diff --git a/mopidy/utils/command.py b/mopidy/utils/command.py
index 158d6e2e..596adcdb 100644
--- a/mopidy/utils/command.py
+++ b/mopidy/utils/command.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ class Command(object):
     def __init__(self):
         self._children = collections.OrderedDict()
         self._arguments = []
+        self._defaults = {}
 
     def _build(self):
         actions = []
@@ -35,6 +36,9 @@ class Command(object):
     def add_argument(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self._arguments.append((args, kwargs))
 
+    def set_defaults(self, **kwargs):
+        self._defaults.update(kwargs)
+
     def format_usage(self, prog=None):
         actions = self._build()[1]
         prog = prog or os.path.basename(sys.argv[0])
@@ -85,24 +89,27 @@ class Command(object):
         for childname, child in self._children.items():
             child._subhelp(' '.join((name, childname)), result)
 
-    def parse(self, args, namespace=None):
-        if not namespace:
-            namespace = argparse.Namespace()
+    def parse(self, args):
+        return self._parse(args, argparse.Namespace(), self._defaults.copy())
 
+    def _parse(self, args, namespace, defaults):
+        defaults.update(self._defaults)
         parser = self._build()[0]
         result, unknown = parser.parse_known_args(args, namespace)
 
         if unknown:
             raise CommandError('Unknown command options.')
 
-        args = result._args
-        delattr(result, '_args')
-
-        if not args:
+        if not result._args:
+            for attr, value in defaults.items():
+                if not hasattr(result, attr):
+                    setattr(result, attr, value)
+            delattr(result, '_args')
             result.command = self
             return result
 
-        if args[0] not in self._children:
+        child = self._children.get(result._args[0])
+        if not child:
             raise CommandError('Invalid sub-command provided.')
 
-        return self._children[args[0]].parse(args[1:], result)
+        return child._parse(result._args[1:], result, defaults)
diff --git a/tests/utils/command_test.py b/tests/utils/command_test.py
index cada744b..39cc7ab1 100644
--- a/tests/utils/command_test.py
+++ b/tests/utils/command_test.py
@@ -17,15 +17,6 @@ class CommandParsingTest(unittest.TestCase):
         result = cmd.parse([])
         self.assertFalse(hasattr(result, '_args'))
 
-    def test_sub_command_delegation(self):
-        mock_cmd = mock.Mock(spec=command.Command)
-
-        cmd = command.Command()
-        cmd.add_child('foo', mock_cmd)
-
-        cmd.parse(['foo'])
-        mock_cmd.parse.assert_called_with([], mock.ANY)
-
     def test_unknown_options_raises_error(self):
         cmd = command.Command()
         with self.assertRaises(command.CommandError):
@@ -55,22 +46,6 @@ class CommandParsingTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(result.bar, 'baz')
         self.assertEqual(result.baz, None)
 
-    def test_multiple_sub_commands(self):
-        mock_foo_cmd = mock.Mock(spec=command.Command)
-        mock_bar_cmd = mock.Mock(spec=command.Command)
-        mock_baz_cmd = mock.Mock(spec=command.Command)
-
-        cmd = command.Command()
-        cmd.add_child('foo', mock_foo_cmd)
-        cmd.add_child('bar', mock_bar_cmd)
-        cmd.add_child('baz', mock_baz_cmd)
-
-        cmd.parse(['bar'])
-        mock_bar_cmd.parse.assert_called_with([], mock.ANY)
-
-        cmd.parse(['baz'])
-        mock_baz_cmd.parse.assert_called_with([], mock.ANY)
-
     def test_subcommand_may_have_positional(self):
         child = command.Command()
         child.add_argument('bar')
@@ -103,6 +78,18 @@ class CommandParsingTest(unittest.TestCase):
         result = cmd.parse([])
         self.assertEqual(result.command, cmd)
 
+        child2 = command.Command()
+        cmd.add_child('bar', child2)
+
+        subchild = command.Command()
+        child.add_child('baz', subchild)
+
+        result = cmd.parse(['bar'])
+        self.assertEqual(result.command, child2)
+
+        result = cmd.parse(['foo', 'baz'])
+        self.assertEqual(result.command, subchild)
+
     def test_invalid_type(self):
         cmd = command.Command()
         cmd.add_argument('--bar', type=int)
@@ -143,6 +130,34 @@ class CommandParsingTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.assertEqual(cm.exception.message, 'too few arguments')
 
+    def test_set_defaults(self):
+        cmd = command.Command()
+        cmd.set_defaults(foo='bar')
+
+        result = cmd.parse([])
+        self.assertEqual(result.foo, 'bar')
+
+    def test_defaults_propegate(self):
+        child = command.Command()
+
+        cmd = command.Command()
+        cmd.set_defaults(foo='bar')
+        cmd.add_child('command', child)
+
+        result = cmd.parse(['command'])
+        self.assertEqual(result.foo, 'bar')
+
+    def test_innermost_defaults_wins(self):
+        child = command.Command()
+        child.set_defaults(foo='bar')
+
+        cmd = command.Command()
+        cmd.set_defaults(foo='baz')
+        cmd.add_child('command', child)
+
+        result = cmd.parse(['command'])
+        self.assertEqual(result.foo, 'bar')
+
 
 class UsageTest(unittest.TestCase):
     @mock.patch('sys.argv')