diff --git a/cmd/pew.go b/cmd/pew.go
index a16c945..1aaa492 100644
--- a/cmd/pew.go
+++ b/cmd/pew.go
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ func successRate(state runstate) float64 {
 type PewCmd struct {
 	Max     int64         `help:"test no more than X kernels" default:"100500"`
 	Runs    int64         `help:"runs per each kernel" default:"1"`
-	Kernel  string        `help:"override kernel regex"`
 	RootFS  string        `help:"override rootfs image" type:"existingfile"`
 	Guess   bool          `help:"try all defined kernels"`
 	Shuffle bool          `help:"randomize kernels test order"`
@@ -75,6 +74,10 @@ type PewCmd struct {
 	Tag     string        `help:"log tagging"`
 	Timeout time.Duration `help:"timeout after tool will not spawn new tests"`
 
+	KernelRegex   string `help:"set kernel regex"`
+	DistroID      string `help:"set distribution"`
+	DistroRelease string `help:"set distribution release"`
+
 	ArtifactConfig string `help:"path to artifact config" type:"path"`
 
 	QemuTimeout           time.Duration `help:"timeout for qemu"`
@@ -220,14 +223,47 @@ func (cmd *PewCmd) Run(g *Globals) (err error) {
 		ka.SourcePath = g.WorkDir
 	}
 
-	if cmd.Kernel != "" {
+	if cmd.KernelRegex != "" {
 		var km artifact.Target
-		km, err = kernelMask(cmd.Kernel)
+		km.Kernel.Regex = cmd.KernelRegex
+
+		if cmd.DistroID == "" {
+			err = errors.New("--distro-id is required")
+			return
+		}
+
+		var dt distro.ID
+		dt, err = distro.NewID(cmd.DistroID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return
 		}
 
+		km.Distro.ID = dt
+
+		if cmd.DistroRelease != "" {
+			km.Distro.Release = cmd.DistroRelease
+		}
+
 		ka.Targets = []artifact.Target{km}
+	} else if cmd.DistroID != "" {
+		var km artifact.Target
+
+		var dt distro.ID
+		dt, err = distro.NewID(cmd.DistroID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+
+		km.Distro.ID = dt
+
+		if cmd.DistroRelease != "" {
+			km.Distro.Release = cmd.DistroRelease
+		}
+
+		ka.Targets = []artifact.Target{km}
+	} else if cmd.DistroRelease != "" {
+		err = errors.New("--distro-release has no use on its own")
+		return
 	}
 
 	if ka.Qemu.Timeout.Duration == 0 {