diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 16efa3fe..b52122fc 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ set(INTERNAL_HEADERS
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_random_seed_generation.hpp
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/reporters/catch_reporter_registrars.hpp
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_reporter_registry.hpp
+    ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.hpp
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_result_type.hpp
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_run_context.hpp
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_section.hpp
@@ -192,6 +193,7 @@ set(IMPL_SOURCES
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_random_number_generator.cpp
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_random_seed_generation.cpp
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_reporter_registry.cpp
+    ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.cpp
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_result_type.cpp
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_run_context.cpp
     ${SOURCES_DIR}/internal/catch_section.cpp
diff --git a/src/catch2/catch_all.hpp b/src/catch2/catch_all.hpp
index 656417f4..b082b766 100644
--- a/src/catch2/catch_all.hpp
+++ b/src/catch2/catch_all.hpp
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
 #include <catch2/internal/catch_random_number_generator.hpp>
 #include <catch2/internal/catch_random_seed_generation.hpp>
 #include <catch2/internal/catch_reporter_registry.hpp>
+#include <catch2/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.hpp>
 #include <catch2/internal/catch_result_type.hpp>
 #include <catch2/internal/catch_run_context.hpp>
 #include <catch2/internal/catch_section.hpp>
diff --git a/src/catch2/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.cpp b/src/catch2/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..28e3c19b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/catch2/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+
+//              Copyright Catch2 Authors
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.
+//   (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
+//        https://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSL-1.0
+
+#include <catch2/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.hpp>
+
+namespace Catch {
+
+    namespace Detail {
+        std::vector<std::string> splitReporterSpec( StringRef reporterSpec ) {
+            static constexpr auto separator = "::";
+            static constexpr size_t separatorSize = 2;
+
+            size_t separatorPos = 0;
+            auto findNextSeparator = [&reporterSpec]( size_t startPos ) {
+                static_assert(
+                    separatorSize == 2,
+                    "The code below currently assumes 2 char separator" );
+
+                auto currentPos = startPos;
+                do {
+                    while ( currentPos < reporterSpec.size() &&
+                            reporterSpec[currentPos] != separator[0] ) {
+                        ++currentPos;
+                    }
+                    if ( currentPos + 1 < reporterSpec.size() &&
+                         reporterSpec[currentPos + 1] == separator[1] ) {
+                        return currentPos;
+                    }
+                    ++currentPos;
+                } while ( currentPos < reporterSpec.size() );
+
+                return static_cast<size_t>( -1 );
+            };
+
+            std::vector<std::string> parts;
+
+            while ( separatorPos < reporterSpec.size() ) {
+                const auto nextSeparator = findNextSeparator( separatorPos );
+                parts.push_back( static_cast<std::string>( reporterSpec.substr(
+                    separatorPos, nextSeparator - separatorPos ) ) );
+
+                if ( nextSeparator == static_cast<size_t>( -1 ) ) {
+                    break;
+                }
+                separatorPos = nextSeparator + separatorSize;
+            }
+
+            // Handle a separator at the end.
+            // This is not a valid spec, but we want to do validation in a
+            // centralized place
+            if ( separatorPos == reporterSpec.size() ) {
+                parts.emplace_back();
+            }
+
+            return parts;
+        }
+    }
+
+} // namespace Catch
diff --git a/src/catch2/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.hpp b/src/catch2/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..74632f25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/catch2/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+
+//              Copyright Catch2 Authors
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.
+//   (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
+//        https://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSL-1.0
+#ifndef CATCH_REPORTER_SPEC_PARSER_HPP_INCLUDED
+#define CATCH_REPORTER_SPEC_PARSER_HPP_INCLUDED
+
+#include <catch2/internal/catch_stringref.hpp>
+
+#include <vector>
+#include <string>
+
+namespace Catch {
+
+    namespace Detail {
+        //! Splits the reporter spec into reporter name and kv-pair options
+        std::vector<std::string> splitReporterSpec( StringRef reporterSpec );
+    }
+
+}
+
+#endif // CATCH_REPORTER_SPEC_PARSER_HPP_INCLUDED
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 1c520120..a4d01dc9 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ set(TEST_SOURCES
         ${SELF_TEST_DIR}/TestRegistrations.cpp
         ${SELF_TEST_DIR}/IntrospectiveTests/Clara.tests.cpp
         ${SELF_TEST_DIR}/IntrospectiveTests/CmdLine.tests.cpp
+        ${SELF_TEST_DIR}/IntrospectiveTests/CmdLineHelpers.tests.cpp
         ${SELF_TEST_DIR}/IntrospectiveTests/ColourImpl.tests.cpp
         ${SELF_TEST_DIR}/IntrospectiveTests/Details.tests.cpp
         ${SELF_TEST_DIR}/IntrospectiveTests/FloatingPoint.tests.cpp
diff --git a/tests/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/CmdLineHelpers.tests.cpp b/tests/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/CmdLineHelpers.tests.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b79dcca2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/CmdLineHelpers.tests.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+
+//              Copyright Catch2 Authors
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.
+//   (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
+//        https://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
+
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSL-1.0
+
+#include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
+#include <catch2/internal/catch_reporter_spec_parser.hpp>
+#include <catch2/matchers/catch_matchers_vector.hpp>
+
+TEST_CASE("Reporter spec splitting", "[reporter-spec][cli][approvals]") {
+	using Catch::Detail::splitReporterSpec;
+	using Catch::Matchers::Equals;
+	using namespace std::string_literals;
+
+    SECTION("Various edge cases") {
+        REQUIRE_THAT( splitReporterSpec( "" ),
+                      Equals( std::vector<std::string>{ ""s } ) );
+        REQUIRE_THAT( splitReporterSpec( "::" ),
+                      Equals( std::vector<std::string>{ "", "" } ) );
+        REQUIRE_THAT( splitReporterSpec( "::rep" ),
+                      Equals( std::vector<std::string>{ "", "rep" } ) );
+        REQUIRE_THAT( splitReporterSpec( "rep::" ),
+                      Equals( std::vector<std::string>{ "rep", "" } ) );
+
+    }
+
+    SECTION("Validish specs") {
+        REQUIRE_THAT( splitReporterSpec( "newReporter" ),
+                      Equals( std::vector<std::string>{ "newReporter"s } ) );
+        REQUIRE_THAT(
+            splitReporterSpec( "foo-reporter::key1=value1::key2=value with "
+                               "space::key with space=some-value" ),
+            Equals(
+                std::vector<std::string>{ "foo-reporter"s,
+                                          "key1=value1"s,
+                                          "key2=value with space"s,
+                                          "key with space=some-value"s } ) );
+        REQUIRE_THAT(
+            splitReporterSpec( "spaced reporter name::key:key=value:value" ),
+            Equals( std::vector<std::string>{ "spaced reporter name"s,
+                                              "key:key=value:value"s } ) );
+    }
+}