diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 6103cd7faa..6f8cac418f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ issues = "https://github.com/rdmorganiser/rdmo/issues"
 repository = "https://github.com/rdmorganiser/rdmo.git"
 slack = "https://rdmo.slack.com"
 
+[project.scripts]
+rdmo-admin = "rdmo.__main__:main"
+
 [tool.setuptools.packages.find]
 include = ["rdmo*"]
 exclude = ["*assets*", "*tests*"]
diff --git a/rdmo/__main__.py b/rdmo/__main__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b19f323ed1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rdmo/__main__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+'''
+Runs rdmo-admin when the rdmo module is run as a script, much like django-admin
+(see: https://github.com/django/django/blob/main/django/__main__.py):
+
+    python -m rdmo check
+
+The main method is added as script in pyproject.toml so that
+
+    rdmo-admin check
+
+works as well. Unlike django-admin, a set of generic settings is used for the
+management scripts.
+'''
+
+import os
+
+from django.core import management
+
+os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "rdmo.core.management.settings")
+
+
+def main():
+    management.execute_from_command_line()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/rdmo/core/management/commands/build.py b/rdmo/core/management/commands/build.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9e67ff1905
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rdmo/core/management/commands/build.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+from django.core.management import call_command
+from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
+
+
+class Command(BaseCommand):
+
+    def handle(self, *args, **options):
+        call_command('npm', 'ci')
+        call_command('npm', 'run', 'build:prod')
+        subprocess.call(['/bin/bash', '-c', f'{sys.executable} -m build'])
diff --git a/rdmo/core/management/commands/clean.py b/rdmo/core/management/commands/clean.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bd7a3de439
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rdmo/core/management/commands/clean.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import os
+import shutil
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
+
+
+class Command(BaseCommand):
+
+    def add_arguments(self, parser):
+        parser.add_argument('command', choices=[
+            'all',
+            'dist',
+            'media',
+            'npm',
+            'python',
+            'static',
+        ])
+
+    def handle(self, *args, **options):
+        if options['command'] in ['all', 'dist']:
+            self.clean_dir('dist')
+            self.clean_dir('rdmo.egg-info')
+        if options['command'] in ['all', 'media']:
+            self.clean_dir(settings.MEDIA_ROOT)
+        if options['command'] in ['all', 'npm']:
+            self.clean_dir('node_modules')
+        if options['command'] in ['all', 'static']:
+            self.clean_static()
+        if options['command'] in ['all', 'python']:
+            self.clean_python()
+
+    def clean_python(self):
+        for root, dirs, files in os.walk('.'):
+            for dir_name in dirs:
+                if dir_name == '__pycache__':
+                    self.clean_dir(os.path.join(root, dir_name), quiet=True)
+
+    def clean_static(self):
+        self.clean_dir(settings.STATIC_ROOT)
+
+        for path in [
+            # 'rdmo/core/static',     # TODO: enable after cleanup
+            'rdmo/management/static',
+            # 'rdmo/projects/static'  # TODO: enable after cleanup
+        ]:
+            self.clean_dir(path)
+
+    def clean_dir(self, path, quiet=False):
+        if path and os.path.exists(path):
+            shutil.rmtree(path)
+            if not quiet:
+                print(f'Directory "{path}" has been removed!')
diff --git a/rdmo/core/management/commands/messages.py b/rdmo/core/management/commands/messages.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aa1703ca72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rdmo/core/management/commands/messages.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import subprocess
+
+from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
+
+
+class Command(BaseCommand):
+
+    def add_arguments(self, parser):
+        parser.add_argument('command', choices=['make', 'compile'])
+
+    def handle(self, *args, **options):
+        if options['command'] == 'make':
+            subprocess.check_call(['django-admin', 'makemessages', '--all'], cwd='rdmo')
+            subprocess.check_call(['django-admin', 'makemessages', '--all', '-d', 'djangojs'], cwd='rdmo')
+
+        elif options['command'] == 'compile':
+            subprocess.check_call(['django-admin', 'compilemessages'], cwd='rdmo')
diff --git a/rdmo/core/management/commands/npm.py b/rdmo/core/management/commands/npm.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5e5929d931
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rdmo/core/management/commands/npm.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import os
+import subprocess
+
+from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand, CommandError
+
+
+class Command(BaseCommand):
+
+    def add_arguments(self, parser):
+        parser.add_argument('command', nargs="*")
+
+    def handle(self, *args, **options):
+        nvm_dir = os.getenv('NVM_DIR')
+
+        if nvm_dir is None:
+            raise CommandError('NVM_DIR is not set, is nvm.sh installed?')
+
+        if not os.path.exists(nvm_dir):
+            raise CommandError('NVM_DIR does not exist, is nvm.sh installed?')
+
+        command = ' '.join(options['command'])
+        subprocess.call(['/bin/bash', '-c', f'source {nvm_dir}/nvm.sh; npm {command}'])
diff --git a/rdmo/core/management/settings.py b/rdmo/core/management/settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aebbda76e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rdmo/core/management/settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+'''
+Generic settings to be used with rdmo-admin outside of an rdmo-app.
+'''
+
+from rdmo.core.settings import *  # noqa: F403
+
+ROOT_URLCONF = ''
+
+DATABASES = {}
+
+STATIC_ROOT = 'static_root'