--- /dev/null
+// -*- mode: cpp; mode: fold -*-
+// Description                                                         /*{{{*/
+/* #####################################################################
+   apt-helper - cmdline helpers
+   ##################################################################### */
+                                                                       /*}}}*/
+// Include Files                                                       /*{{{*/
+#include <config.h>
+
+#include <apt-pkg/cmndline.h>
+#include <apt-pkg/error.h>
+#include <apt-pkg/init.h>
+#include <apt-pkg/strutl.h>
+#include <apt-pkg/pkgsystem.h>
+#include <apt-pkg/fileutl.h>
+#include <apt-pkg/acquire.h>
+#include <apt-pkg/acquire-item.h>
+
+#include <apt-private/acqprogress.h>
+#include <apt-private/private-output.h>
+#include <apt-private/private-cmndline.h>
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+
+
+
+#include <apti18n.h>
+                                                                       /*}}}*/
+using namespace std;
+
+bool DoDownloadFile(CommandLine &CmdL)
+{
+   if (CmdL.FileSize() <= 2)
+      return _error->Error(_("Must specify at least one pair url/filename"));
+
+
+   pkgAcquire Fetcher;
+   AcqTextStatus Stat(ScreenWidth, _config->FindI("quiet",0));
+   Fetcher.Setup(&Stat);
+   std::string download_uri = CmdL.FileList[1];
+   std::string targetfile = CmdL.FileList[2];
+   new pkgAcqFile(&Fetcher, download_uri, "", 0, "desc", "short-desc", 
+                  "dest-dir-ignored", targetfile);
+   Fetcher.Run();
+   if (!FileExists(targetfile))
+   {
+      _error->Error(_("Download Failed"));
+      return false;
+   }
+   return true;
+}
+
+bool ShowHelp(CommandLine &CmdL)
+{
+   ioprintf(cout,_("%s %s for %s compiled on %s %s\n"),PACKAGE,PACKAGE_VERSION,
+           COMMON_ARCH,__DATE__,__TIME__);
+
+   if (_config->FindB("version") == true)
+     return true;
+
+   cout << 
+    _("Usage: apt-helper [options] command\n"
+      "       apt-helper [options] download-file uri target-path\n"
+      "\n"
+      "apt-helper is a internal helper for apt\n"
+      "\n"
+      "Commands:\n"
+      "   download-file - download the given uri to the target-path\n"
+      "\n"
+      "                       This APT helper has Super Meep Powers.\n");
+   return true;
+}
+
+
+int main(int argc,const char *argv[])                                  /*{{{*/
+{
+   CommandLine::Dispatch Cmds[] = {{"help",&ShowHelp},
+                                  {"download-file", &DoDownloadFile},
+                                   {0,0}};
+
+   std::vector<CommandLine::Args> Args = getCommandArgs(
+      "apt-download", CommandLine::GetCommand(Cmds, argc, argv));
+
+   // Set up gettext support
+   setlocale(LC_ALL,"");
+   textdomain(PACKAGE);
+
+   // Parse the command line and initialize the package library
+   CommandLine CmdL(Args.data(),_config);
+   if (pkgInitConfig(*_config) == false ||
+       CmdL.Parse(argc,argv) == false ||
+       pkgInitSystem(*_config,_system) == false)
+   {
+      if (_config->FindB("version") == true)
+        ShowHelp(CmdL);
+      _error->DumpErrors();
+      return 100;
+   }
+
+   // See if the help should be shown
+   if (_config->FindB("help") == true ||
+       _config->FindB("version") == true ||
+       CmdL.FileSize() == 0)
+   {
+      ShowHelp(CmdL);
+      return 0;
+   }
+
+   InitOutput();
+
+   // Match the operation
+   CmdL.DispatchArg(Cmds);
+
+   // Print any errors or warnings found during parsing
+   bool const Errors = _error->PendingError();
+   if (_config->FindI("quiet",0) > 0)
+      _error->DumpErrors();
+   else
+      _error->DumpErrors(GlobalError::DEBUG);
+   return Errors == true ? 100 : 0;
+}
+                                                                       /*}}}*/
 
 aptkey() { runapt apt-key "$@"; }
 aptmark() { runapt apt-mark "$@"; }
 apt() { runapt apt "$@"; }
+apthelper() { 
+  LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${APTHELPERBINDIR} ${APTHELPERBINDIR}/apt-helper "$@";
+}
 aptwebserver() {
   LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${APTWEBSERVERBINDIR} ${APTWEBSERVERBINDIR}/aptwebserver "$@";
 }
         # allow overriding the default BUILDDIR location
        BUILDDIRECTORY=${APT_INTEGRATION_TESTS_BUILD_DIR:-"${TESTDIRECTORY}/../../build/bin"}
         METHODSDIR=${APT_INTEGRATION_TESTS_METHODS_DIR:-"${BUILDDIRECTORY}/methods"}
+        APTHELPERBINDIR=${APT_INTEGRATION_TESTS_LIBEXEC_DIR:-"${BUILDDIRECTORY}"}
         APTWEBSERVERBINDIR=${APT_INTEGRATION_TESTS_WEBSERVER_BIN_DIR:-"${BUILDDIRECTORY}"}
        test -x "${BUILDDIRECTORY}/apt-get" || msgdie "You need to build tree first"
         # -----
 }
 
 downloadfile() {
-       PROTO="$(echo "$1" | cut -d':' -f 1)"
-        if [ ! -x "${METHODSDIR}/${PROTO}" ]; then
-            msgwarn "can not find ${METHODSDIR}/${PROTO}"
-            return 1
-        fi
-       local DOWNLOG="${TMPWORKINGDIRECTORY}/download.log"
-       rm -f "$DOWNLOG"
-       touch "$DOWNLOG"
-       {
-               echo "601 Configuration
-Config-Item: Acquire::https::CaInfo=${TESTDIR}/apt.pem
-Config-Item: Debug::Acquire::${PROTO}=1
-
-600 Acquire URI
-URI: $1
-Filename: ${2}
-"
-               # simple worker keeping stdin open until we are done (201) or error (400)
-               # and requesting new URIs on try-agains/redirects in-between
-               { tail -n 999 -f "$DOWNLOG" & echo "TAILPID: $!"; } | while read f1 f2; do
-                       if [ "$f1" = 'TAILPID:' ]; then
-                               TAILPID="$f2"
-                       elif [ "$f1" = 'New-URI:' ]; then
-                               echo "600 Acquire URI
-URI: $f2
-Filename: ${2}
-"
-                       elif [ "$f1" = '201' ] || [ "$f1" = '400' ]; then
-                               # tail would only die on next read – which never happens
-                               test -z "$TAILPID" || kill -s HUP "$TAILPID"
-                               break
-                       fi
-               done
-       } | LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${BUILDDIRECTORY} ${METHODSDIR}/${PROTO} 2>&1 | tee "$DOWNLOG"
-       rm "$DOWNLOG"
+        PROTO="$(echo "$1" | cut -d':' -f 1)"
+        apthelper -o Acquire::https::CaInfo=${TESTDIR}/apt.pem \
+                  -o Debug::Acquire::${PROTO}=1 \
+                  download-file "$1" "$2" 2>&1
        # only if the file exists the download was successful
        if [ -e "$2" ]; then
                return 0