diff --git a/cdist/argparse.py b/cdist/argparse.py
index ed94d266..7dc683f3 100644
--- a/cdist/argparse.py
+++ b/cdist/argparse.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def get_parsers():
                                    name="log level"),
             help=('Set the specified verbosity level. '
                   'The levels, in order from the lowest to the highest, are: '
-                  'ERROR (-1), WARNING (0), INFO (1), VERBOSE (2), DEBUG (3) '
+                  'ERROR (-1), WARNING (0), INFO (1), VERBOSE (2), DEBUG (3), '
                   'TRACE (4 or higher). If used along with -v then -v '
                   'increases last set value and -l overwrites last set '
                   'value.'),
diff --git a/cdist/preos.py b/cdist/preos.py
index 46b45554..378071db 100644
--- a/cdist/preos.py
+++ b/cdist/preos.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import inspect
 import argparse
 import cdist
 import logging
+import re
+import cdist.argparse
 
 
 _PREOS_CALL = "commandline"
@@ -12,15 +14,24 @@ _PREOS_NAME = "_preos_name"
 _PREOS_MARKER = "_cdist_preos"
 _PLUGINS_DIR = "preos"
 _PLUGINS_PATH = [os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), _PLUGINS_DIR), ]
+log = logging.getLogger("PreOS")
+
+
+def extend_plugins_path(dirs):
+    for dir in dirs:
+        preos_dir = os.path.expanduser(os.path.join(dir, "preos"))
+        if os.path.isdir(preos_dir):
+            _PLUGINS_PATH.append(preos_dir)
+
+
 cdist_home = cdist.home_dir()
 if cdist_home:
-    cdist_home_preos = os.path.join(cdist_home, "preos")
-    if os.path.isdir(cdist_home_preos):
-        _PLUGINS_PATH.append(cdist_home_preos)
-sys.path.extend(_PLUGINS_PATH)
-
-
-log = logging.getLogger("PreOS")
+    extend_plugins_path((cdist_home, ))
+x = 'CDIST_PATH'
+if x in os.environ:
+    vals = re.split(r'(?<!\\):', os.environ[x])
+    vals = [x for x in vals if x]
+    extend_plugins_path(vals)
 
 
 def preos_plugin(obj):
@@ -71,31 +82,54 @@ def check_root():
         raise cdist.Error("Must be run with root privileges")
 
 
+def get_available_preoses_string(cls):
+    preoses = ['    - {}'.format(x) for x in sorted(set(cls.preoses))]
+    return "Available PreOS-es:\n{}".format("\n".join(preoses))
+
+
 class PreOS(object):
     preoses = None
 
     @classmethod
     def commandline(cls, argv):
-
-        if not cls.preoses:
-            cls.preoses = find_preoses()
-
+        cdist_parser = cdist.argparse.get_parsers()
         parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
-            description="Create PreOS", prog="cdist preos")
-        parser.add_argument('preos', help='PreOS to create, one of: {}'.format(
-            set(cls.preoses)))
-        args = parser.parse_args(argv[1:2])
+            description="Create PreOS", prog="cdist preos",
+            parents=[cdist_parser['loglevel'], ])
+        parser.add_argument('preos', help='PreOS to create',
+                            nargs='?', default=None)
+        parser.add_argument('-c', '--conf-dir',
+                            help=('Add configuration directory (one that '
+                                  'contains "preos" subdirectory)'),
+                            action='append')
+        parser.add_argument('-L', '--list-preoses',
+                            help='List available PreOS-es',
+                            action='store_true', default=False)
+        parser.add_argument('remainder_args', nargs=argparse.REMAINDER)
+        args = parser.parse_args(argv[1:])
+        cdist.argparse.handle_loglevel(args)
+        log.debug("preos args : {}".format(args))
+
+        if args.conf_dir:
+            extend_plugins_path(args.conf_dir)
+        sys.path.extend(_PLUGINS_PATH)
+        cls.preoses = find_preoses()
+
+        if args.list_preoses or not args.preos:
+            print(get_available_preoses_string(cls))
+            sys.exit(0)
 
         preos_name = args.preos
         if preos_name in cls.preoses:
             preos = cls.preoses[preos_name]
             func = getattr(preos, _PREOS_CALL)
             if inspect.ismodule(preos):
-                func_args = [preos, argv[2:], ]
+                func_args = [preos, args.remainder_args, ]
             else:
-                func_args = [argv[2:], ]
+                func_args = [args.remainder_args, ]
             log.info("Running preos : {}".format(preos_name))
             func(*func_args)
         else:
-            log.error("Unknown preos: {}, available preoses: {}".format(
-                preos_name, set(cls.preoses.keys())))
+            raise cdist.Error(
+                "Invalid PreOS {}. {}".format(
+                    preos_name, get_available_preoses_string(cls)))
diff --git a/docs/src/cdist-preos.rst b/docs/src/cdist-preos.rst
index 2f102fef..9570bcfc 100644
--- a/docs/src/cdist-preos.rst
+++ b/docs/src/cdist-preos.rst
@@ -88,16 +88,12 @@ When you try to run this new preos you will get:
 
 .. code-block:: sh
 
-    $ cdist preos -h
-    usage: cdist preos [-h] preos
-
-    Create PreOS
-
-    positional arguments:
-      preos       PreOS to create, one of: {'netbsd', 'debian', 'ubuntu'}
-
-    optional arguments:
-      -h, --help  show this help message and exit
+    $ cdist preos -L
+    Available PreOS-es:
+        - debian
+        - devuan
+        - netbsd
+        - ubuntu
     $ cdist preos netbsd
     NetBSD PreOS: []
 
@@ -121,15 +117,11 @@ When you try to run this new preos you will get:
 .. code-block:: sh
 
     $ cdist preos -h
-    usage: cdist preos [-h] preos
-
-    Create PreOS
-
-    positional arguments:
-      preos       PreOS to create, one of: {'freebsd', 'debian', 'ubuntu'}
-
-    optional arguments:
-      -h, --help  show this help message and exit
+    Available PreOS-es:
+        - debian
+        - devuan
+        - freebsd
+        - ubuntu
     $ cdist preos freebsd
     FreeBSD dummy preos: []
 
diff --git a/docs/src/man1/cdist.rst b/docs/src/man1/cdist.rst
index f40491e9..d6937272 100644
--- a/docs/src/man1/cdist.rst
+++ b/docs/src/man1/cdist.rst
@@ -59,28 +59,28 @@ SYNOPSIS
                          [-I INVENTORY_DIR] [-a] [-f HOSTFILE] [-H] [-t]
                          [host [host ...]]
 
-    cdist preos [-h] preos
+    cdist preos [-h] [-l LOGLEVEL] [-q] [-v] [-c CONF_DIR] [-L] [preos] ...
 
-    cdist preos debian [-h] [-l LOGLEVEL] [-q] [-v] [-b] [-a ARCH] [-B]
-                       [-C] [-c CDIST_PARAMS] [-D DRIVE] [-e REMOTE_EXEC]
-                       [-i MANIFEST] [-k KEYFILE ] [-m MIRROR]
-                       [-P ROOT_PASSWORD] [-p PXE_BOOT_DIR] [-r]
-                       [-S SCRIPT] [-s SUITE] [-y REMOTE_COPY]
-                       target_dir
+    cdist preos [preos-options] debian [-h] [-l LOGLEVEL] [-q] [-v] [-b] [-a ARCH] [-B]
+                                       [-C] [-c CDIST_PARAMS] [-D DRIVE] [-e REMOTE_EXEC]
+                                       [-i MANIFEST] [-k KEYFILE ] [-m MIRROR]
+                                       [-P ROOT_PASSWORD] [-p PXE_BOOT_DIR] [-r]
+                                       [-S SCRIPT] [-s SUITE] [-y REMOTE_COPY]
+                                       target_dir
 
-    cdist preos devuan [-h] [-l LOGLEVEL] [-q] [-v] [-b] [-a ARCH] [-B]
-                       [-C] [-c CDIST_PARAMS] [-D DRIVE] [-e REMOTE_EXEC]
-                       [-i MANIFEST] [-k KEYFILE ] [-m MIRROR]
-                       [-P ROOT_PASSWORD] [-p PXE_BOOT_DIR] [-r]
-                       [-S SCRIPT] [-s SUITE] [-y REMOTE_COPY]
-                       target_dir
+    cdist preos [preos-options] devuan [-h] [-l LOGLEVEL] [-q] [-v] [-b] [-a ARCH] [-B]
+                                       [-C] [-c CDIST_PARAMS] [-D DRIVE] [-e REMOTE_EXEC]
+                                       [-i MANIFEST] [-k KEYFILE ] [-m MIRROR]
+                                       [-P ROOT_PASSWORD] [-p PXE_BOOT_DIR] [-r]
+                                       [-S SCRIPT] [-s SUITE] [-y REMOTE_COPY]
+                                       target_dir
 
-    cdist preos ubuntu [-h] [-l LOGLEVEL] [-q] [-v] [-b] [-a ARCH] [-B]
-                       [-C] [-c CDIST_PARAMS] [-D DRIVE] [-e REMOTE_EXEC]
-                       [-i MANIFEST] [-k KEYFILE ] [-m MIRROR]
-                       [-P ROOT_PASSWORD] [-p PXE_BOOT_DIR] [-r]
-                       [-S SCRIPT] [-s SUITE] [-y REMOTE_COPY]
-                       target_dir
+    cdist preos [preos-options] ubuntu [-h] [-l LOGLEVEL] [-q] [-v] [-b] [-a ARCH] [-B]
+                                       [-C] [-c CDIST_PARAMS] [-D DRIVE] [-e REMOTE_EXEC]
+                                       [-i MANIFEST] [-k KEYFILE ] [-m MIRROR]
+                                       [-P ROOT_PASSWORD] [-p PXE_BOOT_DIR] [-r]
+                                       [-S SCRIPT] [-s SUITE] [-y REMOTE_COPY]
+                                       target_dir
 
     cdist shell [-h] [-l LOGLEVEL] [-q] [-v] [-s SHELL]
 
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ All commands accept the following options:
 **-l LOGLEVEL, --log-level LOGLEVEL**
     Set the specified verbosity level. The levels, in
     order from the lowest to the highest, are: ERROR (-1),
-    WARNING (0), INFO (1), VERBOSE (2), DEBUG (3) TRACE (4
+    WARNING (0), INFO (1), VERBOSE (2), DEBUG (3), TRACE (4
     or higher). If used along with -v then -v increases
     last set value and -l overwrites last set value.
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ All commands accept the following options:
     value is 0 which includes ERROR and WARNING levels.
     The levels, in order from the lowest to the highest,
     are: ERROR (-1), WARNING (0), INFO (1), VERBOSE (2),
-    DEBUG (3) TRACE (4 or higher). If used along with -l
+    DEBUG (3), TRACE (4 or higher). If used along with -l
     then -l overwrites last set value and -v increases
     last set value.
 
@@ -457,7 +457,15 @@ List inventory database.
 
 PREOS
 -----
-Create PreOS. Currently, the following PreOS-es are supported:
+Create PreOS.
+
+**-c CONF_DIR, --conf-dir CONF_DIR**
+    Add configuration directory (one that contains "preos" subdirectory).
+
+**-L, --list-preoses**
+    List available PreOS-es.
+
+Currently, the following PreOS-es are supported:
 
 * debian
 * ubuntu