diff --git a/simpleflow/activity.py b/simpleflow/activity.py
index ef1619fc7..b2858431b 100644
--- a/simpleflow/activity.py
+++ b/simpleflow/activity.py
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+import functools
+import inspect
+import subprocess
+
 from . import task
 
 
@@ -30,6 +34,76 @@ def wrap(func):
     return wrap
 
 
+class RequiredArgument(object):
+    pass
+
+
+def format_arguments(*args, **kwargs):
+    """
+    Examples:
+
+        >>> format_arguments('a', 'b', c=1, d=2)
+        ['--c=1', '--d=2', 'a', 'b']
+
+    """
+    return ['--{}="{}"'.format(key, value) for key, value in
+            kwargs.iteritems()] + map(str, args)
+
+
+def zip_arguments_defaults(argspec):
+    if not argspec.defaults:
+        return []
+
+    return zip(
+        argspec.args[-len(argspec.defaults):],
+        argspec.defaults)
+
+
+def check_arguments(argspec, args):
+    # func() or func(**kwargs) or func(a=1, b=2)
+    if not argspec.varargs and not argspec.args and args:
+        raise TypeError('command does not take varargs')
+
+    # Calling func(a, b) with func(1, 2, 3)
+    if (not argspec.varargs and argspec.args and
+            len(args) != len(argspec.args)):
+        raise TypeError('command takes {} arguments: {} passed'.format(
+            len(argspec.args),
+            len(args)))
+
+
+def check_keyword_arguments(argspec, kwargs):
+    # func() or func(*args) or func(a, b)
+    if not argspec.keywords and not argspec.defaults and kwargs:
+        raise TypeError('command does not take keyword arguments')
+
+    arguments_defaults = zip_arguments_defaults(argspec)
+    not_found = (set(name for name, value in arguments_defaults if
+                     value is RequiredArgument) -
+                 set(kwargs))
+    # Calling func(a=1, b) with func(2) instead of func(a=0, 2)
+    if not_found:
+        raise TypeError('argument{} "{}" not found'.format(
+            's' if len(not_found) > 1 else '',
+            ', '.join(not_found)))
+
+
+def execute_program(path=None, argument_format=format_arguments):
+    def wrap_callable(func):
+        @functools.wraps(func)
+        def execute(*args, **kwargs):
+            check_arguments(argspec, args)
+            check_keyword_arguments(argspec, kwargs)
+
+            command = path or func.func_name
+            return subprocess.check_output(
+                [command] + argument_format(*args, **kwargs))
+
+        argspec = inspect.getargspec(func)
+        return execute
+    return wrap_callable
+
+
 class Activity(object):
     def __init__(self, callable,
                  name=None,
diff --git a/tests/test_activity.py b/tests/test_activity.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2ed6748e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_activity.py
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+import tempfile
+import os.path
+
+import pytest
+
+from simpleflow import activity
+
+
+@activity.execute_program(path='ls')
+def ls_nokwargs(*args):
+    """
+    Only accepts a variable number of positional arguments.
+
+    """
+    pass
+
+
+def test_execute_program_no_kwargs():
+    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError) as exc_info:
+            ls_nokwargs(hide=f.name)
+
+        assert (exc_info.value.message ==
+                'command does not take keyword arguments')
+
+
+@activity.execute_program(path='ls')
+def ls_noargs(**kwargs):
+    """
+    Only accepts a variable number of keyword arguments.
+
+    """
+    pass
+
+
+def test_execute_program_no_args():
+    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError) as exc_info:
+            ls_noargs(f.name)
+
+        assert (exc_info.value.message ==
+                'command does not take varargs')
+
+
+@activity.execute_program(path='ls')
+def ls_restrict_named_arguments(hide=activity.RequiredArgument, *args):
+    pass
+
+
+def test_execute_program_restrict_named_arguments():
+    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError) as exc_info:
+            ls_restrict_named_arguments(f.name)
+
+        assert (exc_info.value.message ==
+                'argument "hide" not found')
+
+
+@activity.execute_program(path='ls')
+def ls_optional_named_arguments(hide='', *args):
+    pass
+
+
+def test_execute_program_optional_named_arguments():
+    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
+        assert ls_optional_named_arguments(f.name).strip() == f.name
+        assert f.name not in ls_optional_named_arguments(hide=f.name)
+
+
+@activity.execute_program()
+def ls(*args, **kwargs):
+    pass
+
+
+def test_execute_program_with_positional_arguments():
+    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
+        assert ls(f.name).strip() == f.name
+
+
+def test_execute_program_with_named_arguments():
+    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
+        assert f.name not in (ls(
+            os.path.dirname(f.name),
+            hide=f.name).strip())
+
+
+@activity.execute_program()
+def ls_2args(a, b):
+    pass
+
+
+def test_ls_2args():
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError) as exc_info:
+        ls_2args(1, 2, 3)
+
+    assert (exc_info.value.message ==
+            'command takes 2 arguments: 3 passed')