diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2ac9c89..ccd0805 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 /vendor
 /bin
-
diff --git a/.makeup/makeup-bag-deis b/.makeup/makeup-bag-deis
index 60fa1cf..0f50fc4 160000
--- a/.makeup/makeup-bag-deis
+++ b/.makeup/makeup-bag-deis
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 60fa1cfd1800c29499c14808bfc7e68c61c3ef01
+Subproject commit 0f50fc4bb87e908c2c5f0ed3061dee16c95d7bf4
diff --git a/cmd/add.go b/cmd/add.go
index 5bae63e..dac4854 100644
--- a/cmd/add.go
+++ b/cmd/add.go
@@ -16,12 +16,13 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os/exec"
-	"strings"
 	"log"
+	"os/exec"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/deis/makeup/cmd/bag"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ func AddSubmodule(repo_path string) {
 		log.Printf("[DEBUG] git submodule %s already exists!", repo_name)
 	} else {
 		url := fmt.Sprint("https://", repo_path, ".git")
-		path := fmt.Sprint(".makeup/", repo_name)
+		path := fmt.Sprint(bag.SubmoduleDir, "/", repo_name)
 		output, err := exec.Command("git", "submodule", "add", url, path).CombinedOutput()
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("[ERROR] git submodule add failed with:\n%s\n", output)
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ func AddSubmodule(repo_path string) {
 var addCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "add",
 	Short: "Add a makeup kit to this project",
-	Long: ``,
+	Long:  ``,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		if len(args) == 1 {
 			AddSubmodule(args[0])
diff --git a/cmd/bag.go b/cmd/bag.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13cb108
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/bag.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// Copyright © 2015 NAME HERE <EMAIL ADDRESS>
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"github.com/deis/makeup/cmd/bag"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+var bagCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "bag",
+	Short: "Performs operations on bags",
+	Long:  "",
+}
+
+func init() {
+	bag.AddVarsCommand(bagCmd)
+	RootCmd.AddCommand(bagCmd)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/bag/constants.go b/cmd/bag/constants.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8125b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/bag/constants.go
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+package bag
+
+const (
+	SubmoduleDir = ".makeup"
+)
diff --git a/cmd/bag/vars.go b/cmd/bag/vars.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e7129a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/bag/vars.go
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+package bag
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+const (
+	dependencies  = "DEPENDENCIES"
+	varListPrefix = "#		- "
+)
+
+func lineCommented(text string) string {
+	return "# " + text
+}
+
+var varsCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "vars",
+	Short: "List the input variables for a bag or individual Makefile inside a bag",
+	Long:  "",
+	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		if len(args) != 1 {
+			log.Printf("[ERROR] Bag or individual makefile name not given")
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		if strings.LastIndex(args[0], ".mk") != -1 {
+			listMakefileVars(args[0])
+		} else {
+			listBagVars(args[0])
+		}
+	},
+}
+
+func listBagVars(path string) {
+	makefiles := make(map[string][]variable)
+	makefileErrs := make(map[string]error)
+	spl := strings.Split(path, "/")
+	if len(spl) != 3 {
+		log.Printf("[ERROR] bag path %s is invalid", path)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	bagName := spl[len(spl)-1]
+	relPath := filepath.Join(SubmoduleDir, bagName)
+	err := filepath.Walk(relPath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+		if info.IsDir() && filepath.Base(path) == ".git" {
+			return filepath.SkipDir
+		} else if filepath.Base(path) == ".git" || info.IsDir() {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		fd, err := os.Open(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer fd.Close()
+		vars, err := parseVars(fd)
+		if err != nil {
+			makefileErrs[path] = err
+		} else {
+			makefiles[path] = vars
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+	if err != nil && err != filepath.SkipDir {
+		log.Printf("[ERROR] walking the bag directory (%s)", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	for makefileName, vars := range makefiles {
+		fmt.Println("-- ", filepath.Base(makefileName), " --")
+		for _, v := range vars {
+			fmt.Println(v.String())
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func listMakefileVars(path string) {
+	spl := strings.Split(path, "/")
+	if len(spl) != 4 {
+		log.Printf("[ERROR] makefile path %s is invalid", path)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	bagName := spl[len(spl)-2]
+	makefileName := spl[len(spl)-1]
+	relPath := filepath.Join(SubmoduleDir, bagName, makefileName)
+	fd, err := os.Open(relPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("[ERROR] opening makefile %s (%s)", path, err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	defer fd.Close()
+	vars, err := parseVars(fd)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("[ERROR] parsing variables from %s (%s)", path, err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	for _, variable := range vars {
+		fmt.Println(variable.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func AddVarsCommand(cmd *cobra.Command) {
+	cmd.AddCommand(varsCmd)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/bag/vars_parser.go b/cmd/bag/vars_parser.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df2959b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/bag/vars_parser.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package bag
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+var (
+	errEmpty  = errors.New("reader was empty")
+	errNoDeps = errors.New("no dependencies prefix found")
+)
+
+type variable struct {
+	name        string
+	description string
+}
+
+func (v variable) String() string {
+	if v.description != "" {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s - %s", v.name, v.description)
+	}
+	return v.name
+}
+
+func parseVars(reader io.Reader) ([]variable, error) {
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(reader)
+	if !scanner.Scan() {
+		return nil, errEmpty
+	}
+
+	if scanner.Text() != lineCommented("DEPENDENCIES") {
+		return nil, errNoDeps
+	}
+
+	var ret []variable
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		line := scanner.Text()
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(line, varListPrefix) {
+			continue
+		}
+		remainder := line[len(varListPrefix):]
+		spl := strings.Split(remainder, ": ")
+		newVar := variable{}
+		newVar.name = spl[0]
+		if len(spl) > 1 {
+			newVar.description = spl[1]
+		}
+		ret = append(ret, newVar)
+	}
+	return ret, nil
+}