diff --git a/.ecode/project_build.json b/.ecode/project_build.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..be9c9ea21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ecode/project_build.json
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+{
+  "ecode-debug": {
+    "build": [
+      {
+        "args": "--with-mojoal --with-debug-symbols gmake",
+        "command": "premake4",
+        "working_dir": "${project_root}"
+      },
+      {
+        "args": "-j$(nproc) config=debug ecode",
+        "command": "make",
+        "working_dir": "${build_dir}"
+      }
+    ],
+    "clean": [
+      {
+        "args": "config=debug clean",
+        "command": "make",
+        "working_dir": "${build_dir}"
+      }
+    ],
+    "config": {
+      "clear_sys_env": false
+    },
+    "var": {
+      "build_dir": "${project_root}/make/linux"
+    },
+    "env": {
+      "SHELL": "fish"
+    },
+    "output_parser": {
+      "config": {
+      	"relative_file_paths": true
+      },
+      "error": [
+        {
+          "pattern": "([^:]*):(%d+):(%d+):%s?[%w%s]*error:%s?([^\n]*)",
+          "pattern_order": {
+            "col": 3,
+            "file": 1,
+            "line": 2,
+            "message": 4
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/ecode/projectbuild.cpp b/src/tools/ecode/projectbuild.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..156680ae2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/ecode/projectbuild.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+#include "projectbuild.hpp"
+#include "scopedop.hpp"
+#include <eepp/core/string.hpp>
+#include <eepp/system/filesystem.hpp>
+#include <eepp/system/log.hpp>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+using json = nlohmann::json;
+
+using namespace EE;
+
+namespace ecode {
+
+static const char* PROJECT_ROOT = "${project_root}";
+
+void ProjectBuild::replaceVars() {
+	const std::vector<ProjectBuildSteps*> steps{ &mBuild, &mClean };
+	auto replaceVar = []( ProjectBuildStep& s, const std::string& var, const std::string& val ) {
+		String::replaceAll( s.workingDir, var, val );
+		String::replaceAll( s.cmd, var, val );
+		String::replaceAll( s.args, var, val );
+	};
+
+	for ( auto& step : steps ) {
+		for ( auto& s : *step ) {
+			replaceVar( s, PROJECT_ROOT, mProjectRoot );
+			for ( auto& var : mVars ) {
+				std::string varKey( "${" + var.first + "}" );
+				String::replaceAll( var.second, PROJECT_ROOT, mProjectRoot );
+				replaceVar( s, varKey, var.second );
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+ProjectBuildManager::ProjectBuildManager( const std::string& projectRoot,
+										  std::shared_ptr<ThreadPool> pool ) :
+	mProjectRoot( projectRoot ), mThreadPool( pool ) {
+	FileSystem::dirAddSlashAtEnd( mProjectRoot );
+
+	if ( mThreadPool ) {
+		mThreadPool->run( [this]() { load(); } );
+	} else {
+		load();
+	}
+};
+
+static bool isValidType( const std::string& typeStr ) {
+	return "error" == typeStr || "warning" == typeStr || "notice" == typeStr;
+}
+
+static ProjectOutputParserTypes outputParserType( const std::string& typeStr ) {
+	if ( "error" == typeStr )
+		return ProjectOutputParserTypes::Error;
+	if ( "warning" == typeStr )
+		return ProjectOutputParserTypes::Warning;
+	if ( "notice" == typeStr )
+		return ProjectOutputParserTypes::Notice;
+	return ProjectOutputParserTypes::Notice;
+}
+
+bool ProjectBuildManager::load() {
+	ScopedOp op( [this]() { mLoading = true; }, [this]() { mLoading = false; } );
+
+	mProjectFile = mProjectRoot + ".ecode/project-build.json";
+	if ( !FileSystem::fileExists( mProjectFile ) )
+		return false;
+	std::string data;
+	if ( !FileSystem::fileGet( mProjectFile, data ) )
+		return false;
+	json j;
+
+	try {
+		j = json::parse( data, nullptr, true, true );
+	} catch ( const json::exception& e ) {
+		Log::error( "ProjectBuildManager::load - Error parsing project build config from "
+					"path %s, error: ",
+					mProjectFile.c_str(), e.what() );
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	for ( const auto& build : j.items() ) {
+		ProjectBuild b( build.key(), mProjectRoot );
+		const auto& buildObj = build.value();
+
+		if ( buildObj.contains( "config" ) && buildObj["config"].is_object() ) {
+			b.mConfig.clearSysEnv = buildObj.value( "clear_sys_env", false );
+		}
+
+		if ( buildObj.contains( "var" ) && buildObj["var"].is_object() ) {
+			const auto& vars = buildObj["var"];
+			for ( const auto& var : vars.items() )
+				b.mVars[var.key()] = var.value();
+		}
+
+		if ( buildObj.contains( "env" ) && buildObj["env"].is_object() ) {
+			const auto& vars = buildObj["env"];
+			for ( const auto& var : vars.items() )
+				b.mEnvs[var.key()] = var.value();
+		}
+
+		if ( buildObj.contains( "build" ) && buildObj["build"].is_array() ) {
+			const auto& buildArray = buildObj["build"];
+			for ( const auto& step : buildArray ) {
+				ProjectBuildStep bstep;
+				bstep.cmd = step.value( "command", "" );
+				bstep.args = step.value( "args", "" );
+				bstep.workingDir = step.value( "working_dir", "" );
+				b.mBuild.emplace_back( std::move( bstep ) );
+			}
+		}
+
+		if ( buildObj.contains( "clean" ) && buildObj["clean"].is_array() ) {
+			const auto& buildArray = buildObj["clean"];
+			for ( const auto& step : buildArray ) {
+				ProjectBuildStep bstep;
+				bstep.cmd = step.value( "command", "" );
+				bstep.args = step.value( "args", "" );
+				bstep.workingDir = step.value( "working_dir", "" );
+				b.mClean.emplace_back( std::move( bstep ) );
+			}
+		}
+
+		if ( buildObj.contains( "output_parser" ) && buildObj["output_parser"].is_object() ) {
+			const auto& op = buildObj["output_parser"];
+
+			ProjectBuildOutputParser outputParser;
+
+			for ( const auto& op : op.items() ) {
+				if ( op.key() == "config" ) {
+					const auto& config = op.value();
+					outputParser.mRelativeFilePaths = config.value( "output_parser", true );
+				} else {
+					auto typeStr = String::toLower( op.key() );
+
+					if ( !isValidType( typeStr ) )
+						continue;
+
+					const auto& ptrnCfg = op.value();
+					ProjectBuildOutputParserConfig opc;
+					opc.type = outputParserType( typeStr );
+					opc.pattern = ptrnCfg.value( "pattern", "" );
+
+					if ( ptrnCfg.contains( "pattern_order" ) ) {
+						const auto& po = ptrnCfg["pattern_order"];
+						if ( po.contains( "line" ) && po["line"].is_number() )
+							opc.patternOrder.line = po["line"].get<int>();
+						if ( po.contains( "col" ) && po["col"].is_number() )
+							opc.patternOrder.col = po["col"].get<int>();
+						if ( po.contains( "message" ) && po["message"].is_number() )
+							opc.patternOrder.message = po["message"].get<int>();
+						if ( po.contains( "file" ) && po["file"].is_number() )
+							opc.patternOrder.file = po["file"].get<int>();
+					}
+
+					outputParser.mConfig.emplace_back( std::move( opc ) );
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		b.replaceVars();
+
+		mBuilds.insert( { build.key(), std::move( b ) } );
+	}
+
+	mLoaded = true;
+	return true;
+}
+
+void ProjectBuildManager::run( const std::string& buildName ) {
+	if ( !mLoaded )
+		return;
+}
+
+} // namespace ecode
diff --git a/src/tools/ecode/projectbuild.hpp b/src/tools/ecode/projectbuild.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8128b63dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/ecode/projectbuild.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+#ifndef ECODE_PROJECTBUILD_HPP
+#define ECODE_PROJECTBUILD_HPP
+
+#include <eepp/system/threadpool.hpp>
+#include <memory>
+#include <string>
+#include <unordered_map>
+#include <vector>
+
+using namespace EE::System;
+
+namespace ecode {
+
+/** reference:
+
+{
+  "ecode": {
+	"build": [
+	  {
+		"args": "--with-mojoal --with-debug-symbols gmake",
+		"command": "premake4",
+		"working_dir": "$PROJECT_ROOT"
+	  },
+	  {
+		"args": "-j$(nproc) config=release ecode",
+		"command": "make",
+		"working_dir": "${build_dir}"
+	  }
+	],
+	"clean": [
+	  {
+		"args": "config=release clean",
+		"command": "make",
+		"working_dir": "${build_dir}"
+	  }
+	],
+	"config": {
+	  "clear_sys_env": false
+	},
+	"var": {
+	  "build_dir": "$PROJECT_ROOT/make/linux"
+	},
+	"env": {
+	  "SHELL": "fish"
+	},
+	"output_parser": {
+	  "config": {
+		"relative_file_paths": true
+	  },
+	  "error": [
+		{
+		  "pattern": "([^:]*):(%d+):(%d+):%s?[%w%s]*error:%s?([^\n]*)",
+		  "pattern_order": {
+			"col": 3,
+			"file": 1,
+			"line": 2,
+			"message": 4
+		  }
+		}
+	  ]
+	}
+  }
+}
+*/
+
+struct ProjectBuildStep {
+	std::string cmd;
+	std::string args;
+	std::string workingDir;
+};
+
+using ProjectBuildSteps = std::vector<ProjectBuildStep>;
+using ProjectBuildKeyVal = std::unordered_map<std::string, std::string>;
+
+struct ProjectBuildConfig {
+	bool clearSysEnv{ false };
+};
+
+enum class ProjectOutputParserTypes { Error, Warning, Notice };
+
+struct ProjectBuildOutputParserConfig {
+	ProjectOutputParserTypes type;
+	std::string pattern;
+	struct {
+		int file{ 1 };
+		int line{ 2 };
+		int col{ 3 };
+		int message{ 4 };
+	} patternOrder;
+};
+
+class ProjectBuildOutputParser {
+  protected:
+	friend class ProjectBuildManager;
+
+	bool mRelativeFilePaths{ true };
+	std::vector<ProjectBuildOutputParserConfig> mConfig;
+};
+
+class ProjectBuild {
+  public:
+	ProjectBuild( const std::string& name, const std::string& projectRoot ) :
+		mName( name ), mProjectRoot( projectRoot ){};
+
+  protected:
+	friend class ProjectBuildManager;
+
+	std::string mName;
+	std::string mProjectRoot;
+	ProjectBuildSteps mBuild;
+	ProjectBuildSteps mClean;
+	ProjectBuildKeyVal mEnvs;
+	ProjectBuildKeyVal mVars;
+	ProjectBuildConfig mConfig;
+	ProjectBuildOutputParser mOutputParser;
+
+	void replaceVars();
+};
+
+using ProjectBuildMap = std::unordered_map<std::string, ProjectBuild>;
+
+class ProjectBuildManager {
+  public:
+	ProjectBuildManager( const std::string& projectRoot, std::shared_ptr<ThreadPool> pool );
+
+	void run( const std::string& buildName );
+
+	const ProjectBuildMap& getBuilds() const { return mBuilds; }
+
+	const std::string& getProjectRoot() const { return mProjectRoot; }
+
+	const std::string& getProjectFile() const { return mProjectFile; }
+
+	bool loaded() const { return mLoaded; }
+
+	bool loading() const { return mLoading; }
+
+  protected:
+	std::string mProjectRoot;
+	std::string mProjectFile;
+	ProjectBuildMap mBuilds;
+	std::shared_ptr<ThreadPool> mThreadPool;
+	bool mLoaded{ false };
+	bool mLoading{ false };
+
+	bool load();
+};
+
+} // namespace ecode
+
+#endif