diff --git a/index/alire-index-alr.ads b/index/alire-index-alr.ads
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7ef348d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/index/alire-index-alr.ads
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package Alire.Index.Alr is
+
+   Name : constant Project_Name := "alr";
+   Repo : constant URL          := "https://bitbucket.org/aleteolabs/alr.git";
+
+   Desc : constant Project_Description := "Command-line tool from the Alire project";
+
+   V_1_0_0 : constant Release :=
+               Register_Git (Name,
+                             V ("0.1.0"),
+                             Desc,
+                             Repo,
+                             "ce78e7706c9d3f97605df48d8befca5407f8d328");
+
+end Alire.Index.Alr;
diff --git a/src/alire-index.ads b/src/alire-index.ads
index 4898ffcd..67ab1720 100644
--- a/src/alire-index.ads
+++ b/src/alire-index.ads
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ package Alire.Index is
    subtype Dependencies is Alire.Dependencies.Vectors.Vector;
    
    No_Dependencies : constant Dependencies      := Alire.Dependencies.Vectors.No_Dependencies;
-   No_Properties   : constant Properties.Vector := Properties.Vectors.Empty_Vector;
+   No_Properties   : constant Properties.Vector := Properties.No_Properties;
    No_Requisites   : constant Requisites.Tree   := Requisites.Trees.Empty_Tree;
 
    subtype Release      is Alire.Releases.Release;
diff --git a/src/alire-properties.ads b/src/alire-properties.ads
index 8649f6e0..69f2f66c 100644
--- a/src/alire-properties.ads
+++ b/src/alire-properties.ads
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ package Alire.Properties with Preelaborate is
 
    subtype Vector is Vectors.Vector;
 
+   No_Properties : Vector renames Vectors.Empty_Vector;
+
    function "and" (L, R : Property'Class)          return Vector;
    function "and" (L : Vector; R : Property'Class) return Vector;
 
diff --git a/src/alire-root_project.adb b/src/alire-root_project.adb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f14f3648
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/alire-root_project.adb
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+with Alire.Properties;
+with Alire.Requisites;
+with Alire.Repositories.Local;
+
+package body Alire.Root_Project is
+
+   ----------------------
+   -- Set_Root_Project --
+   ----------------------
+
+   function Set (Project    : Project_Name;
+                 Version    : Semantic_Versioning.Version;
+                 Depends_On : Dependencies.Vectors.Vector := Dependencies.Vectors.No_Dependencies)
+                 return Releases.Release
+   is
+      Rel : constant Releases.Release :=
+              Alire.Releases.New_Release (Project,
+                                          "working copy of " & Project, -- FIXME might be too long
+                                          Version,
+                                          Alire.Repositories.Local.Repo,
+                                          "filesystem",
+                                          Depends_On,
+                                          Properties => Properties.No_Properties,
+                                          Requisites => Requisites.No_Requisites,
+                                          Native     => False);
+   begin
+      Root_Project.Current.Replace_Element (Rel);
+
+      return Rel;
+   end Set;
+
+end Alire.Root_Project;
diff --git a/src/alire-root_project.ads b/src/alire-root_project.ads
index 939cc557..f78142d7 100644
--- a/src/alire-root_project.ads
+++ b/src/alire-root_project.ads
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 with Alire.Containers;
 with Alire.Dependencies.Vectors;
-with Alire.Os_Lib;
 with Alire.Releases;
 
 with Semantic_Versioning;
@@ -16,25 +15,6 @@ package Alire.Root_Project is
    --  unless the hash already matches. In this case, we know the project file is
    --  missing the Set_Root_Project call
 
-   procedure Ensure_Valid
-     with Post => (not Current.Is_Empty or else raise Program_Error with "No root project when expected to exist");
-   --  Graceful check that Current contains what it should.
-
-   function Name return String
-     with Pre => (not Current.Is_Empty);
-
-   function GPR_File (Prj : Alire.Project_Name := Current.Element.Project) return String
-     with Pre => (not Current.Is_Empty);
-   --  The actual project root file (not the _alrbuild one!)
-
-   function GPR_Alr_File (Prj : Alire.Project_Name := Current.Element.Project) return String
-     with Pre => (not Current.Is_Empty);
-   --  The alr environment project file (project_alr.gpr)
-
-   function Enter_Root (Prj : Alire.Project_Name := Current.Element.Project) return Alire.OS_Lib.Folder_Guard
-     with Pre => (not Current.Is_Empty);
-   --  Enters the root folder if not already there
-
    function Set (Project    : Project_Name;
                  Version    : Semantic_Versioning.Version;
                  Depends_On : Dependencies.Vectors.Vector := Dependencies.Vectors.No_Dependencies)