diff --git a/cli/cobra.go b/cli/cobra.go
index 229303edab..930ae5531f 100644
--- a/cli/cobra.go
+++ b/cli/cobra.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
 	pluginmanager "github.com/docker/cli/cli-plugins/manager"
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	cliflags "github.com/docker/cli/cli/flags"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/homedir"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/registry"
+	"github.com/fvbommel/sortorder"
 	"github.com/moby/term"
 	"github.com/morikuni/aec"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -30,9 +32,11 @@ func setupCommonRootCommand(rootCmd *cobra.Command) (*cliflags.ClientOptions, *p
 
 	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("add", func(a, b int) int { return a + b })
 	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("hasSubCommands", hasSubCommands)
+	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("hasTopCommands", hasTopCommands)
 	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("hasManagementSubCommands", hasManagementSubCommands)
 	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("hasOrchestratorSubCommands", hasOrchestratorSubCommands)
 	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("hasInvalidPlugins", hasInvalidPlugins)
+	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("topCommands", topCommands)
 	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("operationSubCommands", operationSubCommands)
 	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("managementSubCommands", managementSubCommands)
 	cobra.AddTemplateFunc("orchestratorSubCommands", orchestratorSubCommands)
@@ -250,12 +254,43 @@ func hasInvalidPlugins(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
 	return len(invalidPlugins(cmd)) > 0
 }
 
+func hasTopCommands(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+	return len(topCommands(cmd)) > 0
+}
+
+func topCommands(cmd *cobra.Command) []*cobra.Command {
+	cmds := []*cobra.Command{}
+	if cmd.Parent() != nil {
+		// for now, only use top-commands for the root-command, and skip
+		// for sub-commands
+		return cmds
+	}
+	for _, sub := range cmd.Commands() {
+		if isPlugin(sub) || !sub.IsAvailableCommand() {
+			continue
+		}
+		if _, ok := sub.Annotations["category-top"]; ok {
+			cmds = append(cmds, sub)
+		}
+	}
+	sort.SliceStable(cmds, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return sortorder.NaturalLess(cmds[i].Annotations["category-top"], cmds[j].Annotations["category-top"])
+	})
+	return cmds
+}
+
 func operationSubCommands(cmd *cobra.Command) []*cobra.Command {
 	cmds := []*cobra.Command{}
 	for _, sub := range cmd.Commands() {
 		if isPlugin(sub) {
 			continue
 		}
+		if _, ok := sub.Annotations["category-top"]; ok {
+			if cmd.Parent() == nil {
+				// for now, only use top-commands for the root-command
+				continue
+			}
+		}
 		if sub.IsAvailableCommand() && !sub.HasSubCommands() {
 			cmds = append(cmds, sub)
 		}
@@ -378,6 +413,13 @@ Examples:
 Options:
 {{ wrappedFlagUsages . | trimRightSpace}}
 
+{{- end}}
+{{- end}}
+{{- if hasTopCommands .}}
+
+Common Commands:
+{{- range topCommands .}}
+  {{rpad (decoratedName .) (add .NamePadding 1)}}{{.Short}}
 {{- end}}
 {{- end}}
 {{- if hasManagementSubCommands . }}
diff --git a/cli/command/container/exec.go b/cli/command/container/exec.go
index 9259e53d84..9dc00724f2 100644
--- a/cli/command/container/exec.go
+++ b/cli/command/container/exec.go
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ func NewExecCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 			options.Command = args[1:]
 			return RunExec(dockerCli, options)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "2",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
diff --git a/cli/command/container/list.go b/cli/command/container/list.go
index 99b5c7ef27..b24ce8b09c 100644
--- a/cli/command/container/list.go
+++ b/cli/command/container/list.go
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ func NewPsCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			return runPs(dockerCli, &options)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "3",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
diff --git a/cli/command/container/run.go b/cli/command/container/run.go
index 38785129b8..480743611b 100644
--- a/cli/command/container/run.go
+++ b/cli/command/container/run.go
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ func NewRunCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 			}
 			return runRun(dockerCli, cmd.Flags(), &opts, copts)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "1",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
diff --git a/cli/command/image/build.go b/cli/command/image/build.go
index 6f5ea8828a..99307e256b 100644
--- a/cli/command/image/build.go
+++ b/cli/command/image/build.go
@@ -105,6 +105,9 @@ func NewBuildCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 			options.context = args[0]
 			return runBuild(dockerCli, options)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "4",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
diff --git a/cli/command/image/list.go b/cli/command/image/list.go
index 7f1a8df3a7..4771032cb0 100644
--- a/cli/command/image/list.go
+++ b/cli/command/image/list.go
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ func NewImagesCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 			}
 			return runImages(dockerCli, options)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "7",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
diff --git a/cli/command/image/pull.go b/cli/command/image/pull.go
index 242ad4a19c..391d397684 100644
--- a/cli/command/image/pull.go
+++ b/cli/command/image/pull.go
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ func NewPullCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 			opts.remote = args[0]
 			return RunPull(dockerCli, opts)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "5",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
diff --git a/cli/command/image/push.go b/cli/command/image/push.go
index 771a99592e..c422088ea2 100644
--- a/cli/command/image/push.go
+++ b/cli/command/image/push.go
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ func NewPushCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 			opts.remote = args[0]
 			return RunPush(dockerCli, opts)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "6",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
diff --git a/cli/command/registry/login.go b/cli/command/registry/login.go
index e949c00407..9df30db107 100644
--- a/cli/command/registry/login.go
+++ b/cli/command/registry/login.go
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ func NewLoginCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 			}
 			return runLogin(dockerCli, opts)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "8",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
diff --git a/cli/command/registry/logout.go b/cli/command/registry/logout.go
index 6bd6ae087c..844428d779 100644
--- a/cli/command/registry/logout.go
+++ b/cli/command/registry/logout.go
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ func NewLogoutCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 			}
 			return runLogout(dockerCli, serverAddress)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "9",
+		},
 	}
 
 	return cmd
diff --git a/cli/command/registry/search.go b/cli/command/registry/search.go
index cabaad28ae..9efc1f3d5a 100644
--- a/cli/command/registry/search.go
+++ b/cli/command/registry/search.go
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ func NewSearchCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 			options.term = args[0]
 			return runSearch(dockerCli, options)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "10",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
diff --git a/cli/command/system/info.go b/cli/command/system/info.go
index 1d57f3f5ca..ff2f794221 100644
--- a/cli/command/system/info.go
+++ b/cli/command/system/info.go
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ func NewInfoCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			return runInfo(cmd, dockerCli, &opts)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "12",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
diff --git a/cli/command/system/version.go b/cli/command/system/version.go
index 06b62ae763..bd56bb0998 100644
--- a/cli/command/system/version.go
+++ b/cli/command/system/version.go
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ func NewVersionCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			return runVersion(dockerCli, &opts)
 		},
+		Annotations: map[string]string{
+			"category-top": "10",
+		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()