diff --git a/src/swiftdata/CMakeLists.txt b/src/swiftdata/CMakeLists.txt
index 1dc6536e9..22ccfd48f 100644
--- a/src/swiftdata/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/swiftdata/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ add_executable(swiftdata WIN32
         swiftdata.h
         swiftdata.ui
         swiftdatamenus.cpp
+        swiftdataapplication.cpp
+        swiftdataapplication.h
         )
 
 if(WIN32)
diff --git a/src/swiftdata/main.cpp b/src/swiftdata/main.cpp
index e8d80900a..b0ea5384a 100644
--- a/src/swiftdata/main.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftdata/main.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "misc/crashhandler.h"
 #include "misc/icons.h"
 #include "swiftdata.h"
+#include "swiftdataapplication.h"
 
 using namespace swift::misc;
 using namespace swift::core;
@@ -23,19 +24,25 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     Q_UNUSED(qa)
 
     CCrashHandler::instance()->init();
-    CGuiApplication a(CApplicationInfo::swiftMappingTool(), CApplicationInfo::MappingTool, CIcons::swiftDatabase48());
-    if (!a.parseCommandLineArgsAndLoadSetup()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
-    a.splashScreen(CIcons::swiftDatabase256());
-    a.initAndStartWebDataServices(swift::core::CWebReaderFlags::AllSwiftDbReaders,
-                                  CDatabaseReaderConfigList::forMappingTool());
-    a.startCoreFacadeWithoutContexts();
-    if (!a.start())
+
+    int r = 0;
     {
-        a.gracefulShutdown();
-        return EXIT_FAILURE;
+        // CGuiApplication a(CApplicationInfo::swiftMappingTool(), CApplicationInfo::MappingTool,
+        //                   CIcons::swiftDatabase48());
+        CSwiftDataApplication a; // application with contexts
+        if (!a.parseCommandLineArgsAndLoadSetup()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
+        a.splashScreen(CIcons::swiftDatabase256());
+        a.initAndStartWebDataServices(swift::core::CWebReaderFlags::AllSwiftDbReaders,
+                                      CDatabaseReaderConfigList::forMappingTool());
+        a.startCoreFacadeWithoutContexts();
+        if (!a.start())
+        {
+            a.gracefulShutdown();
+            return EXIT_FAILURE;
+        }
+        CSwiftData w;
+        w.show();
+        r = a.exec();
     }
-    CSwiftData w;
-    w.show();
-    int r = a.exec();
     return r;
 }
diff --git a/src/swiftdata/swiftdata.h b/src/swiftdata/swiftdata.h
index 2b278cb5c..8160a4e90 100644
--- a/src/swiftdata/swiftdata.h
+++ b/src/swiftdata/swiftdata.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ namespace Ui
 namespace swift::core
 {
     class CWebDataServices;
-}
+} // namespace swift::core
 namespace swift::gui::components
 {
     class CAutoPublishDialog;
diff --git a/src/swiftdata/swiftdataapplication.cpp b/src/swiftdata/swiftdataapplication.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8fb5b6a87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/swiftdata/swiftdataapplication.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (C) 2016 swift Project Community / Contributors
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later OR LicenseRef-swift-pilot-client-1
+
+#include "swiftdataapplication.h"
+
+#include <QtGlobal>
+
+#include "core/application.h"
+#include "core/corefacadeconfig.h"
+#include "core/coremodeenums.h"
+#include "misc/dbusserver.h"
+#include "misc/icons.h"
+
+using namespace swift::misc;
+using namespace swift::core;
+
+CSwiftDataApplication::CSwiftDataApplication()
+    : CGuiApplication(CApplicationInfo::swiftMappingTool(), CApplicationInfo::MappingTool, CIcons::swiftDatabase48())
+{
+    // this->addParserOption(m_cmdFacadeMode);
+    // this->addDBusAddressOption();
+    // this->addNetworkOptions();
+    // this->addAudioOptions();
+}
+
+CStatusMessageList CSwiftDataApplication::startHookIn()
+{
+    Q_ASSERT_X(m_parsed, Q_FUNC_INFO, "Not yet parsed cmd line arguments");
+
+    QString dBusAddress(this->getCmdDBusAddressValue());
+    const QString coreModeStr =
+        this->isParserOptionSet(m_cmdFacadeMode) ? this->getParserValue(m_cmdFacadeMode) : QString();
+    CoreModes::CoreMode coreMode = CoreModes::stringToCoreMode(coreModeStr);
+
+    CStatusMessageList msgs;
+
+    CCoreFacadeConfig runtimeConfig = coreModeToCoreFacadeConfig(coreMode, dBusAddress);
+    const CStatusMessageList contextMsgs = this->initContextsAndStartCoreFacade(runtimeConfig);
+    msgs.push_back(contextMsgs);
+    return contextMsgs;
+}
+
+bool CSwiftDataApplication::parsingHookIn() { return CGuiApplication::parsingHookIn(); }
+
+CSwiftDataApplication *CSwiftDataApplication::instance()
+{
+    return qobject_cast<CSwiftDataApplication *>(CApplication::instance());
+}
+
+CCoreFacadeConfig CSwiftDataApplication::coreModeToCoreFacadeConfig(CoreModes::CoreMode coreMode,
+                                                                    const QString &dBusAddress)
+{
+    switch (coreMode)
+    {
+    case CoreModes::Distributed: return CCoreFacadeConfig(CCoreFacadeConfig::Remote, dBusAddress);
+    case CoreModes::Standalone: return CCoreFacadeConfig(CCoreFacadeConfig::Local, dBusAddress); break;
+    default:
+        Q_ASSERT_X(false, Q_FUNC_INFO, "Not handled core mode");
+        return CCoreFacadeConfig(CCoreFacadeConfig::NotUsed, dBusAddress);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/swiftdata/swiftdataapplication.h b/src/swiftdata/swiftdataapplication.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..50c516862
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/swiftdata/swiftdataapplication.h
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (C) 2016 swift Project Community / Contributors
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later OR LicenseRef-swift-pilot-client-1
+
+//! \file
+
+#ifndef SWIFTDATAAPPLICATION_H
+#define SWIFTDATAAPPLICATION_H
+
+#include <QCommandLineOption>
+#include <QCoreApplication>
+#include <QObject>
+#include <QString>
+
+#include "core/coremodeenums.h"
+#include "gui/guiapplication.h"
+
+/*!
+ * Specialized GUI application for swift pilot client.
+ * Handles parsing of some specialized CMD line argumenets and startup of core
+ */
+class CSwiftDataApplication : public swift::gui::CGuiApplication
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+
+public:
+    //! Constructor
+    CSwiftDataApplication();
+
+    //! Single instance
+    CSwiftDataApplication *instance();
+
+protected:
+    //! Parsing of special CMD args
+    virtual bool parsingHookIn() override;
+
+    //! Start facade by cmd arguments
+    virtual swift::misc::CStatusMessageList startHookIn() override;
+
+private:
+    static swift::core::CCoreFacadeConfig coreModeToCoreFacadeConfig(swift::core::CoreModes::CoreMode,
+                                                                     const QString &dBusAddress);
+
+    QCommandLineOption m_cmdFacadeMode { { "c", "core" },
+                                         QCoreApplication::translate("main", "Core mode: (d)istributed, (s)tandalone."),
+                                         "coremode" }; //!< Facade startup mode
+};
+
+#endif // SWIFTDATAAPPLICATION_H