diff --git a/cli/src/commands/next.rs b/cli/src/commands/next.rs
index 6a78a790b6..beea7ff5fe 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/next.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/next.rs
@@ -12,15 +12,14 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-use std::io::Write;
-
 use itertools::Itertools;
 use jj_lib::commit::Commit;
 use jj_lib::repo::Repo;
 use jj_lib::revset::{RevsetExpression, RevsetFilterPredicate, RevsetIteratorExt};
 
-use crate::cli_util::{short_commit_hash, CommandHelper, WorkspaceCommandHelper};
+use crate::cli_util::{short_commit_hash, CommandHelper};
 use crate::command_error::{user_error, CommandError};
+use crate::movement_util::choose_commit;
 use crate::ui::Ui;
 
 /// Move the working-copy commit to the child revision
@@ -70,38 +69,6 @@ pub(crate) struct NextArgs {
     conflict: bool,
 }
 
-pub fn choose_commit<'a>(
-    ui: &mut Ui,
-    workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
-    cmd: &str,
-    commits: &'a [Commit],
-) -> Result<&'a Commit, CommandError> {
-    writeln!(ui.stdout(), "ambiguous {cmd} commit, choose one to target:")?;
-    let mut formatter = ui.stdout_formatter();
-    let template = workspace_command.commit_summary_template();
-    let mut choices: Vec<String> = Default::default();
-    for (i, commit) in commits.iter().enumerate() {
-        write!(formatter, "{}: ", i + 1)?;
-        template.format(commit, formatter.as_mut())?;
-        writeln!(formatter)?;
-        choices.push(format!("{}", i + 1));
-    }
-    writeln!(formatter, "q: quit the prompt")?;
-    choices.push("q".to_string());
-    drop(formatter);
-
-    let choice = ui.prompt_choice(
-        "enter the index of the commit you want to target",
-        &choices,
-        None,
-    )?;
-    if choice == "q" {
-        return Err(user_error("ambiguous target commit"));
-    }
-
-    Ok(&commits[choice.parse::<usize>().unwrap() - 1])
-}
-
 pub(crate) fn cmd_next(
     ui: &mut Ui,
     command: &CommandHelper,
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/prev.rs b/cli/src/commands/prev.rs
index 659f116e6c..b47d16a50e 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/prev.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/prev.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ use jj_lib::revset::{RevsetExpression, RevsetFilterPredicate, RevsetIteratorExt}
 
 use crate::cli_util::{short_commit_hash, CommandHelper};
 use crate::command_error::{user_error, CommandError};
-use crate::commands::next::choose_commit;
+use crate::movement_util::choose_commit;
 use crate::ui::Ui;
 /// Change the working copy revision relative to the parent revision
 ///
diff --git a/cli/src/lib.rs b/cli/src/lib.rs
index 6e60b293a7..20004e3ff5 100644
--- a/cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ pub mod generic_templater;
 pub mod git_util;
 pub mod graphlog;
 pub mod merge_tools;
+pub mod movement_util;
 pub mod operation_templater;
 mod progress;
 pub mod revset_util;
diff --git a/cli/src/movement_util.rs b/cli/src/movement_util.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..17dc2b6029
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/src/movement_util.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// Copyright 2024 The Jujutsu Authors
+//
+// 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
+//
+// https://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.
+//! Contains the internals for the movement commands, `next` and `prev`.
+//! And additional helpers such as [`choose_commit`]
+
+use std::io::Write;
+
+use jj_lib::commit::Commit;
+use jj_lib::revset::Revset;
+
+use crate::cli_util::WorkspaceCommandHelper;
+use crate::command_error::{user_error, CommandError};
+use crate::ui::Ui;
+
+/// Display a option of choices of `commits`, which you can use
+pub fn choose_commit<'a>(
+    ui: &mut Ui,
+    workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
+    cmd: &str,
+    commits: &'a [Commit],
+) -> Result<&'a Commit, CommandError> {
+    writeln!(ui.stdout(), "ambiguous {cmd} commit, choose one to target:")?;
+    let mut formatter = ui.stdout_formatter();
+    let template = workspace_command.commit_summary_template();
+    let mut choices: Vec<String> = Default::default();
+    for (i, commit) in commits.iter().enumerate() {
+        write!(formatter, "{}: ", i + 1)?;
+        template.format(commit, formatter.as_mut())?;
+        writeln!(formatter)?;
+        choices.push(format!("{}", i + 1));
+    }
+    writeln!(formatter, "q: quit the prompt")?;
+    choices.push("q".to_string());
+    drop(formatter);
+
+    let choice = ui.prompt_choice(
+        "enter the index of the commit you want to target",
+        &choices,
+        None,
+    )?;
+    if choice == "q" {
+        return Err(user_error("ambiguous target commit"));
+    }
+
+    Ok(&commits[choice.parse::<usize>().unwrap() - 1])
+}
+
+/// Describes in which direction to move.
+pub enum Direction {
+    /// Move to ancestors, so parents and their ancestors.
+    Ancestors,
+    /// Move to children and their descendants.
+    Descendants,
+}
+
+pub fn move_direction(amount: i64, direction: Direction, revset: Revset) -> Commit {}