diff --git a/cmd/nerdctl/flagutil.go b/cmd/nerdctl/flagutil.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..aeb910aba04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/nerdctl/flagutil.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*
+   Copyright The containerd Authors.
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"github.com/containerd/nerdctl/pkg/api/types"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+func processGlobalFlag(cmd *cobra.Command) (*types.GlobalCommandOptions, error) {
+	options := &types.GlobalCommandOptions{}
+	debug, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("debug")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.Debug = debug
+	debugFull, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("debug-full")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.DebugFull = debugFull
+	address, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("address")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.Address = address
+	namespace, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("namespace")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.Namespace = namespace
+	snapshotter, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("snapshotter")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.Snapshotter = snapshotter
+	cniPath, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("cni-path")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.CNIPath = cniPath
+	cniConfigPath, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("cni-netconfpath")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.CNINetConfPath = cniConfigPath
+	dataRoot, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("data-root")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.DataRoot = dataRoot
+	cgroupManager, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("cgroup-manager")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.CgroupManager = cgroupManager
+	insecureRegistry, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("insecure-registry")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.InsecureRegistry = insecureRegistry
+	hostsDir, err := cmd.Flags().GetStringSlice("hosts-dir")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.HostsDir = hostsDir
+	experimental, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("experimental")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	options.Experimental = experimental
+	return options, nil
+}