diff --git a/core/dbt/cli/context.py b/core/dbt/cli/context.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e0cf27624ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/dbt/cli/context.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+from typing import List
+from click import Context
+from click.exceptions import NoSuchOption, UsageError
+from dbt.cli.main import cli
+from dbt.config.project import Project
+
+class DBTUsageException(Exception):
+    pass
+
+class DBTContext(Context):
+    def __init__(self, args: List[str]) -> None:
+        try: 
+            ctx = cli.make_context(cli.name, args)
+            if args:
+                cmd_name, cmd, cmd_args = cli.resolve_command(ctx, args)
+                cmd.make_context(cmd_name, cmd_args, parent=ctx)
+        except (NoSuchOption, UsageError) as e:
+            raise DBTUsageException(e.message) 
+        
+        ctx.obj = {}
+        # yikes?
+        self.__dict__.update(ctx.__dict__)
+        # TODO: consider initializing Flags, ctx.obj here.
+
+    # @classmethod
+    # def from_args(cls, args: List[str]) -> "DBTContext":
+    #     try: 
+    #         ctx = cli.make_context(cli.name, args)
+    #         if args:
+    #             cmd_name, cmd, cmd_args = cli.resolve_command(ctx, args)
+    #             cmd.make_context(cmd_name, cmd_args, parent=ctx)
+    #     except (NoSuchOption, UsageError) as e:
+    #         raise DBTUsageException(e.message) 
+        
+    #     ctx.obj = {}
+    #     # yikes
+    #     ctx.__class__ = cls
+    #     return ctx
+
+    def set_project(self, project: Project):
+        if not isinstance(project, Project):
+            raise ValueError(f"{project} is a {type(project)}, expected a Project object.")
+        
+        self.obj["project"] = project
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/dbt/tests/util.py b/core/dbt/tests/util.py
index af837c18b17..b446ebd7faa 100644
--- a/core/dbt/tests/util.py
+++ b/core/dbt/tests/util.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from dbt.adapters.factory import Adapter
 
 from dbt.main import handle_and_check
+from dbt.cli.context import DBTContext, cli as dbt
 from dbt.logger import log_manager
 from dbt.contracts.graph.manifest import Manifest
 from dbt.events.functions import fire_event, capture_stdout_logs, stop_capture_stdout_logs, reset_metadata_vars
@@ -73,7 +74,11 @@ def run_dbt(args: List[str] = None, expect_pass=True):
         args = ["run"]
 
     print("\n\nInvoking dbt with {}".format(args))
-    res, success = handle_and_check(args)
+    # ctx = DBTContext.from_args(args)
+    ctx = DBTContext(args)
+
+    # ctx.set_project('test')
+    res, success = dbt.invoke(ctx)
 
     if expect_pass is not None:
         assert success == expect_pass, "dbt exit state did not match expected"