diff --git a/tools/commands-cordova.js b/tools/commands-cordova.js
index fccae29701..ecf1a31c10 100644
--- a/tools/commands-cordova.js
+++ b/tools/commands-cordova.js
@@ -25,11 +25,52 @@ var Console = require('./console.js').Console;
 
 // XXX hard-coded the use of default tropohouse
 var tropo = tropohouse.default;
+var supportedPlatforms = ['ios', 'android', 'firefoxos'];
+var webArchName = "web.cordova";
 
 var cordova = exports;
 
-var supportedPlatforms = ['ios', 'android', 'firefoxos'];
-var webArchName = "web.cordova";
+
+// --- the public interface ---
+
+// Builds a Cordova project that targets the list of 'platforms'
+// options:
+//   - appName: the target path of the build
+//   - host
+//   - port
+cordova.buildPlatforms = function (localPath, platforms, options) {
+  verboseLog('Running build for platforms:', platforms);
+  checkRequestedPlatforms(platforms);
+  buildCordova(localPath, 'build', options);
+};
+
+cordova.buildPlatformRunners = function (localPath, platforms, options) {
+  var runners = [];
+  _.each(platforms, function (platformName) {
+    runners.push(new CordovaRunner(localPath, platformName, options));
+  });
+  return runners;
+};
+
+// packages - list of strings
+cordova.filterPackages = function (packages) {
+// We hard-code the 'cordova' and 'platform' namespaces
+  var ret = {
+    rest: [],
+    plugins: []
+  };
+
+  _.each(packages, function (p) {
+    var namespace = p.split(':')[0];
+    var name = p.split(':').slice(1).join(':');
+    if (namespace === 'cordova') {
+      ret.plugins.push(name);
+    } else {
+      ret.rest.push(p); // leave it the same
+    }
+  });
+  return ret;
+};
 
 // --- helpers ---
 
@@ -241,7 +282,7 @@ var getBundle = function (bundlePath, webArchs, options) {
 };
 
 // Creates a Cordova project if necessary.
-cordova.ensureCordovaProject = function (localPath, appName) {
+var ensureCordovaProject = function (localPath, appName) {
   verboseLog('Ensuring the cordova build project');
   var cordovaPath = path.join(localPath, 'cordova-build');
   var localPluginsPath = localPluginsPathFromCordovaPath(cordovaPath);
@@ -269,7 +310,7 @@ cordova.ensureCordovaProject = function (localPath, appName) {
 
 // Ensures that the Cordova platforms are synchronized with the app-level
 // platforms.
-cordova.ensureCordovaPlatforms = function (localPath) {
+var ensureCordovaPlatforms = function (localPath) {
   verboseLog('Ensuring that platforms in cordova build project are in sync');
   var cordovaPath = path.join(localPath, 'cordova-build');
   var platforms = project.getCordovaPlatforms();
@@ -341,27 +382,7 @@ var checkRequestedPlatforms = function (platforms) {
   });
 };
 
-// Builds a Cordova project that targets the list of 'platforms'
-// options:
-//   - appName: the target path of the build
-//   - host
-//   - port
-cordova.buildPlatforms = function (localPath, platforms, options) {
-  verboseLog('Running build for platforms:', platforms);
-  checkRequestedPlatforms(platforms);
-  buildCordova(localPath, 'build', options);
-};
-
-
-cordova.buildPlatformRunners = function (localPath, platforms, options) {
-  var runners = [];
-  _.each(platforms, function (platformName) {
-    runners.push(new CordovaRunner(localPath, platformName, options));
-  });
-  return runners;
-};
-
-cordova.checkIsValidPlatform = function (name) {
+var isValidPlatform = function (name) {
   if (name.match(/ios/i) && process.platform !== 'darwin')
     throw new Error(name + ': not available on your system');
   if (! _.contains(supportedPlatforms, name))
@@ -598,7 +619,7 @@ var ensureCordovaPlugins = function (localPath, options) {
       // Cordova to fix the bug in their system, because it doesn't seem
       // like there's a way around this.
       files.rm_recursive(path.join(cordovaPath, 'platforms'));
-      cordova.ensureCordovaPlatforms(localPath);
+      ensureCordovaPlatforms(localPath);
     };
     Console.stdout.write("Initializing Cordova plugins...\n");
     uninstallAllPlugins();
@@ -664,16 +685,6 @@ var localPluginsPathFromCordovaPath = function (cordovaPath) {
   return path.join(cordovaPath, 'local-plugins');
 };
 
-cordova.checkIsValidPlugin = function (name) {
-  var pluginHash = {};
-  pluginHash[name.split('@')[0]] = name.split('@')[1];
-
-  // check that every plugin is specifying either an exact constraint or a
-  // tarball url with sha
-  utils.ensureOnlyExactVersions(pluginHash);
-};
-
-
 
 
 // --- Cordova from project ---
@@ -700,8 +711,8 @@ var buildCordova = function (localPath, buildCommand, options) {
   verboseLog('Bundling the web.cordova program of the app');
   var bundle = getBundle(bundlePath, [webArchName], options);
 
-  cordova.ensureCordovaProject(localPath, options.appName);
-  cordova.ensureCordovaPlatforms(localPath);
+  ensureCordovaProject(localPath, options.appName);
+  ensureCordovaPlatforms(localPath);
   ensureCordovaPlugins(localPath, _.extend({}, options, {
     packagePlugins: getCordovaDependenciesFromStar(bundle.starManifest)
   }));
@@ -972,28 +983,6 @@ var execCordovaOnPlatform = function (localPath, platformName, options) {
   return 0;
 };
 
-
-
-// packages - list of strings
-cordova.filterPackages = function (packages) {
-// We hard-code the 'cordova' and 'platform' namespaces
-  var ret = {
-    rest: [],
-    plugins: []
-  };
-
-  _.each(packages, function (p) {
-    var namespace = p.split(':')[0];
-    var name = p.split(':').slice(1).join(':');
-    if (namespace === 'cordova') {
-      ret.plugins.push(name);
-    } else {
-      ret.rest.push(p); // leave it the same
-    }
-  });
-  return ret;
-};
-
 var getTermsForPlatform = function (platform) {
   var url = 'https://warehouse.meteor.com/cordova/license_cordova_' + platform + '.txt';
   var result = httpHelpers.request({
@@ -1069,7 +1058,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
 
   try {
     _.each(platforms, function (platform) {
-      cordova.checkIsValidPlatform(platform);
+      isValidPlatform(platform);
     });
   } catch (err) {
     Console.stderr.write(err.message + "\n");
@@ -1095,8 +1084,8 @@ main.registerCommand({
     files.mkdir_p(localPath);
 
     var appName = path.basename(options.appDir);
-    cordova.ensureCordovaProject(localPath, appName);
-    cordova.ensureCordovaPlatforms(localPath);
+    ensureCordovaProject(localPath, appName);
+    ensureCordovaPlatforms(localPath);
   }
 
   _.each(platforms, function (platform) {
@@ -1128,8 +1117,8 @@ main.registerCommand({
     files.mkdir_p(localPath);
 
     var appName = path.basename(options.appDir);
-    cordova.ensureCordovaProject(localPath, appName);
-    cordova.ensureCordovaPlatforms(localPath);
+    ensureCordovaProject(localPath, appName);
+    ensureCordovaPlatforms(localPath);
   }
 
 });