diff --git a/src/main/nim/strawbosspkg/configuration.nim b/src/main/nim/strawbosspkg/configuration.nim
index 8c79c1d..a188168 100644
--- a/src/main/nim/strawbosspkg/configuration.nim
+++ b/src/main/nim/strawbosspkg/configuration.nim
@@ -56,6 +56,15 @@ proc `==`*(a, b: ProjectDef): bool =
     a.defaultBranch == b.defaultBranch and
     a.repo == b.repo
 
+# Util methods on custom types
+proc findProject*(cfg: StrawBossConfig, projectName: string): ProjectDef =
+  let candidates = cfg.projects.filterIt(it.name == projectName)
+  if candidates.len == 0:
+    raise newException(KeyError, "no project named " & projectName)
+  elif candidates.len > 0:
+    raise newException(KeyError, "multiple projects named " & projectName)
+  else: result = candidates[0]
+
 # internal utils
 
 let nullNode = newJNull()
diff --git a/src/main/nim/strawbosspkg/core.nim b/src/main/nim/strawbosspkg/core.nim
index f939d68..ca633ef 100644
--- a/src/main/nim/strawbosspkg/core.nim
+++ b/src/main/nim/strawbosspkg/core.nim
@@ -164,9 +164,7 @@ proc runStep*(cfg: StrawBossConfig, req: RunRequest,
     if not existsDir(req.workspaceDir): createDir(req.workspaceDir)
 
     # Find the project definition
-    let matching = cfg.projects.filterIt(it.name == req.projectName)
-    if matching.len == 0: raiseEx "no such project: " & req.projectName
-    elif matching.len > 1: raiseEx "more than one project named : " & req.projectName
+    let projectDef = cfg.findProject(req.projectName)
 
     # Read in the existing system environment
     var env = loadEnv()
@@ -183,13 +181,13 @@ proc runStep*(cfg: StrawBossConfig, req: RunRequest,
       artifactsRepo: cfg.artifactsRepo,
       buildRef:
         if req.buildRef != nil and req.buildRef.len > 0: req.buildRef
-        else: matching[0].defaultBranch,
+        else: projectDef.defaultBranch,
       dir: req.workspaceDir,
       env: env,
       openedFiles: @[stdoutFile, stderrFile],
       outputHandler: combineProcMsgHandlers(outputHandler, logFilesOH),
       project: ProjectConfig(),
-      projectDef: matching[0],
+      projectDef: projectDef,
       status: result,
       statusFile: req.workspaceDir & "/" & "status.json",
       step: Step(),