diff --git a/src/tools/kdb/basename.c b/src/tools/kdb/basename.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a2c8f0c8f03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/kdb/basename.c
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+/**
+ * @file
+ *
+ * @brief Implementation of kdb basename command
+ *
+ * @copyright BSD License (see LICENSE.md or https://www.libelektra.org)
+ */
+
+#include <basename.h>
+#include <command.h>
+
+#include <kdb.h>
+#include <kdbassert.h>
+#include <kdbease.h>
+#include <kdberrors.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#define COMMAND_NAME "basename"
+
+#define GET_OPTION_KEY(options, name) GET_OPT_KEY (options, COMMAND_BASE_KEY (COMMAND_NAME) "/" name)
+#define GET_OPTION(options, name) GET_OPT (options, COMMAND_BASE_KEY (COMMAND_NAME) "/" name)
+
+void addBasenameSpec (KeySet * spec)
+{
+	ksAppendKey (spec, keyNew (COMMAND_SPEC_KEY (COMMAND_NAME), KEY_META, "description", "Get the basename of a key.",
+				   KEY_META, "command", COMMAND_NAME, KEY_END));
+	ksAppendKey (spec, keyNew (COMMAND_SPEC_KEY (COMMAND_NAME) "/name", KEY_META, "description", "The name of the key", KEY_META,
+				   "args", "indexed", KEY_META, "args/index", "0", KEY_END));
+
+	ADD_BASIC_OPTIONS (spec, COMMAND_SPEC_KEY (COMMAND_NAME))
+}
+
+int execBasename (KeySet * options, Key * errorKey)
+{
+	bool verbose = false;
+	Key * tmp = GET_OPTION_KEY (options, "verbose");
+	if (tmp != NULL)
+	{
+		elektraKeyToBoolean (GET_OPTION_KEY (options, "verbose"), &verbose);
+	}
+
+	const char * rawName = GET_OPTION (options, "name");
+	bool resolved = false;
+	const char * name = expandKeyName (options, rawName, &resolved);
+	if (name == NULL)
+	{
+		ELEKTRA_SET_VALIDATION_SEMANTIC_ERRORF (errorKey, "could not resolve bookmark in '%s'", rawName);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	if (verbose && resolved)
+	{
+		printf ("resolved bookmark: \'%s\' -> \'%s\'\n", rawName, name);
+	}
+
+	Key * key = keyNew (name, KEY_END);
+	if (key == NULL)
+	{
+		ELEKTRA_SET_VALIDATION_SEMANTIC_ERRORF (errorKey, "'%s' is not avlid key name.", name);
+		return 1;
+	}
+	printf ("%s", keyBaseName (key));
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/tools/kdb/basename.cpp b/src/tools/kdb/basename.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index d66a6015ce9..00000000000
--- a/src/tools/kdb/basename.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * @file
- *
- * @brief
- *
- * @copyright BSD License (see LICENSE.md or https://www.libelektra.org)
- */
-
-#include <basename.hpp>
-#include <cmdline.hpp>
-#include <nameparthelper.hpp>
-
-
-using namespace std;
-
-BasenameCommand::BasenameCommand ()
-{
-}
-
-int BasenameCommand::execute (Cmdline const & cl)
-{
-	return executeNamepartcommand (cl, keyBasename);
-}
-
-BasenameCommand::~BasenameCommand ()
-{
-}
diff --git a/src/tools/kdb/basename.h b/src/tools/kdb/basename.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3a2262a540e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/kdb/basename.h
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/**
+ * @file
+ *
+ * @brief Header for basename command
+ *
+ * @copyright BSD License (see LICENSE.md or https://www.libelektra.org)
+ */
+
+#ifndef ELEKTRA_KDB_BASENAME_H
+#define ELEKTRA_KDB_BASENAME_H
+
+#include <kdb.h>
+
+/**
+ * Adds options specification of basename command to @spec
+ *
+ * @param spec the base spec where the commands spec should be added
+ */
+void addBasenameSpec (KeySet * spec);
+
+/**
+ * Executes the basename command
+ *
+ * @param options cli options and arguments as specified in @addBasenameSpec()
+ * @param errorKey key where errors and warnings should be saved
+ *
+ * @retval 0 ls command ran without errors
+ * @retval 1 errors occurred, keyGetMeta (errorKey, "error/reason") for info
+ *
+ */
+int execBasename (KeySet * options, Key * errorKey);
+
+#endif // ELEKTRA_KDB_BASENAME_H
diff --git a/src/tools/kdb/basename.hpp b/src/tools/kdb/basename.hpp
deleted file mode 100644
index db008303330..00000000000
--- a/src/tools/kdb/basename.hpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,47 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * @file
- *
- * @brief
- *
- * @copyright BSD License (see LICENSE.md or https://www.libelektra.org)
- */
-
-#ifndef BASENAME_HPP
-#define BASENAME_HPP
-
-#include "coloredkdbio.hpp"
-#include <command.hpp>
-#include <kdb.hpp>
-
-class BasenameCommand : public Command
-{
-	kdb::KDB kdb;
-
-public:
-	BasenameCommand ();
-	~BasenameCommand ();
-
-	virtual std::string getShortOptions () override
-	{
-		return "n";
-	}
-
-	virtual std::string getSynopsis () override
-	{
-		return "<name>";
-	}
-
-	virtual std::string getShortHelpText () override
-	{
-		return "Get the basename of a key.";
-	}
-
-	virtual std::string getLongHelpText () override
-	{
-		return "For example, \"kdb basename user:/key/subkey\" will yield \"subkey\".\n";
-	}
-
-	virtual int execute (Cmdline const & cmdline) override;
-};
-
-#endif
diff --git a/src/tools/kdb/factory.hpp b/src/tools/kdb/factory.hpp
index 8d020221a4c..a1ef093cc8f 100644
--- a/src/tools/kdb/factory.hpp
+++ b/src/tools/kdb/factory.hpp
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 #include <external.hpp>
 
 // TODO: to add a new command, 1.) include your header here
-#include <basename.hpp>
 #include <cache.hpp>
 #include <cmerge.hpp>
 #include <complete.hpp>
@@ -124,7 +123,6 @@ class Factory
 		m_factory.insert (std::make_pair ("list-commands", std::make_shared<Cnstancer<ListCommandsCommand>> ()));
 		m_factory.insert (std::make_pair ("gen", std::make_shared<Cnstancer<GenCommand>> ()));
 		m_factory.insert (std::make_pair ("namespace", std::make_shared<Cnstancer<NamespaceCommand>> ()));
-		m_factory.insert (std::make_pair ("basename", std::make_shared<Cnstancer<BasenameCommand>> ()));
 		m_factory.insert (std::make_pair ("dirname", std::make_shared<Cnstancer<DirnameCommand>> ()));
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/tools/kdb/main.c b/src/tools/kdb/main.c
index 8e97ad48d39..28e52c12086 100644
--- a/src/tools/kdb/main.c
+++ b/src/tools/kdb/main.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  * @copyright BSD License (see LICENSE.md or https://www.libelektra.org)
  */
 
+#include <basename.h>
 #include <get.h>
 #include <ls.h>
 
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@
 extern char ** environ;
 
 command subcommands[] = {
+	{ "basename", addBasenameSpec, execBasename },
 	{ "get", addGetSpec, execGet },
 	{ "ls", addLsSpec, execLs },
 };