diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 486439f995..8c7b7ac26c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -5302,7 +5302,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "cap-std",
  "chrono",
- "clap",
  "crossbeam-channel",
  "futures",
  "hyper",
diff --git a/runtime/Cargo.toml b/runtime/Cargo.toml
index ac850741eb..6a31fded54 100644
--- a/runtime/Cargo.toml
+++ b/runtime/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ doctest = false
 anyhow = { workspace = true }
 async-trait = { workspace = true }
 chrono = { workspace = true }
-clap = { workspace = true }
 prost-types = { workspace = true }
 serde = { workspace = true }
 serde_json = { workspace = true }
diff --git a/runtime/src/alpha/args.rs b/runtime/src/alpha/args.rs
index 21afa20f69..3b482151ca 100644
--- a/runtime/src/alpha/args.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/alpha/args.rs
@@ -1,37 +1,109 @@
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::{
+    env,
+    fmt::{self, Debug, Display},
+    path::PathBuf,
+    str::FromStr,
+};
 
-use clap::{Parser, ValueEnum};
 use tonic::transport::{Endpoint, Uri};
 
-#[derive(Parser, Debug)]
-#[command(version)]
-pub struct Args {
-    /// Port to start runtime on
-    #[arg(long)]
-    pub port: u16,
+macro_rules! arg_or_default {
+    ($arg:literal, $field:ident $(,)?) => {
+        $field.ok_or_else(|| Error::MissingRequiredArgument { arg: $arg })
+    };
+    ($arg:literal, $field:ident, $default:literal) => {
+        Ok($field.unwrap_or_else(|| $default.parse().unwrap()))
+    };
+}
+
+macro_rules! args {
+    ($($arg:literal => $(#[arg(default_value = $default:literal)])? $field:ident: $ty:ty),+ $(,)?) => {
+        #[derive(Debug)]
+        pub struct Args {
+            $(pub $field: $ty,)+
+        }
 
-    /// Address to reach provisioner at
-    #[arg(long, default_value = "http://localhost:5000")]
-    pub provisioner_address: Endpoint,
+        impl Args {
+            pub fn parse() -> Result<Self, Error> {
+                $(let mut $field: Option<$ty> = None;)+
 
-    /// Type of storage manager to start
-    #[arg(long, value_enum)]
-    pub storage_manager_type: StorageManagerType,
+                let mut args_iter = env::args();
+                while let Some(arg) = args_iter.next() {
+                    match arg.as_str() {
+                        $($arg => {
+                            if $field.is_some() {
+                                return Err(Error::DuplicatedArgument { arg: $arg });
+                            }
+                            let raw_value = args_iter
+                                .next()
+                                .ok_or_else(|| Error::MissingValue { arg: $arg })?;
+                            let value = raw_value.parse().map_err(|_| Error::InvalidValue {
+                                arg: $arg,
+                                value: raw_value,
+                            })?;
+                            $field = Some(value);
+                        })+
+                        _ => return Err(Error::UnexpectedArgument { arg }),
+                    }
+                }
 
-    /// Path to use for storage manager
-    #[arg(long)]
-    pub storage_manager_path: PathBuf,
+                Ok(Args {
+                    $($field: arg_or_default!($arg, $field, $($default)?)?,)+
+                })
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
 
-    /// Address to reach the authentication service at
-    #[arg(long, default_value = "http://127.0.0.1:8008")]
-    pub auth_uri: Uri,
+args! {
+    "--port" => port: u16,
+    "--provisioner-address" => #[arg(default_value = "http://localhost:5000")] provisioner_address: Endpoint,
+    "--storage-manager-type" => storage_manager_type: StorageManagerType,
+    "--storage-manager-path" => storage_manager_path: PathBuf,
+    "--auth-uri" => #[arg(default_value = "http://127.0.0.1:8008")] auth_uri: Uri,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, ValueEnum)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub enum StorageManagerType {
-    /// Use a deloyer artifacts directory
     Artifacts,
-
-    /// Use a local working directory
     WorkingDir,
 }
+
+impl FromStr for StorageManagerType {
+    type Err = ();
+
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        match s {
+            "artifacts" => Ok(StorageManagerType::Artifacts),
+            "working-dir" => Ok(StorageManagerType::WorkingDir),
+            _ => Err(()),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum Error {
+    DuplicatedArgument { arg: &'static str },
+    MissingRequiredArgument { arg: &'static str },
+    UnexpectedArgument { arg: String },
+
+    InvalidValue { arg: &'static str, value: String },
+    MissingValue { arg: &'static str },
+}
+
+impl Display for Error {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            Self::DuplicatedArgument { arg } => write!(f, "duplicated argument {arg}"),
+            Self::MissingRequiredArgument { arg } => write!(f, "missing required argument {arg}"),
+            Self::UnexpectedArgument { arg } => write!(f, "unexpected argument: {arg}"),
+
+            Self::InvalidValue { arg, value } => {
+                write!(f, "invalid value for argument {arg}: {value}")
+            }
+            Self::MissingValue { arg } => write!(f, "missing value for argument {arg}"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::error::Error for Error {}
diff --git a/runtime/src/alpha/mod.rs b/runtime/src/alpha/mod.rs
index 2c90124dea..d142517a29 100644
--- a/runtime/src/alpha/mod.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/alpha/mod.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ use std::{
 
 use anyhow::Context;
 use async_trait::async_trait;
-use clap::Parser;
 use core::future::Future;
 use shuttle_common::{
     backends::{
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ use self::args::Args;
 mod args;
 
 pub async fn start(loader: impl Loader<ProvisionerFactory> + Send + 'static) {
-    let args = Args::parse();
+    let args = Args::parse().expect("could not parse arguments");
     let addr = SocketAddr::new(Ipv4Addr::LOCALHOST.into(), args.port);
 
     let provisioner_address = args.provisioner_address;