diff --git a/java/ql/justfile b/java/ql/justfile
index 7a46396fb85..ff0e4c1090f 100644
--- a/java/ql/justfile
+++ b/java/ql/justfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import "../../lib.just"
 
 [no-cd]
-format *ARGS=".": (_ql_format ARGS)
+format *ARGS=".": (_format_ql ARGS)
 
 consistency_queries := source_dir() / "consistency-queries"
diff --git a/misc/codegen/justfile b/misc/codegen/justfile
index 9dd2019b5fa..8c1e8cdbab4 100644
--- a/misc/codegen/justfile
+++ b/misc/codegen/justfile
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ import "../just/lib.just"
 
 test *ARGS="": (_bazel "test" "@codeql//misc/codegen/...")
 
-format *ARGS=".": (_black ARGS)
\ No newline at end of file
+format *ARGS=".": (_format_py ARGS)
diff --git a/misc/just/build.just b/misc/just/build.just
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..226b52a76d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/just/build.just
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import "defs.just"
+
+_build_dist LANGUAGE: _require_semmle_code (_maybe_build_dist LANGUAGE)
+
+[no-exit-message]
+_maybe_build_dist LANGUAGE: (_if_in_semmle_code ('cd "$SEMMLE_CODE"; tools/bazel run //language-packs:intree-' + LANGUAGE) '# using codeql from PATH, if any')
+
+[no-cd, no-exit-message]
+_bazel COMMAND *ARGS: (_if_in_semmle_code 'cd "$SEMMLE_CODE"; tools/bazel' 'bazel' COMMAND ARGS)
+
+[no-cd, no-exit-message]
+_sembuild *ARGS: (_run_in_semmle_code "./build" ARGS)
diff --git a/misc/just/defs.just b/misc/just/defs.just
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6f46b84597a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/just/defs.just
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import? '../../../semmle-code.just'  # internal repo just file, if present
+import 'semmle-code-stub.just'
+
+set fallback
+set allow-duplicate-recipes
+set allow-duplicate-variables
+set unstable
+
+export PATH_SEP := if os() == "windows" { ";" } else { ":" }
+export JUST_EXECUTABLE := just_executable()
+
+error := style("error") + "error" + NORMAL + ": "
+cmd_sep := "\n#--------------------------------------------------------\n"
+export CMD_BEGIN := style("command") + cmd_sep
+export CMD_END := cmd_sep + NORMAL
+export JUST_ERROR := error
+
+tsx := "npx tsx@4.19.0"
+
+default_db_checks := """\
+    --check-databases \
+    --check-diff-informed \
+    --fail-on-trap-errors \
+"""
+
+[no-exit-message]
+@_require_semmle_code:
+    {{ if SEMMLE_CODE == "" { '''
+        echo "''' + error + ''' running this recipe requires doing so from an internal repository checkout" >&2
+        exit 1
+    ''' } else { "" } }}
+
+[no-cd]
+_run +ARGS:
+    {{ cmd_sep }}{{ ARGS }}{{ cmd_sep }}
+
+[no-cd]
+_run_in DIR +ARGS:
+    {{ cmd_sep }}cd "{{ DIR }}"; {{ ARGS }}{{ cmd_sep }}
+
+[no-cd]
+_run_in_semmle_code +ARGS: _require_semmle_code (_run_in "$SEMMLE_CODE" ARGS)
+
+[no-cd, positional-arguments, no-exit-message]
+@_just +ARGS:
+    echo "-> just $@"
+    "{{ JUST_EXECUTABLE }}" "$@"
+
+[no-cd, positional-arguments]
+@_if_not_on_ci_just +ARGS:
+    if [ "${GITHUB_ACTIONS:-}" != "true" ]; then \
+        echo "-> just $@"; \
+        "$JUST_EXECUTABLE" "$@"; \
+    fi
+
+[no-cd, no-exit-message]
+_if_in_semmle_code THEN ELSE *ARGS:
+    {{ cmd_sep }}{{ if SEMMLE_CODE != "" { THEN } else { ELSE } }} {{ ARGS }}{{ cmd_sep }}
diff --git a/misc/just/format.just b/misc/just/format.just
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9430cb4c0a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/just/format.just
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import "build.just"
+
+[no-cd, no-exit-message]
+_format_ql +ARGS: (_maybe_build_dist "nolang") (
+    _if_in_semmle_code
+        '"$SEMMLE_CODE/target/intree/codeql-nolang/codeql"'
+        'codeql'
+    ("query format --in-place -v $(find " + ARGS + " -type f -name '*.ql' -or -name '*.qll')")
+)
+
+[no-cd, no-exit-message]
+_format_py *ARGS=".": (_if_in_semmle_code "uv run black" "black" ARGS)
+
+[no-cd, no-exit-message]
+_format_cpp *ARGS=".": (
+    _if_in_semmle_code
+        "uv run clang-format"
+        "clang-format"
+    "-i --verbose $(find " + ARGS + " -type f -name '*.h' -or -name '*.cpp')"
+)
diff --git a/misc/just/lib.just b/misc/just/lib.just
index 3379ab8ed37..7fd3156ba46 100644
--- a/misc/just/lib.just
+++ b/misc/just/lib.just
@@ -1,42 +1,5 @@
-set fallback
-set allow-duplicate-recipes
-set allow-duplicate-variables
-set unstable
-
-export PATH_SEP := if os() == "windows" { ";" } else { ":" }
-export JUST_EXECUTABLE := just_executable()
-
-error := style("error") + "error" + NORMAL + ": "
-cmd_sep := "\n#--------------------------------------------------------\n"
-export CMD_BEGIN := style("command") + cmd_sep
-export CMD_END := cmd_sep + NORMAL
-export JUST_ERROR := error
-
-tsx := "npx tsx@4.19.0"
-
-import? '../../../semmle-code.just'  # internal repo just file, if present
-import 'semmle-code-stub.just'
-
-
-[no-exit-message]
-@_require_semmle_code:
-    {{ if SEMMLE_CODE == "" { '''
-        echo "''' + error + ''' running this recipe requires doing so from an internal repository checkout" >&2
-        exit 1
-    ''' } else { "" } }}
-
-_build_dist LANGUAGE: _require_semmle_code (_maybe_build_dist LANGUAGE)
-
-[no-exit-message]
-_maybe_build_dist LANGUAGE:
-    {{ cmd_sep }}{{ if SEMMLE_CODE == "" { '# using codeql from PATH, if any' } else { 'cd "$SEMMLE_CODE"; tools/bazel run //language-packs:intree-' + LANGUAGE } }}{{ cmd_sep }}
-
-
-default_db_checks := """\
-    --check-databases \
-    --check-diff-informed \
-    --fail-on-trap-errors \
-"""
+import "build.just"
+import "format.just"
 
 [no-cd, positional-arguments, no-exit-message]
 @_codeql_test LANGUAGE BASE_FLAGS ALL_CHECKS_FLAGS EXTRA_ARGS:
@@ -46,18 +9,8 @@ default_db_checks := """\
 @_language_tests EXTRA_ARGS SOURCE_DIR +ROOTS: _require_semmle_code
     {{ tsx }} "{{ source_dir() }}/language-tests.ts" "$@"
 
-[no-cd, no-exit-message]
-_ql_format +ARGS: (_maybe_build_dist "nolang")
-    {{ cmd_sep }}{{ if SEMMLE_CODE != "" { '"$SEMMLE_CODE/target/intree/codeql-nolang/codeql"' } else { 'codeql' } }} query format --in-place $(find {{ ARGS }} -type f -name '*.ql' -or -name '*.qll'){{ cmd_sep }}
 
 
-[no-cd, no-exit-message]
-_bazel COMMAND *ARGS:
-    {{ cmd_sep }}{{ if SEMMLE_CODE != "" { 'cd "$SEMMLE_CODE"; tools/bazel' } else { 'bazel' } }} {{ COMMAND }} {{ ARGS }}{{ cmd_sep }}
-
-[no-cd, no-exit-message]
-_sembuild *ARGS: (_run_in_semmle_code "./build" ARGS)
-
 [no-cd, no-exit-message]
 _integration_test *ARGS: _require_semmle_code (_run "$SEMMLE_CODE/tools/pytest" ARGS)
 
@@ -83,6 +36,3 @@ _run_in_semmle_code +ARGS: _require_semmle_code (_run_in "$SEMMLE_CODE" ARGS)
         echo "-> just $@"; \
         "$JUST_EXECUTABLE" "$@"; \
     fi
-
-[no-cd]
-_black *ARGS=".": (_run "uv" "run" "black" ARGS)
diff --git a/rust/ql/integration-tests/justfile b/rust/ql/integration-tests/justfile
index 7f5aab6c508..ee967d781e6 100644
--- a/rust/ql/integration-tests/justfile
+++ b/rust/ql/integration-tests/justfile
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@ test *ARGS=".": (_if_not_on_ci_just "generate" source_dir()) (_integration_test
 
 # TODO in separate PR
 # [no-cd]
-# format *ARGS=".": (_ql_format ARGS) (_black ARGS)
+# format *ARGS=".": (_format_ql ARGS) (_format_py ARGS)
diff --git a/rust/ql/justfile b/rust/ql/justfile
index 7a46396fb85..ff0e4c1090f 100644
--- a/rust/ql/justfile
+++ b/rust/ql/justfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import "../../lib.just"
 
 [no-cd]
-format *ARGS=".": (_ql_format ARGS)
+format *ARGS=".": (_format_ql ARGS)
 
 consistency_queries := source_dir() / "consistency-queries"
diff --git a/swift/justfile b/swift/justfile
index f09fea32e52..72fa15c8156 100644
--- a/swift/justfile
+++ b/swift/justfile
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import '../lib.just'
+import "../../ql/swift/ql/justfile"
 
 install: (_bazel "run" "@codeql//swift:install")
 
@@ -7,13 +8,7 @@ build: (_build_dist "swift")
 
 generate: (_bazel "run" "@codeql//swift/codegen")
 
-@_check_clang_format:
-    if ! which clang-format > /dev/null; then \
-        "{{ JUST_EXECUTABLE }}" _run_in_semmle_code "tools/bazel" "run" "//c/clang-format:install"; \
-    fi
-
-format ARGS=".": _check_clang_format (_run "clang-format" "-i" ("$(find " + ARGS + " -type f -name '*.h' -or -name '*.cpp')"))
-import "../../ql/swift/ql/justfile"
+format ARGS=".": (_format_cpp ARGS)
 
 [group('test')]
 language-tests *EXTRA_ARGS: (_language_tests EXTRA_ARGS source_dir() 'ql/test')
diff --git a/swift/ql/integration-tests/justfile b/swift/ql/integration-tests/justfile
index 370f7ef8779..dabd36eebd1 100644
--- a/swift/ql/integration-tests/justfile
+++ b/swift/ql/integration-tests/justfile
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ test *ARGS=".": (_just "generate") (_integration_test ARGS)
 
 # TODO in separate PR
 # [no-cd]
-# format *ARGS=".": (_ql_format ARGS) (_black ARGS)
+# format *ARGS=".": (_format_ql ARGS) (_format_py ARGS)
diff --git a/swift/ql/justfile b/swift/ql/justfile
index 7a46396fb85..ff0e4c1090f 100644
--- a/swift/ql/justfile
+++ b/swift/ql/justfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import "../../lib.just"
 
 [no-cd]
-format *ARGS=".": (_ql_format ARGS)
+format *ARGS=".": (_format_ql ARGS)
 
 consistency_queries := source_dir() / "consistency-queries"