diff --git a/cli/Cargo.toml b/cli/Cargo.toml
index 606b5c0..9fb11fd 100644
--- a/cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ keywords = ["blockchain", "cosmos", "tendermint", "cycles", "quartz"]
 readme = "README.md"
 
 [dependencies]
-clap.workspace = true
+clap = { workspace = true, features=["env"] }
 color-eyre.workspace = true
 displaydoc.workspace = true
 serde.workspace = true
diff --git a/cli/src/cli.rs b/cli/src/cli.rs
index a48b570..6518533 100644
--- a/cli/src/cli.rs
+++ b/cli/src/cli.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ pub struct Cli {
     #[clap(flatten)]
     pub verbose: Verbosity,
 
+    /// Enable mock SGX mode for testing purposes.
+    /// This flag disables the use of an Intel SGX processor and allows the system to run without remote attestations.
+    #[clap(long, env)]
+    pub mock_sgx: bool,
+
     /// Main command
     #[command(subcommand)]
     pub command: Command,
@@ -36,8 +41,28 @@ pub struct Cli {
 pub enum Command {
     /// Create an empty Quartz app from a template
     Init {
-        /// path to create & init a quartz app, defaults to current path if unspecified
+        /// path to create & init a Quartz app, defaults to current path if unspecified
         #[clap(long)]
         path: Option<PathBuf>,
     },
+    /// Subcommands for handling the Quartz app enclave
+    Enclave {
+        #[command(subcommand)]
+        enclave_command: EnclaveCommand,
+    },
 }
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Subcommand)]
+pub enum EnclaveCommand {
+    /// Build the Quartz app's enclave
+    Build {
+        /// path to Cargo.toml file of the Quartz app's enclave package, defaults to './enclave/Cargo.toml' if unspecified
+        #[arg(long, default_value = "./enclave/Cargo.toml")]
+        manifest_path: PathBuf,
+    },
+    // Run the Quartz app's enclave
+    Start {
+        #[clap(long)]
+        path: Option<PathBuf>,
+    },
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cli/src/error.rs b/cli/src/error.rs
index 18b2efe..c43012e 100644
--- a/cli/src/error.rs
+++ b/cli/src/error.rs
@@ -5,4 +5,6 @@ use thiserror::Error;
 pub enum Error {
     /// specified path `{0}` is not a directory
     PathNotDir(String),
+    /// {0}
+    GenericErr(String),
 }
diff --git a/cli/src/handler.rs b/cli/src/handler.rs
index 8377c68..85916c7 100644
--- a/cli/src/handler.rs
+++ b/cli/src/handler.rs
@@ -1,21 +1,23 @@
-use crate::{cli::Verbosity, error::Error, request::Request, response::Response};
+use crate::{error::Error, request::Request, response::Response, Config};
 
+pub mod enclave_build;
 pub mod init;
 
 pub trait Handler {
     type Error;
     type Response;
 
-    fn handle(self, verbosity: Verbosity) -> Result<Self::Response, Self::Error>;
+    fn handle(self, config: Config) -> Result<Self::Response, Self::Error>;
 }
 
 impl Handler for Request {
     type Error = Error;
     type Response = Response;
 
-    fn handle(self, verbosity: Verbosity) -> Result<Self::Response, Self::Error> {
+    fn handle(self, config: Config) -> Result<Self::Response, Self::Error> {
         match self {
-            Request::Init(request) => request.handle(verbosity),
+            Request::Init(request) => request.handle(config),
+            Request::EnclaveBuild(request) => request.handle(config),
         }
         .map(Into::into)
     }
diff --git a/cli/src/handler/enclave_build.rs b/cli/src/handler/enclave_build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa7eb74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/src/handler/enclave_build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+use std::process::Command;
+
+use tracing::{debug, trace};
+
+use crate::{
+    error::Error,
+    handler::Handler,
+    request::enclave_build::EnclaveBuildRequest,
+    response::{enclave_build::EnclaveBuildResponse, Response},
+    Config,
+};
+
+impl Handler for EnclaveBuildRequest {
+    type Error = Error;
+    type Response = Response;
+
+    fn handle(self, config: Config) -> Result<Self::Response, Self::Error> {
+        let mut cargo = Command::new("cargo");
+        let command = cargo
+            .args(["build", "--release"])
+            .args(["--manifest-path", &self.manifest_path.display().to_string()]);
+
+        if config.mock_sgx {
+            debug!("Building with mock-sgx enabled");
+            command.arg("--features=mock-sgx");
+        }
+
+        trace!("🚧 Building enclave ...");
+        let status = command
+            .status()
+            .map_err(|e| Error::GenericErr(e.to_string()))?;
+
+        if !status.success() {
+            return Err(Error::GenericErr(format!(
+                "Couldn't build enclave. {:?}",
+                status
+            )));
+        }
+
+        Ok(EnclaveBuildResponse.into())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/cli/src/handler/init.rs b/cli/src/handler/init.rs
index e7f251f..cd672b9 100644
--- a/cli/src/handler/init.rs
+++ b/cli/src/handler/init.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
 use tracing::trace;
 
 use crate::{
-    cli::Verbosity, error::Error, handler::Handler, request::init::InitRequest,
-    response::init::InitResponse,
+    error::Error, handler::Handler, request::init::InitRequest, response::Response, Config,
 };
 
 impl Handler for InitRequest {
     type Error = Error;
-    type Response = InitResponse;
+    type Response = Response;
 
-    fn handle(self, _verbosity: Verbosity) -> Result<Self::Response, Self::Error> {
+    fn handle(self, _config: Config) -> Result<Self::Response, Self::Error> {
         trace!("initializing directory structure...");
         todo!()
     }
diff --git a/cli/src/main.rs b/cli/src/main.rs
index 9288ca9..4a0889b 100644
--- a/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ use tracing_subscriber::{util::SubscriberInitExt, EnvFilter};
 
 use crate::{cli::Cli, handler::Handler, request::Request};
 
+pub struct Config {
+    pub mock_sgx: bool,
+}
+
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
     color_eyre::install()?;
 
@@ -48,7 +52,9 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
     // Each `Request` defines an associated `Handler` (i.e. logic) and `Response`. All handlers are
     // free to log to the terminal and these logs are sent to `stderr`.
-    let response = request.handle(args.verbose)?;
+    let response = request.handle(Config {
+        mock_sgx: args.mock_sgx,
+    })?;
 
     // `Handlers` must use `Responses` to output to `stdout`.
     println!(
diff --git a/cli/src/request.rs b/cli/src/request.rs
index 07b90a7..b698d0c 100644
--- a/cli/src/request.rs
+++ b/cli/src/request.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
-use crate::{cli::Command, error::Error, request::init::InitRequest};
+use crate::{
+    cli::{Command, EnclaveCommand},
+    error::Error,
+    request::{enclave_build::EnclaveBuildRequest, init::InitRequest},
+};
 
+pub mod enclave_build;
 pub mod init;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub enum Request {
     Init(InitRequest),
+    EnclaveBuild(EnclaveBuildRequest),
 }
 
 impl TryFrom<Command> for Request {
@@ -12,8 +18,13 @@ impl TryFrom<Command> for Request {
 
     fn try_from(cmd: Command) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
         match cmd {
-            Command::Init { path } => InitRequest::try_from(path),
+            Command::Init { path } => InitRequest::try_from(path).map(Into::into),
+            Command::Enclave { enclave_command } => match enclave_command {
+                EnclaveCommand::Build { manifest_path } => {
+                    Ok(EnclaveBuildRequest { manifest_path }.into())
+                }
+                _ => todo!(),
+            },
         }
-        .map(Into::into)
     }
 }
diff --git a/cli/src/request/enclave_build.rs b/cli/src/request/enclave_build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7e9629
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/src/request/enclave_build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+use crate::request::Request;
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct EnclaveBuildRequest {
+    pub manifest_path: PathBuf,
+}
+
+impl From<EnclaveBuildRequest> for Request {
+    fn from(request: EnclaveBuildRequest) -> Self {
+        Self::EnclaveBuild(request)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/cli/src/response.rs b/cli/src/response.rs
index 5e53a5d..2509121 100644
--- a/cli/src/response.rs
+++ b/cli/src/response.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 use serde::Serialize;
 
-use crate::response::init::InitResponse;
+use crate::response::{enclave_build::EnclaveBuildResponse, init::InitResponse};
 
+pub mod enclave_build;
 pub mod init;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize)]
 pub enum Response {
     Init(InitResponse),
+    EnclaveBuild(EnclaveBuildResponse),
 }
diff --git a/cli/src/response/enclave_build.rs b/cli/src/response/enclave_build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c904076
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/src/response/enclave_build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+use serde::Serialize;
+
+use crate::response::Response;
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize)]
+pub struct EnclaveBuildResponse;
+
+impl From<EnclaveBuildResponse> for Response {
+    fn from(response: EnclaveBuildResponse) -> Self {
+        Self::EnclaveBuild(response)
+    }
+}