diff --git a/aesh/src/main/java/org/aesh/AeshConsoleRunner.java b/aesh/src/main/java/org/aesh/AeshConsoleRunner.java
index 2b045dff..efa3067d 100644
--- a/aesh/src/main/java/org/aesh/AeshConsoleRunner.java
+++ b/aesh/src/main/java/org/aesh/AeshConsoleRunner.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import org.aesh.command.CommandResult;
 import org.aesh.command.impl.registry.AeshCommandRegistryBuilder;
 import org.aesh.command.invocation.CommandInvocation;
+import org.aesh.command.registry.CommandRegistry;
 import org.aesh.command.registry.CommandRegistryException;
 import org.aesh.command.settings.Settings;
 import org.aesh.command.settings.SettingsBuilder;
@@ -32,9 +33,6 @@
 import org.aesh.terminal.Connection;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Arrays;
-import java.util.List;
 
 /**
  * Use the AeshConsoleRunner when you want to easily create an interactive CLI application.
@@ -42,14 +40,13 @@
  * @author <a href="mailto:stalep@gmail.com">Ståle Pedersen</a>
  */
 public class AeshConsoleRunner {
-    private List<Class<? extends Command>> commands;
+    private AeshCommandRegistryBuilder<CommandInvocation> registryBuilder;
     private Settings settings;
     private Prompt prompt;
     private ReadlineConsole console;
     private Connection connection;
 
     private AeshConsoleRunner() {
-        commands = new ArrayList<>();
     }
 
     public static AeshConsoleRunner builder() {
@@ -57,23 +54,46 @@ public static AeshConsoleRunner builder() {
     }
 
     public AeshConsoleRunner commands(Class<? extends Command>... commands) {
-        if(commands != null)
-            this.commands.addAll(Arrays.asList(commands));
+        if(commands != null) {
+            ensureRegistryBuilderInitialized();
+            try {
+                registryBuilder.commands(commands);
+            } catch (CommandRegistryException e) {
+                throw new RuntimeException("Error when adding commands: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+            }
+        }
         return this;
     }
 
-    public AeshConsoleRunner command(Class<? extends Command> commands) {
-        if(commands != null)
-            this.commands.add(commands);
+    public AeshConsoleRunner command(Class<? extends Command> command) {
+        if(command != null) {
+            ensureRegistryBuilderInitialized();
+            try {
+                registryBuilder.command(command);
+            } catch (CommandRegistryException e) {
+                throw new RuntimeException("Error when adding command: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+            }
+        }
         return this;
     }
 
-    public AeshConsoleRunner commands(List<Class<Command>> commands) {
-        if(commands != null)
-            this.commands.addAll(commands);
+    public AeshConsoleRunner commandRegistryBuilder(AeshCommandRegistryBuilder<CommandInvocation> commandRegistryBuilder) {
+        if(registryBuilder != null) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Cannot set CommandRegistryBuilder after it has been initialized. " +
+                    "CommandRegistryBuilder must be set before adding any commands.");
+        }
+        if(commandRegistryBuilder != null) {
+            this.registryBuilder = commandRegistryBuilder;
+        }
         return this;
     }
 
+    private void ensureRegistryBuilderInitialized() {
+        if(registryBuilder == null) {
+            registryBuilder = AeshCommandRegistryBuilder.builder();
+        }
+    }
+
     public AeshConsoleRunner settings(Settings settings) {
         if(settings != null)
             this.settings = settings;
@@ -102,7 +122,12 @@ public AeshConsoleRunner prompt(Prompt prompt) {
     }
 
     public AeshConsoleRunner addExitCommand() {
-        commands.add(ExitCommand.class);
+        ensureRegistryBuilderInitialized();
+        try {
+            registryBuilder.command(ExitCommand.class);
+        } catch (CommandRegistryException e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Error when adding exit command: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+        }
         return this;
     }
 
@@ -127,18 +152,42 @@ public void stop() {
 
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private void init() {
-        if(commands.isEmpty() && (settings == null ||
-                                          settings.commandRegistry() == null ||
-                                          settings.commandRegistry().getAllCommandNames().isEmpty()))
+        // Build the command registry from the builder
+        CommandRegistry<CommandInvocation> builtRegistry = null;
+        if(registryBuilder != null) {
+            try {
+                builtRegistry = registryBuilder.create();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                throw new RuntimeException("Error creating command registry: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Check if both builder and settings.commandRegistry have commands
+        if(builtRegistry != null && !builtRegistry.getAllCommandNames().isEmpty() &&
+                settings != null && settings.commandRegistry() != null &&
+                !settings.commandRegistry().getAllCommandNames().isEmpty()) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Cannot define commands in both AeshConsoleRunner (via command() or commandRegistryBuilder()) " +
+                    "and Settings.commandRegistry(). Please use only one method to specify commands.");
+        }
+
+        // Determine which registry to use
+        CommandRegistry<CommandInvocation> finalRegistry = null;
+        if(builtRegistry != null && !builtRegistry.getAllCommandNames().isEmpty()) {
+            finalRegistry = builtRegistry;
+        } else if(settings != null && settings.commandRegistry() != null &&
+                !settings.commandRegistry().getAllCommandNames().isEmpty()) {
+            finalRegistry = settings.commandRegistry();
+        }
+
+        // Validate that we have at least one command
+        if(finalRegistry == null || finalRegistry.getAllCommandNames().isEmpty()) {
             throw new RuntimeException("No commands added, nothing to run");
+        }
 
         try {
             if(settings == null) {
-                AeshCommandRegistryBuilder registryBuilder = AeshCommandRegistryBuilder.builder();
-                for(Class<? extends Command> command : commands)
-                    registryBuilder.command(command);
                 settings = SettingsBuilder.builder()
-                                   .commandRegistry(registryBuilder.create())
+                                   .commandRegistry(finalRegistry)
                                    .enableAlias(false)
                                    .enableExport(false)
                                    .enableMan(false)
@@ -146,16 +195,11 @@ private void init() {
                                    .connection(connection)
                                    .build();
             }
-            //user added its own settings object, but no commands in registry
-            else if(!commands.isEmpty() &&
-                            (settings.commandRegistry() == null ||
-                                     settings.commandRegistry().getAllCommandNames().isEmpty())) {
-
-                AeshCommandRegistryBuilder registryBuilder = AeshCommandRegistryBuilder.builder();
-                for(Class<? extends Command> command : commands)
-                    registryBuilder.command(command);
+            // User added their own settings object, but we need to add or replace the registry
+            else if(settings.commandRegistry() == null ||
+                    settings.commandRegistry().getAllCommandNames().isEmpty()) {
                 SettingsBuilder settingsBuilder = new SettingsBuilder(settings)
-                                                   .commandRegistry(registryBuilder.create());
+                                                   .commandRegistry(finalRegistry);
 
                 if(connection != null)
                     settingsBuilder.connection(connection);
@@ -165,8 +209,8 @@ else if(!commands.isEmpty() &&
 
             console = new ReadlineConsole(settings);
         }
-        catch (CommandRegistryException e) {
-            throw new RuntimeException("Error when adding command: "+e.getMessage());
+        catch (Exception e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Error when initializing console: " + e.getMessage(), e);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/aesh/src/test/java/org/aesh/AeshConsoleRunnerTest.java b/aesh/src/test/java/org/aesh/AeshConsoleRunnerTest.java
index 81f37768..051e4c95 100644
--- a/aesh/src/test/java/org/aesh/AeshConsoleRunnerTest.java
+++ b/aesh/src/test/java/org/aesh/AeshConsoleRunnerTest.java
@@ -103,6 +103,88 @@ public void testMultipleCommands() throws InterruptedException {
 
     }
 
+    @Test
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    public void testCommandRegistryDirect() throws Exception {
+        TestConnection connection = new TestConnection();
+
+        AeshCommandRegistryBuilder<CommandInvocation> builder = AeshCommandRegistryBuilder.<CommandInvocation>builder()
+                .command(HelloCommand.class)
+                .command(AeshConsoleRunner.ExitCommand.class);
+
+        AeshConsoleRunner runner = AeshConsoleRunner.builder()
+                .connection(connection)
+                .commandRegistryBuilder(builder);
+
+        runner.start();
+
+        connection.read("hello"+getLineSeparator());
+        connection.assertBufferEndsWith("Hello from Aesh!"+getLineSeparator());
+        connection.read("exit"+getLineSeparator());
+        Thread.sleep(200);
+        assertTrue(connection.closed());
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = RuntimeException.class)
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    public void testDuplicateCommandRegistry() throws Exception {
+        TestConnection connection = new TestConnection();
+
+        CommandRegistry<CommandInvocation> registry = AeshCommandRegistryBuilder.<CommandInvocation>builder()
+                .command(HelloCommand.class)
+                .create();
+
+        Settings<CommandInvocation, ConverterInvocation, CompleterInvocation, ValidatorInvocation,
+                        OptionActivator, CommandActivator>
+                settings = SettingsBuilder.builder()
+                                   .logging(true)
+                                   .connection(connection)
+                                   .commandRegistry(registry)
+                                   .build();
+
+        // This should throw an exception because we're defining commands in both places
+        AeshConsoleRunner runner = AeshConsoleRunner.builder()
+                .settings(settings)
+                .command(Bar1Command.class);  // Adding command when settings already has a non-empty registry
+
+        runner.start();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    public void testCommandRegistryBuilder() throws Exception {
+        TestConnection connection = new TestConnection();
+
+        AeshCommandRegistryBuilder<CommandInvocation> builder = AeshCommandRegistryBuilder.<CommandInvocation>builder()
+                .command(HelloCommand.class);
+
+        AeshConsoleRunner runner = AeshConsoleRunner.builder()
+                .connection(connection)
+                .commandRegistryBuilder(builder)
+                .addExitCommand();
+
+        runner.start();
+
+        connection.read("hello"+getLineSeparator());
+        connection.assertBufferEndsWith("Hello from Aesh!"+getLineSeparator());
+        connection.read("exit"+getLineSeparator());
+        Thread.sleep(200);
+        assertTrue(connection.closed());
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = RuntimeException.class)
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    public void testCommandRegistryBuilderAfterInit() {
+        AeshCommandRegistryBuilder<CommandInvocation> builder = AeshCommandRegistryBuilder.<CommandInvocation>builder();
+
+        // Add a command first, which initializes the default builder
+        AeshConsoleRunner runner = AeshConsoleRunner.builder()
+                .command(HelloCommand.class);
+
+        // This should throw an exception because the builder was already initialized
+        runner.commandRegistryBuilder(builder);
+    }
+
 
     @CommandDefinition(name = "hello", description = "hello from aesh")
     public static class HelloCommand implements Command {
diff --git a/examples/dependency-reduced-pom.xml b/examples/dependency-reduced-pom.xml
index 69898a87..6b621e61 100644
--- a/examples/dependency-reduced-pom.xml
+++ b/examples/dependency-reduced-pom.xml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <parent>
     <artifactId>aesh-all</artifactId>
     <groupId>org.aesh</groupId>
-    <version>2.8.4</version>
+    <version>3.0-dev</version>
   </parent>
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
   <artifactId>aesh-examples</artifactId>