diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-info.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-info.c
index d1e1ec52b..24e8a0ea6 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-info.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-info.c
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ flatpak_builtin_info (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GError *
   FlatpakDir *dir = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GError) lookup_error = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GVariant) deploy_data = NULL;
-  const char *name;
-  const char *branch = NULL;
+  char *name;
+  char *branch = NULL;
   const char *commit = NULL;
   const char *origin = NULL;
   gboolean is_app = FALSE;
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ flatpak_builtin_info (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GError *
   if (argc >= 3)
     branch = argv[2];
 
+  if (!flatpak_split_partial_ref_arg (name, &opt_arch, &branch, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
   if (!opt_app && !opt_runtime)
     opt_app = opt_runtime = TRUE;
 
diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c
index 3ec04259b..af19b1fd1 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ flatpak_builtin_install (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GErro
   g_autoptr(GOptionContext) context = NULL;
   g_autoptr(FlatpakDir) dir = NULL;
   const char *repository;
-  const char *name;
-  const char *branch = NULL;
+  char *name;
+  char *branch = NULL;
   g_autofree char *ref = NULL;
   gboolean is_app;
   g_autoptr(GFile) deploy_dir = NULL;
@@ -166,6 +166,9 @@ flatpak_builtin_install (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GErro
   if (argc >= 4)
     branch = argv[3];
 
+  if (!flatpak_split_partial_ref_arg (name, &opt_arch, &branch, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
   if (!opt_app && !opt_runtime)
     opt_app = opt_runtime = TRUE;
 
diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-make-current.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-make-current.c
index b13534a44..2f15fa8d8 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-make-current.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-make-current.c
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ flatpak_builtin_make_current_app (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellab
   g_autoptr(GOptionContext) context = NULL;
   g_autoptr(FlatpakDir) dir = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GFile) deploy_base = NULL;
-  const char *app;
-  const char *branch = "master";
+  char *app;
+  char *branch = NULL;
   g_autofree char *ref = NULL;
   g_auto(GLnxLockFile) lock = GLNX_LOCK_FILE_INIT;
 
@@ -56,11 +56,19 @@ flatpak_builtin_make_current_app (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellab
   if (!flatpak_option_context_parse (context, options, &argc, &argv, 0, &dir, cancellable, error))
     return FALSE;
 
-  if (argc < 3)
-    return usage_error (context, _("APP and BRANCH must be specified"), error);
+  if (argc < 2)
+    return usage_error (context, _("APP must be specified"), error);
 
   app  = argv[1];
-  branch = argv[2];
+
+  if (argc >= 3)
+    branch = argv[2];
+
+  if (!flatpak_split_partial_ref_arg (app, &opt_arch, &branch, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  if (branch == NULL)
+    return usage_error (context, _("BRANCH must be specified"), error);
 
   ref = flatpak_dir_find_installed_ref (dir,
                                         app,
diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-run.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-run.c
index 436cbb06e..9689b82a0 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-run.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-run.c
@@ -63,8 +63,7 @@ flatpak_builtin_run (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **
   g_autoptr(GOptionContext) context = NULL;
   g_autoptr(FlatpakDeploy) app_deploy = NULL;
   g_autofree char *app_ref = NULL;
-  const char *app;
-  const char *branch = "master";
+  char *app;
   int i;
   int rest_argv_start, rest_argc;
   g_autoptr(FlatpakContext) arg_context = NULL;
@@ -96,8 +95,8 @@ flatpak_builtin_run (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **
 
   app = argv[rest_argv_start];
 
-  if (opt_branch)
-    branch = opt_branch;
+  if (!flatpak_split_partial_ref_arg (app, &opt_arch, &opt_branch, error))
+    return FALSE;
 
   if (opt_branch == NULL && opt_arch == NULL)
     {
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ flatpak_builtin_run (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **
 
   if (app_ref == NULL)
     {
-      app_ref = flatpak_compose_ref (TRUE, app, branch, opt_arch, error);
+      app_ref = flatpak_compose_ref (TRUE, app, opt_branch, opt_arch, error);
       if (app_ref == NULL)
         return FALSE;
     }
diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-uninstall.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-uninstall.c
index 9f3540ec7..a820c0471 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-uninstall.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-uninstall.c
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ flatpak_builtin_uninstall (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GEr
 {
   g_autoptr(GOptionContext) context = NULL;
   g_autoptr(FlatpakDir) dir = NULL;
-  const char *name = NULL;
-  const char *branch = NULL;
+  char *name = NULL;
+  char *branch = NULL;
   g_autofree char *ref = NULL;
   gboolean is_app;
   FlatpakHelperUninstallFlags flags = 0;
@@ -69,12 +69,15 @@ flatpak_builtin_uninstall (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GEr
     return FALSE;
 
   if (argc < 2)
-    return usage_error (context, _("APP must be specified"), error);
+    return usage_error (context, _("NAME must be specified"), error);
 
   name = argv[1];
   if (argc > 2)
     branch = argv[2];
 
+  if (!flatpak_split_partial_ref_arg (name, &opt_arch, &branch, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
   if (!opt_app && !opt_runtime)
     opt_app = opt_runtime = TRUE;
 
diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-update.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-update.c
index f87c8fd08..136295f8f 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-update.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-update.c
@@ -198,8 +198,8 @@ flatpak_builtin_update (int           argc,
 {
   g_autoptr(GOptionContext) context = NULL;
   g_autoptr(FlatpakDir) dir = NULL;
-  const char *name = NULL;
-  const char *branch = NULL;
+  char *name = NULL;
+  char *branch = NULL;
   gboolean failed = FALSE;
   gboolean found = FALSE;
   int i;
@@ -218,6 +218,9 @@ flatpak_builtin_update (int           argc,
   if (opt_arch == NULL)
     opt_arch = (char *)flatpak_get_arch ();
 
+  if (!flatpak_split_partial_ref_arg (name, &opt_arch, &branch, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
   if (!opt_app && !opt_runtime)
     opt_app = opt_runtime = TRUE;
 
diff --git a/common/flatpak-utils.c b/common/flatpak-utils.c
index d10664c07..c7e94ec82 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-utils.c
+++ b/common/flatpak-utils.c
@@ -562,6 +562,57 @@ flatpak_decompose_ref (const char *full_ref,
   return g_steal_pointer (&parts);
 }
 
+gboolean
+flatpak_split_partial_ref_arg (char *partial_ref,
+                               char **inout_arch,
+                               char **inout_branch,
+                               GError    **error)
+{
+  char *slash;
+  char *arch = NULL;
+  char *branch = NULL;
+
+  slash = strchr (partial_ref, '/');
+  if (slash != NULL)
+    *slash = 0;
+
+  if (!flatpak_is_valid_name (partial_ref))
+    return flatpak_fail (error, "Invalid name %s", partial_ref);
+
+  if (slash == NULL)
+    goto out;
+
+  arch = slash + 1;
+  slash = strchr (arch, '/');
+  if (slash != NULL)
+    *slash = 0;
+
+  if (strlen (arch) == 0)
+    arch = NULL;
+
+  if (slash == NULL)
+    goto out;
+
+  branch = slash + 1;
+  if (strlen (branch) > 0)
+    {
+      if (!flatpak_is_valid_branch (branch))
+        return flatpak_fail (error, "Invalid branch %s", branch);
+    }
+  else
+    branch = NULL;
+
+ out:
+
+  if (*inout_arch == NULL)
+    *inout_arch = arch;
+
+  if (*inout_branch == NULL)
+    *inout_branch = branch;
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
 char *
 flatpak_compose_ref (gboolean    app,
                      const char *name,
diff --git a/common/flatpak-utils.h b/common/flatpak-utils.h
index 8c96a48b5..660903e5d 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-utils.h
+++ b/common/flatpak-utils.h
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ gboolean flatpak_is_valid_branch (const char *string);
 char **flatpak_decompose_ref (const char *ref,
                               GError    **error);
 
+gboolean flatpak_split_partial_ref_arg (char *partial_ref,
+                                        char **inout_arch,
+                                        char **inout_branch,
+                                        GError    **error);
+
 char * flatpak_compose_ref (gboolean    app,
                             const char *name,
                             const char *branch,