b/generate-cmdlist.sh
index 31b6d886cb..870d3b626a 100755
--- a/generate-cmdlist.sh
+++ b/generate-cmdlist.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,27 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+die () {
+	echo "$@" >&2
+	exit 1
+}
+
+command_list () {
+	sed '1,/^### command list/d;/^#/d' "$1"
+}
+
+get_categories () {
+	tr ' ' '\n'|
+	grep -v '^$' |
+	sort |
+	uniq
+}
+
+category_list () {
+	command_list "$1" |
+	cut -c 40- |
+	get_categories
+}
+
 get_synopsis () {
 	sed -n '
 		/^NAME/,/'"$1"'/H
@@ -10,14 +32,51 @@ get_synopsis () {
 		}' "Documentation/$1.txt"
 }
 
+define_categories () {
+	echo
+	echo "/* Command categories */"
+	bit=0
+	category_list "$1" |
+	while read cat
+	do
+		echo "#define CAT_$cat (1UL << $bit)"
+		bit=$(($bit+1))
+	done
+	test "$bit" -gt 32 && die "Urgh.. too many categories?"
+}
+
+print_command_list () {
+	echo "static struct cmdname_help command_list[] = {"
+
+	command_list "$1" |
+	while read cmd rest
+	do
+		printf "	{ \"$cmd\", $(get_synopsis $cmd), 0"
+		for cat in $(echo "$rest" | get_categories)
+		do
+			printf " | CAT_$cat"
+		done
+		echo " },"
+	done
+	echo "};"
+}
+
 echo "/* Automatically generated by generate-cmdlist.sh */
 struct cmdname_help {
-	char name[16];
-	char help[80];
-	unsigned char group;
+	const char *name;
+	const char *help;
+	uint32_t group;
 };
+"
+if test -z "$2"
+then
+	define_categories "$1"
+	echo
+	print_command_list "$1"
+	exit 0
+fi
 
-static const char *common_cmd_groups[] = {"
+echo "static const char *common_cmd_groups[] = {"
 
 grps=grps$$.tmp
 match=match$$.tmp