diff --git a/drivers/registration.go b/drivers/registration.go
index c595faf6a..5467a1b6e 100644
--- a/drivers/registration.go
+++ b/drivers/registration.go
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 package drivers
 
-import "fmt"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+)
 
 // registeredDrivers are all the drivers which are currently registered
 var registeredDrivers = map[string]Interface{}
@@ -34,3 +40,51 @@ func register(name string, driver Interface) {
 
 	registeredDrivers[name] = driver
 }
+
+// RegisterBinaryFromCmdArg is used to register drivers from a command line argument
+// The argument is either just the driver name or a path to a specific driver
+// Panics if a driver with the same name has been previously loaded.
+func RegisterBinaryFromCmdArg(arg string) (name, path string, err error) {
+	path, err = getFullPath(arg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return name, path, err
+	}
+
+	name = getNameFromPath(path)
+
+	RegisterBinary(name, path)
+
+	return name, path, nil
+}
+
+// Get the full path to the driver binary from the given path
+// the path can also be just the driver name e.g. "psql"
+func getFullPath(path string) (string, error) {
+	var err error
+
+	if strings.ContainsRune(path, os.PathSeparator) {
+		return path, nil
+	}
+
+	path, err = exec.LookPath("sqlboiler-" + path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return path, fmt.Errorf("could not find driver executable: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	path, err = filepath.Abs(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return path, fmt.Errorf("could not find absolute path to driver: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return path, nil
+}
+
+// Get the driver name from the path.
+// strips the "sqlboiler-" prefix if it exists
+// strips the ".exe" suffix if it exits
+func getNameFromPath(name string) string {
+	name = strings.Replace(filepath.Base(name), "sqlboiler-", "", 1)
+	name = strings.Replace(name, ".exe", "", 1)
+
+	return name
+}
diff --git a/drivers/registration_test.go b/drivers/registration_test.go
index a84778840..c57b9775d 100644
--- a/drivers/registration_test.go
+++ b/drivers/registration_test.go
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ func TestBinaryRegistration(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestBinaryFromArgRegistration(t *testing.T) {
+	RegisterBinaryFromCmdArg("/bin/true/mock5")
+
+	if d, ok := registeredDrivers["mock5"]; !ok {
+		t.Error("driver was not found")
+	} else if string(d.(binaryDriver)) != "/bin/true/mock5" {
+		t.Error("got the wrong driver back")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestGetDriver(t *testing.T) {
 	didYouPanic := false
 
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index c5ae22be6..f49b956bf 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -147,24 +146,10 @@ func preRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return commandFailure("must provide a driver name")
 	}
 
-	driverName := args[0]
-	driverPath := args[0]
-
-	if strings.ContainsRune(driverName, os.PathSeparator) {
-		driverName = strings.Replace(filepath.Base(driverName), "sqlboiler-", "", 1)
-		driverName = strings.Replace(driverName, ".exe", "", 1)
-	} else {
-		driverPath = "sqlboiler-" + driverPath
-		if p, err := exec.LookPath(driverPath); err == nil {
-			driverPath = p
-		}
-	}
-
-	driverPath, err = filepath.Abs(driverPath)
+	driverName, driverPath, err := drivers.RegisterBinaryFromCmdArg(args[0])
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not find absolute path to driver")
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not register driver")
 	}
-	drivers.RegisterBinary(driverName, driverPath)
 
 	cmdConfig = &boilingcore.Config{
 		DriverName:        driverName,