diff --git a/cmd/chflg/main.go b/cmd/chflg/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e90799d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/chflg/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+package cat
+
+import (
+	"encoding/binary"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/fs"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/pg9182/tf2vpk"
+	"github.com/pg9182/tf2vpk/cmd/root"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+var Flags struct {
+	VPK     tf2vpk.ValvePakRef
+	Flags   string
+	Files   []string
+	Verbose bool
+	DryRun  bool
+}
+
+var Command = &cobra.Command{
+	GroupID: root.GroupVPKWrite.ID,
+	Use:     "chflg vpk_path { load_flags:texture_flags | @reference_file } file...",
+	Short:   "Sets flags for VPK entries",
+	Long: `Sets flags for VPK entries
+
+Flags are specified as a fixed-width bit string, as hex prefixed with 0x, or as a path to another in the VPK to copy flags from.
+
+The provided file can also be a directory to change all files under it (use / to change everything).
+`,
+	Args: cobra.MinimumNArgs(3),
+	ValidArgsFunction: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, toComplete string) ([]string, cobra.ShellCompDirective) {
+		if len(args) == 1 {
+			if toComplete, ok := strings.CutPrefix(toComplete, "@"); ok {
+				cs, rc := root.ArgVPKFileCompletions(args, toComplete, false, true)
+				for i := range cs {
+					cs[i] = "@" + cs[i]
+				}
+				return cs, rc
+			}
+		}
+		return nil, cobra.ShellCompDirectiveDefault
+	},
+	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		Flags.Flags = args[1]
+		Flags.Files = args[2:]
+		main()
+	},
+}
+
+func init() {
+	root.ArgVPK(&Flags.VPK, Command, 2, true, true, true)
+	Command.Flags().BoolVarP(&Flags.DryRun, "dry-run", "n", false, "do not write changes")
+	Command.Flags().BoolVarP(&Flags.Verbose, "verbose", "v", false, "print information about each processed file")
+	root.Command.AddCommand(Command)
+}
+
+func main() {
+	openFlag := os.O_RDWR
+	if Flags.DryRun {
+		openFlag = os.O_RDONLY
+	}
+
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(Flags.VPK.Resolve(tf2vpk.ValvePakIndexDir), openFlag, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: open vpk dir index: %v\n", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	var root tf2vpk.ValvePakDir
+	if err := root.Deserialize(io.NewSectionReader(f, 0, 1<<63-1)); err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: read vpk dir index: %v\n", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	var (
+		loadFlags    uint32
+		textureFlags uint16
+	)
+	if p, ok := strings.CutPrefix(Flags.Flags, "@"); ok {
+		var found bool
+		for _, f := range root.File {
+			if f.Path == strings.TrimPrefix(p, "/") {
+				if loadFlags, err = f.LoadFlags(); err != nil {
+					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: failed to compute load flags for reference file %q: %v\n", p, err)
+					os.Exit(1)
+				}
+				if textureFlags, err = f.TextureFlags(); err != nil {
+					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: failed to compute texture flags for reference file %q: %v\n", p, err)
+					os.Exit(1)
+				}
+				found = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if !found {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: reference file %q does not exist in vpk\n", p)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+	} else {
+		load, texture, ok := strings.Cut(Flags.Flags, ":")
+		if !ok {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: invalid flags %q: expected load and texture flags separated by a colon\n", Flags.Flags)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		loadFlags, err = parseFlag[uint32](load)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: invalid flags %q: parse load flags: %v\n", Flags.Flags, err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		textureFlags, err = parseFlag[uint16](texture)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: invalid flags %q: parse texture flags: %v\n", Flags.Flags, err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var failed int
+	for _, name := range Flags.Files {
+		if err := func() error {
+			var matched bool
+			for i, f := range root.File {
+				if name == "/" || strings.HasPrefix(f.Path+"/", name+"/") {
+					loadFlagsOrig, _ := f.LoadFlags()
+					textureFlagsOrig, _ := f.TextureFlags()
+					for j := range f.Chunk {
+						root.File[i].Chunk[j].LoadFlags = loadFlags
+						root.File[i].Chunk[j].TextureFlags = textureFlags
+					}
+					if Flags.Verbose {
+						var what string
+						if loadFlagsOrig != loadFlags || textureFlagsOrig != textureFlags {
+							what = "set flags to"
+						} else {
+							what = "retained flags"
+						}
+						fmt.Printf("%s: %s 0x%08X:0x%04X (load=%s texture=%s)\n", f.Path, what, loadFlags, textureFlags, tf2vpk.DescribeLoadFlags(loadFlags), tf2vpk.DescribeTextureFlags(textureFlags))
+					}
+					matched = true
+				}
+			}
+			if !matched {
+				return fs.ErrNotExist
+			}
+			return nil
+		}(); err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: set flags for file %q: %v\n", name, err)
+			failed++
+		}
+	}
+	if !Flags.DryRun {
+		if err := root.Serialize(io.NewOffsetWriter(f, 0)); err != nil { // note: this is fine since the length doesn't change
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: write vpk dir index: %v\n", err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+	}
+	if failed != 0 {
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}
+
+func parseFlag[T uint16 | uint32](s string) (T, error) {
+	bits := binary.Size(T(0)) * 8
+	if s, ok := strings.CutPrefix(s, "0x"); ok {
+		if v, err := strconv.ParseUint(s, 16, bits); err != nil {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("parse hex flags %q: %w", s, err)
+		} else {
+			return T(v), nil
+		}
+	}
+	if v, err := strconv.ParseUint(s, 2, bits); err == nil {
+		if len(s) != bits {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("parse binary flags %q: must be exactly %d bits", s, bits)
+		} else {
+			return T(v), nil
+		}
+	}
+	return 0, fmt.Errorf("unknown flag format %q (expected 0x hex or fixed-width binary)", s)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index 7f6e5df..b27d7b6 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pg9182/tf2vpk/cmd/root"
 
 	_ "github.com/pg9182/tf2vpk/cmd/cat"
+	_ "github.com/pg9182/tf2vpk/cmd/chflg"
 	_ "github.com/pg9182/tf2vpk/cmd/init"
 	_ "github.com/pg9182/tf2vpk/cmd/lzham"
 	_ "github.com/pg9182/tf2vpk/cmd/tarzip"