diff --git a/app.go b/app.go
index 3cd416a..fbdd63b 100644
--- a/app.go
+++ b/app.go
@@ -516,18 +516,9 @@ func shutdown(app *App) {
 	app.db.Close()
 }
 
-// CreateUser creates a new admin or normal user from the given username:password string.
-func CreateUser(app *App, credStr string, isAdmin bool) error {
+// CreateUser creates a new admin or normal user from the given credentials.
+func CreateUser(app *App, username, password string, isAdmin bool) error {
 	// Create an admin user with --create-admin
-	creds := strings.Split(credStr, ":")
-	if len(creds) != 2 {
-		c := "user"
-		if isAdmin {
-			c = "admin"
-		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("usage: writefreely --create-%s username:password", c)
-	}
-
 	loadConfig(app)
 	connectToDatabase(app)
 	defer shutdown(app)
@@ -547,9 +538,6 @@ func CreateUser(app *App, credStr string, isAdmin bool) error {
 	}
 
 	// Create the user
-	username := creds[0]
-	password := creds[1]
-
 	// Normalize and validate username
 	desiredUsername := username
 	username = getSlug(username, "")
diff --git a/cmd/writefreely/main.go b/cmd/writefreely/main.go
index 73866cb..6a32ad9 100644
--- a/cmd/writefreely/main.go
+++ b/cmd/writefreely/main.go
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"github.com/writeas/web-core/log"
 	"github.com/writeas/writefreely"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -66,14 +68,24 @@ func main() {
 		}
 		os.Exit(0)
 	} else if *createAdmin != "" {
-		err := writefreely.CreateUser(app, *createAdmin, true)
+		username, password, err := userPass(*createAdmin, true)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error(err.Error())
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		err = writefreely.CreateUser(app, username, password, true)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Error(err.Error())
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 		os.Exit(0)
 	} else if *createUser != "" {
-		err := writefreely.CreateUser(app, *createUser, false)
+		username, password, err := userPass(*createUser, false)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error(err.Error())
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		err = writefreely.CreateUser(app, username, password, false)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Error(err.Error())
 			os.Exit(1)
@@ -97,3 +109,19 @@ func main() {
 
 	writefreely.Serve(app, *debugPtr)
 }
+
+func userPass(credStr string, isAdmin bool) (user string, pass string, err error) {
+	creds := strings.Split(credStr, ":")
+	if len(creds) != 2 {
+		c := "user"
+		if isAdmin {
+			c = "admin"
+		}
+		err = fmt.Errorf("usage: writefreely --create-%s username:password", c)
+		return
+	}
+
+	user = creds[0]
+	pass = creds[1]
+	return
+}