diff --git a/lib/helpers.bash b/lib/helpers.bash
index 1bcf7844..0405eede 100644
--- a/lib/helpers.bash
+++ b/lib/helpers.bash
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ BASH_IT_LOAD_PRIORITY_DEFAULT_PLUGIN=${BASH_IT_LOAD_PRIORITY_DEFAULT_PLUGIN:-250
 BASH_IT_LOAD_PRIORITY_DEFAULT_COMPLETION=${BASH_IT_LOAD_PRIORITY_DEFAULT_COMPLETION:-350}
 BASH_IT_LOAD_PRIORITY_SEPARATOR="---"
 
+function _command_exists ()
+{
+  _about 'checks for existence of a command'
+  _param '1: command to check'
+  _example '$ _command_exists ls && echo exists'
+  _group 'lib'
+  type "$1" &> /dev/null ;
+}
+
 # Helper function loading various enable-able files
 function _load_bash_it_files() {
   subdirectory="$1"
diff --git a/plugins/available/battery.plugin.bash b/plugins/available/battery.plugin.bash
index dd941372..0391ca10 100644
--- a/plugins/available/battery.plugin.bash
+++ b/plugins/available/battery.plugin.bash
@@ -2,23 +2,23 @@ cite about-plugin
 about-plugin 'display info about your battery charge level'
 
 ac_adapter_connected(){
-  if command_exists upower;
+  if _command_exists upower;
   then
     upower -i $(upower -e | grep BAT) | grep 'state' | grep -q 'charging\|fully-charged'
     return $?
-  elif command_exists acpi;
+  elif _command_exists acpi;
   then
     acpi -a | grep -q "on-line"
     return $?
-  elif command_exists pmset;
+  elif _command_exists pmset;
   then
     pmset -g batt | grep -q 'AC Power'
     return $?
-  elif command_exists ioreg;
+  elif _command_exists ioreg;
   then
     ioreg -n AppleSmartBattery -r | grep -q '"ExternalConnected" = Yes'
     return $?
-  elif command_exists WMIC;
+  elif _command_exists WMIC;
   then
     WMIC Path Win32_Battery Get BatteryStatus /Format:List | grep -q 'BatteryStatus=2'
     return $?
@@ -26,23 +26,23 @@ ac_adapter_connected(){
 }
 
 ac_adapter_disconnected(){
-  if command_exists upower;
+  if _command_exists upower;
   then
     upower -i $(upower -e | grep BAT) | grep 'state' | grep -q 'discharging'
     return $?
-  elif command_exists acpi;
+  elif _command_exists acpi;
   then
     acpi -a | grep -q "off-line"
     return $?
-  elif command_exists pmset;
+  elif _command_exists pmset;
   then
     pmset -g batt | grep -q 'Battery Power'
     return $?
-  elif command_exists ioreg;
+  elif _command_exists ioreg;
   then
     ioreg -n AppleSmartBattery -r | grep -q '"ExternalConnected" = No'
     return $?
-  elif command_exists WMIC;
+  elif _command_exists WMIC;
   then
     WMIC Path Win32_Battery Get BatteryStatus /Format:List | grep -q 'BatteryStatus=1'
     return $?
@@ -52,12 +52,12 @@ ac_adapter_disconnected(){
 battery_percentage(){
   about 'displays battery charge as a percentage of full (100%)'
   group 'battery'
-  
-  if command_exists upower;
+
+  if _command_exists upower;
   then
     local UPOWER_OUTPUT=$(upower --show-info $(upower --enumerate | grep BAT) | grep percentage | tail --bytes 5)
     echo ${UPOWER_OUTPUT: : -1}
-  elif command_exists acpi;
+  elif _command_exists acpi;
   then
     local ACPI_OUTPUT=$(acpi -b)
     case $ACPI_OUTPUT in
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ battery_percentage(){
           ;;
         esac
       ;;
-      
+
       *" Charging"* | *" Discharging"*)
         local PERC_OUTPUT=$(echo $ACPI_OUTPUT | awk -F, '/,/{gsub(/ /, "", $0); gsub(/%/,"", $0); print $2}' )
         echo ${PERC_OUTPUT}
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ battery_percentage(){
         echo '-1'
       ;;
     esac
-  elif command_exists pmset;
+  elif _command_exists pmset;
   then
     local PMSET_OUTPUT=$(pmset -g ps | sed -n 's/.*[[:blank:]]+*\(.*%\).*/\1/p')
     case $PMSET_OUTPUT in
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ battery_percentage(){
         echo $PMSET_OUTPUT | head -c 2
       ;;
     esac
-  elif command_exists ioreg;
+  elif _command_exists ioreg;
   then
     local IOREG_OUTPUT=$(ioreg -n AppleSmartBattery -r | awk '$1~/Capacity/{c[$1]=$3} END{OFMT="%05.2f%%"; max=c["\"MaxCapacity\""]; print (max>0? 100*c["\"CurrentCapacity\""]/max: "?")}')
     case $IOREG_OUTPUT in
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ battery_percentage(){
         echo $IOREG_OUTPUT | head -c 2
       ;;
     esac
-  elif command_exists WMIC;
+  elif _command_exists WMIC;
   then
     local WINPC=$(echo porcent=$(WMIC PATH Win32_Battery Get EstimatedChargeRemaining /Format:List) | grep -o '[0-9]*')
     case $WINPC in
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ battery_percentage(){
 battery_charge(){
   about 'graphical display of your battery charge'
   group 'battery'
-  
+
   # Full char
   local F_C='▸'
   # Depleted char
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ battery_charge(){
   local DANGER_COLOR="${red}"
   local BATTERY_OUTPUT="${DEPLETED_COLOR}${D_C}${D_C}${D_C}${D_C}${D_C}"
   local BATTERY_PERC=$(battery_percentage)
-  
+
   case $BATTERY_PERC in
     no)
       echo ""
diff --git a/test/lib/helpers.bats b/test/lib/helpers.bats
index 99cd2501..7398e08a 100644
--- a/test/lib/helpers.bats
+++ b/test/lib/helpers.bats
@@ -30,6 +30,26 @@ function local_setup {
 # TODO Create global __get_base_name function
 # TODO Create global __get_enabled_name function
 
+@test "helpers: _command_exists function exists" {
+  type -a _command_exists &> /dev/null
+  assert_success
+}
+
+@test "helpers: _command_exists function positive test ls" {
+  run _command_exists ls
+  assert_success
+}
+
+@test "helpers: _command_exists function positive test bash-it" {
+  run _command_exists bash-it
+  assert_success
+}
+
+@test "helpers: _command_exists function negative test" {
+  run _command_exists __addfkds_dfdsjdf
+  assert_failure
+}
+
 @test "helpers: bash-it help aliases ag" {
   run bash-it help aliases "ag"
   assert_line "0" "ag='ag --smart-case --pager=\"less -MIRFX'"
diff --git a/test/themes/base.theme.bats b/test/themes/base.theme.bats
index 6bf7efed..ab320c81 100644
--- a/test/themes/base.theme.bats
+++ b/test/themes/base.theme.bats
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@
 
 load ../test_helper
 load ../../lib/composure
-load ../../plugins/available/base.plugin
+
+cite _about _param _example _group _author _version
+
+load ../../lib/helpers
 load ../../themes/base.theme
 
 @test 'themes base: battery_percentage should not exist' {
diff --git a/themes/atomic/atomic.theme.bash b/themes/atomic/atomic.theme.bash
index 6dd7ea04..a89aeea3 100644
--- a/themes/atomic/atomic.theme.bash
+++ b/themes/atomic/atomic.theme.bash
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ ___atomic_prompt_clock() {
 }
 
 ___atomic_prompt_battery() {
-  ! command_exists battery_percentage ||
+  ! _command_exists battery_percentage ||
   [ "${THEME_SHOW_BATTERY}" != "true" ] ||
   [ "$(battery_percentage)" = "no" ] && return
 
diff --git a/themes/base.theme.bash b/themes/base.theme.bash
index 58e2d288..66ce7de9 100644
--- a/themes/base.theme.bash
+++ b/themes/base.theme.bash
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ function battery_char {
     fi
 }
 
-if ! command_exists battery_charge ; then
+if ! _command_exists battery_charge ; then
     # if user has installed battery plugin, skip this...
     function battery_charge (){
 	# no op
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ fi
 
 # The battery_char function depends on the presence of the battery_percentage function.
 # If battery_percentage is not defined, then define battery_char as a no-op.
-if ! command_exists battery_percentage ; then
+if ! _command_exists battery_percentage ; then
     function battery_char (){
 	# no op
 	echo -n
diff --git a/themes/brainy/brainy.theme.bash b/themes/brainy/brainy.theme.bash
index 54d29f8b..c3aa9b83 100644
--- a/themes/brainy/brainy.theme.bash
+++ b/themes/brainy/brainy.theme.bash
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ ___brainy_prompt_clock() {
 }
 
 ___brainy_prompt_battery() {
-	! command_exists battery_percentage ||
+	! _command_exists battery_percentage ||
 	[ "${THEME_SHOW_BATTERY}" != "true" ] ||
 	[ "$(battery_percentage)" = "no" ] && return
 
diff --git a/themes/demula/demula.theme.bash b/themes/demula/demula.theme.bash
index e698def5..515d096d 100644
--- a/themes/demula/demula.theme.bash
+++ b/themes/demula/demula.theme.bash
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ ${D_BRANCH_COLOR}%b %r ${D_CHANGES_COLOR}%m%u ${D_DEFAULT_COLOR}"
 
 # checks if the plugin is installed before calling battery_charge
 safe_battery_charge() {
-  if command_exists battery_charge ;
+  if _command_exists battery_charge ;
   then
     battery_charge
   fi
diff --git a/themes/powerline/powerline.base.bash b/themes/powerline/powerline.base.bash
index f65e9dd6..6646814a 100644
--- a/themes/powerline/powerline.base.bash
+++ b/themes/powerline/powerline.base.bash
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ function __powerline_user_info_prompt {
 function __powerline_ruby_prompt {
   local ruby_version=""
 
-  if command_exists rvm; then
+  if _command_exists rvm; then
     ruby_version="$(rvm_version_prompt)"
-  elif command_exists rbenv; then
+  elif _command_exists rbenv; then
     ruby_version=$(rbenv_version_prompt)
   fi
 
diff --git a/themes/rana/rana.theme.bash b/themes/rana/rana.theme.bash
index 0aed8348..25530397 100644
--- a/themes/rana/rana.theme.bash
+++ b/themes/rana/rana.theme.bash
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ ${D_BRANCH_COLOR}%b %r ${D_CHANGES_COLOR}%m%u ${D_DEFAULT_COLOR}"
 
 # checks if the plugin is installed before calling battery_charge
 safe_battery_charge() {
-  if command_exists battery_charge ;
+  if _command_exists battery_charge ;
   then
     battery_charge
   fi