diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Commands/Checkout.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Commands/Checkout.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9e61a3e7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Commands/Checkout.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+
+namespace LibGit2Sharp.Commands
+{
+    enum CheckoutMode
+    {
+        DetachHead,
+        CheckoutTree,
+    }
+
+    class Checkout
+    {
+        readonly Repository repo;
+        readonly Commit commit;
+        readonly Tree tree;
+        readonly IEnumerable<string> paths;
+        readonly CheckoutOptions options;
+        readonly CheckoutMode mode;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Checkout a commit
+        /// 
+        /// This will detach HEAD to the given commit.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="repo">The repository in which to act</param>
+        /// <param name="commit">The commit to checkout</param>
+        /// <param name="options">The options for the checkout operation</param>
+        public Checkout(Repository repo, Commit commit, CheckoutOptions options)
+        {
+            this.repo = repo;
+            this.commit = commit;
+            this.options = options;
+            this.mode = CheckoutMode.DetachHead;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Checkout files from a commit
+        /// 
+        /// This will put the files from the commit into the working directory and the index.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="repo">The repository in which to act</param>
+        /// <param name="commit">The commit to checkout the files from</param>
+        /// <param name="paths">List of paths to checkout. Leave null or empty for all</param>
+        /// <param name="options">The options for the checkout operation</param>
+        public Checkout(Repository repo, Commit commit, IEnumerable<string> paths, CheckoutOptions options)
+        {
+            this.repo = repo;
+            this.tree = commit.Tree;
+            this.paths = paths;
+            this.options = options;
+            this.mode = CheckoutMode.CheckoutTree;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Checkout a tree
+        /// 
+        /// This will put the files from the tree into the working directory and the index.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="repo">The repository in which to act</param>
+        /// <param name="tree">The tree to checkout</param>
+        /// <param name="paths">List of paths to checkout. Leave null or empty for all</param>
+        /// <param name="options">The options for the checkout operation</param>
+        public Checkout(Repository repo, Tree tree, IEnumerable<string> paths, CheckoutOptions options)
+        {
+            this.repo = repo;
+            this.tree = tree;
+            this.paths = paths;
+            this.options = options;
+            this.mode = CheckoutMode.CheckoutTree;
+        }
+
+        void RunCheckoutTree()
+        {
+            repo.CheckoutTree(tree, null, options);
+        }
+
+        void RunDetachHead()
+        {
+            repo.Checkout(commit, options);
+        }
+
+        public void Run()
+        {
+            switch (mode)
+            {
+                case CheckoutMode.DetachHead:
+                    RunDetachHead();
+                    break;
+                case CheckoutMode.CheckoutTree:
+                    RunCheckoutTree();
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    throw new NotImplementedException("Unimplemented and undefined checkout mode");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Commands/CommandBase.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Commands/CommandBase.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0a330117
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Commands/CommandBase.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+
+namespace LibGit2Sharp.Commands
+{
+    abstract class CommandBase
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Run the command
+        /// </summary>
+        public abstract void Run();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/LibGit2Sharp.csproj b/LibGit2Sharp/LibGit2Sharp.csproj
index c2fc74e2e..703c7a753 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp/LibGit2Sharp.csproj
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/LibGit2Sharp.csproj
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@
     <Compile Include="CherryPickOptions.cs" />
     <Compile Include="CherryPickResult.cs" />
     <Compile Include="CloneOptions.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Commands\Checkout.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Commands\CommandBase.cs" />
     <Compile Include="CommitFilter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="CommitOptions.cs" />
     <Compile Include="CommitSortStrategies.cs" />
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Repository.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Repository.cs
index 6c55a1eae..617c8bd63 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp/Repository.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Repository.cs
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@ private void Checkout(
         /// <param name="tree">The <see cref="Tree"/> to checkout.</param>
         /// <param name="paths">The paths to checkout.</param>
         /// <param name="opts">Collection of parameters controlling checkout behavior.</param>
-        private void CheckoutTree(
+        internal void CheckoutTree(
             Tree tree,
             IList<string> paths,
             IConvertableToGitCheckoutOpts opts)