diff --git a/podmanctl b/podmanctl
index 16ff6e6..bf28f57 100755
--- a/podmanctl
+++ b/podmanctl
@@ -6,17 +6,20 @@ set -u
 set -e
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------- usage
-COMMANDS="restore|backup|create|run|stop|remove|clean|start"
 usage () {
   printf "Usage:\n"
   printf "  podmanctl [<options>] <project> [<project>...]\n"
   printf "    - command is assumed to be 'run'\n"
   printf "  podmanctl [${COMMANDS}] [<options>] <project> [<project>...]\n"
   printf "  Options:\n"
-  printf "    -e <additional_environment_vars>\n"
+  printf "    For run|create:\n"
+  printf "      -e <additional_environment_vars>\n"
+  printf "    For backup:\n"
+  printf "      -d (keep containers down)\n"
 }
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------- command
+COMMANDS="create|run|stop|start|clean|backup|restore"
 if [[ $# -lt 1 ]]; then
   printf "Arguments missing\n"
   usage
@@ -51,8 +54,8 @@ fi
 for PROJECT in $*; do
 
   if [[ ! -r ${PROJECT} ]]; then
-    printf "Project spec file '${PROJECT}' missing or not readable. Skipping\n"
-    continue
+    printf "Project spec file '${PROJECT}' missing or not readable\n"
+    exit 1
   fi
 
   # --------------------------------------------------------- project vars
@@ -75,15 +78,8 @@ for PROJECT in $*; do
     exit 3;
   fi
   
-  printf -- \
-    "--------------------------------------------------------- \
-    ${PROJECT} ${COMMAND}\n"
-  
-  # --------------------------------------------------------- stop pod service
-  systemctl list-units --full -all \
-    |grep -Fq "podman-${PODNAME}.service" \
-    && systemctl stop podman-${PODNAME}.service
-  
+  printf ":: ${COMMAND} ${PROJECT}\n"
+
   # --------------------------------------------------------- network
   podman network exists ${NETWORK} \
     || podman network create ${NETWORK}
@@ -100,53 +96,134 @@ for PROJECT in $*; do
   PROXY_SUBNET_PREFIX="${PROXY_SUBNET%\.0/24}"
   #printf "${PROXY_SUBNET_PREFIX}" > "proxy-subnet"
   
-  # --------------------------------------------------------- spec var runtime
-  if [[ $COMMAND = "run" ]]; then
-    SPEC_RUN="${RUNTIME} run -d"
-  else
-    SPEC_RUN="${RUNTIME} create"
-  fi
+  case $COMMAND in
+    
+    (create|run)
+
+      # --------------------------------------------------------- spec vars
+      SPEC_IP="--ip ${SUBNET_PREFIX}"
+      SPEC_POD="--pod ${PODNAME}"
+      SPEC_DNS="--dns ${SUBNET_PREFIX}.254"
+      SPEC_ENV="--env-file ${ENVFILE}"
+      SPEC_ENV="${SPEC_ENV} --env SUBNET=${SUBNET}"
+      SPEC_ENV="${SPEC_ENV} ${ARGS_ENV}"
+      SPEC_NAME="--name ${PROJECT}"
+      SPEC_INFRA_NAME="--infra-name ${PROJECT}-infra"
+      SPEC_IMAGE="${REGADDR}/${PROJECT}"
+      SPEC_CONFIG="--volume ${ROOTDIR}"
+      SPEC_SUBNET="--subnet ${SUBNET}"
+      SPEC_LABELS="--label io.containers.autoupdate=registry"
+      SPEC_VOLUME="--volume ${PROJECT}"
+      SPEC_NETWORK="--network ${NETWORK}"
+      SPEC_NETWORK_PREFIX="${SPEC_NETWORK}:ip=${SUBNET_PREFIX}"
+      SPEC_PROXY_NET="--network proxy-net"
+      SPEC_PROXY_NET_PREFIX="${SPEC_PROXY_NET}:ip=${PROXY_SUBNET_PREFIX}"
+      SPEC_HOSTS=""
+      SPEC_PUBLISH=""
+      SPEC_ALIAS="--network-alias "
   
-  # --------------------------------------------------------- spec vars
-  SPEC_IP="--ip ${SUBNET_PREFIX}"
-  SPEC_POD="--pod ${PODNAME}"
-  SPEC_DNS="--dns ${SUBNET_PREFIX}.254"
-  SPEC_ENV="--env-file ${ENVFILE}"
-  SPEC_ENV="${SPEC_ENV} --env SUBNET=${SUBNET}"
-  SPEC_ENV="${SPEC_ENV} ${ARGS_ENV}"
-  SPEC_NAME="--name ${PROJECT}"
-  SPEC_INFRA_NAME="--infra-name ${PROJECT}-infra"
-  SPEC_IMAGE="${REGADDR}/${PROJECT}"
-  SPEC_CONFIG="--volume ${ROOTDIR}"
-  SPEC_SUBNET="--subnet ${SUBNET}"
-  SPEC_LABELS="--label io.containers.autoupdate=registry"
-  SPEC_VOLUME="--volume ${PROJECT}"
-  SPEC_NETWORK="--network ${NETWORK}"
-  SPEC_NETWORK_PREFIX="${SPEC_NETWORK}:ip=${SUBNET_PREFIX}"
-  SPEC_PROXY_NET="--network proxy-net"
-  SPEC_PROXY_NET_PREFIX="${SPEC_PROXY_NET}:ip=${PROXY_SUBNET_PREFIX}"
-  SPEC_HOSTS=""
-  SPEC_PUBLISH=""
-  SPEC_ALIAS="--network-alias "
+      # --------------------------------------------------------- spec var runtime
+      if [[ $COMMAND = "run" ]]; then
+        SPEC_RUN="${RUNTIME} run -d"
+      else
+        SPEC_RUN="${RUNTIME} create"
+      fi
   
-  # --------------------------------------------------------- create pod
-  podman pod create --replace \
-    ${SPEC_NAME}-pod \
-    ${SPEC_INFRA_NAME}
+      # --------------------------------------------------------- remove pod
+      if [[ "$(systemctl is-active podman-${PODNAME}.service)" == "active" ]]; then
+        if systemctl list-units --full -all \
+          |grep -Fq "podman-${PODNAME}.service" then
+          systemctl stop podman-${PODNAME}.service
+        fi
+      else
+        if podman pod exists "${PODNAME}"; then
+          podman pod rm -f -t 70 "${PODNAME}"
+        fi
+      fi
+ 
+      # --------------------------------------------------------- create pod
+      podman pod create \
+        ${SPEC_NAME}-pod \
+        ${SPEC_INFRA_NAME}
+      
+      # --------------------------------------------------------- create|run containers
+      source ${PROJECT}
+      
+      # --------------------------------------------------------- create services
+      (cd /etc/systemd/system && \
+        podman generate systemd \
+          --name \
+          --new \
+          --stop-timeout=70 \
+          --pod-prefix=podman \
+          --restart-sec=10 \
+          --container-prefix=podman \
+          --files ${PODNAME} \
+      ) && systemctl daemon-reload \
+        && systemctl enable podman-${PODNAME}
+
+      printf "   ${COMMAND} ${PROJECT} - success\n"
+      ;;
+
+    (stop|start) 
+
+      # --------------------------------------------------------- start pod service
+      if [[ "$(systemctl is-active podman-${PODNAME}.service)" == "active" ]]; then
+        if systemctl list-units --full -all \
+          |grep -Fq "podman-${PODNAME}.service"; then
+          systemctl "${COMMAND}" podman-${PODNAME}.service
+        fi
+      else
+        if podman pod exists "${PODNAME}"; then
+          if [[ $COMMAND = "stop" ]]; then
+            podman pod stop -t 70 "${PODNAME}"
+          else
+            podman pod start "${PODNAME}"
+          fi
+        else
+          printf "   ${COMMAND} ${PROJECT} - pod not found!\n"
+          continue
+        fi
+      fi
+
+      printf "   ${COMMAND} ${PROJECT} - success\n"
+      ;;
   
-  # --------------------------------------------------------- run containers
-  source ${PROJECT}
+    (clean)
+
+      # --------------------------------------------------------- clean
+      if [[ "$(systemctl is-active podman-${PODNAME}.service)" == "active" ]]; then
+        if systemctl list-units --full -all \
+          |grep -Fq "podman-${PODNAME}.service"; then
+          systemctl stop podman-${PODNAME}.service
+        fi
+      else
+        if podman pod exists "${PODNAME}"; then
+          podman pod rm -f -t 70 "${PODNAME}"
+        fi
+      fi
+      if [[ -f /etc/systemd/system/podman-${PODNAME}.service ]]; then
+        systemctl disable podman-${PODNAME}.service
+      fi
+      find /etc/systemd/system \
+        -maxdepth 1 \
+        -name "podman-${PROJECT}-*.service" \
+        -exec rm {} +
+      systemctl daemon-reload
+
+      printf "   ${COMMAND} ${PROJECT} - success\n"
+      ;;
   
-  # --------------------------------------------------------- services create and start
-  (cd /etc/systemd/system && \
-    podman generate systemd \
-      --name \
-      --stop-timeout=70 \
-      --pod-prefix=podman \
-      --restart-sec=5 \
-      --container-prefix=podman \
-      --files ${PODNAME} \
-  ) && systemctl daemon-reload \
-    && systemctl enable podman-${PODNAME}
+    (backup)
+
+      echo "   ${COMMAND} ${PROJECT} - not implemented\n"; continue
+      ;;
+
+    (restore)
+
+      echo "   ${COMMAND} ${PROJECT} - not implemented\n"; continue
+      ;;
+
+  esac
 
 done