diff --git a/scripts/setup_manifest.py b/scripts/setup_manifest.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..1e88da6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/setup_manifest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Utility commands for setup.sh to read module manifest metadata.
+"""
+
+import json
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Iterable, List
+
+
+def load_manifest(path: str) -> dict:
+    manifest_path = Path(path)
+    if not manifest_path.is_file():
+        print(f"ERROR: Module manifest not found at {manifest_path}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    try:
+        return json.loads(manifest_path.read_text())
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+        print(f"ERROR: Failed to parse manifest {manifest_path}: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
+def iter_modules(manifest: dict) -> Iterable[dict]:
+    modules = manifest.get("modules") or []
+    for entry in modules:
+        if isinstance(entry, dict) and entry.get("key"):
+            yield entry
+
+
+def unique_preserve_order(values: Iterable[str]) -> List[str]:
+    seen = set()
+    ordered: List[str] = []
+    for value in values:
+        if not value:
+            continue
+        if value not in seen:
+            seen.add(value)
+            ordered.append(value)
+    return ordered
+
+
+def clean(value: str) -> str:
+    if value is None:
+        return "-"
+    text = str(value).replace("\t", " ").replace("\n", " ").strip()
+    return text if text else "-"
+
+
+def cmd_keys(manifest_path: str) -> None:
+    manifest = load_manifest(manifest_path)
+    for entry in iter_modules(manifest):
+        print(entry["key"])
+
+
+def cmd_metadata(manifest_path: str) -> None:
+    manifest = load_manifest(manifest_path)
+    for entry in iter_modules(manifest):
+        key = entry["key"]
+        name = clean(entry.get("name", key))
+        needs_build = "1" if entry.get("needs_build") else "0"
+        module_type = clean(entry.get("type", ""))
+        status = clean(entry.get("status", "active"))
+        block_reason = clean(entry.get("block_reason", ""))
+        requires = unique_preserve_order(entry.get("requires") or [])
+        requires_csv = ",".join(requires) if requires else "-"
+        notes = clean(entry.get("notes", ""))
+        description = clean(entry.get("description", ""))
+        category = clean(entry.get("category", ""))
+        print(
+            "\t".join(
+                [
+                    key,
+                    name,
+                    needs_build,
+                    module_type if module_type != "" else "-",
+                    status,
+                    block_reason,
+                    requires_csv,
+                    notes,
+                    description,
+                    category,
+                ]
+            )
+        )
+
+
+def cmd_sorted_keys(manifest_path: str) -> None:
+    manifest = load_manifest(manifest_path)
+    modules = list(iter_modules(manifest))
+    modules.sort(
+        key=lambda item: (
+            str(item.get("type", "")),
+            str(item.get("name", item.get("key", ""))).lower(),
+        )
+    )
+    for entry in modules:
+        print(entry["key"])
+
+
+COMMAND_MAP = {
+    "keys": cmd_keys,
+    "metadata": cmd_metadata,
+    "sorted-keys": cmd_sorted_keys,
+}
+
+
+def main(argv: List[str]) -> int:
+    if len(argv) != 3:
+        print(f"Usage: {argv[0]} <command> <manifest-path>", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    command = argv[1]
+    manifest_path = argv[2]
+    handler = COMMAND_MAP.get(command)
+    if handler is None:
+        valid = ", ".join(sorted(COMMAND_MAP))
+        print(f"Unknown command '{command}'. Valid commands: {valid}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    handler(manifest_path)
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main(sys.argv))
diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
index 82dd073..5555f30 100755
--- a/setup.sh
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -349,6 +349,7 @@ EOF
 # ==============================
 
 MODULE_MANIFEST_PATH="$SCRIPT_DIR/config/modules.json"
+MODULE_MANIFEST_HELPER="$SCRIPT_DIR/scripts/setup_manifest.py"
 ENV_TEMPLATE_FILE="$SCRIPT_DIR/.env.template"
 
 declare -a MODULE_KEYS=()
@@ -394,25 +395,17 @@ load_module_manifest_metadata() {
     echo "ERROR: Module manifest not found at $MODULE_MANIFEST_PATH" >&2
     exit 1
   fi
+  if [ ! -x "$MODULE_MANIFEST_HELPER" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Manifest helper not found or not executable at $MODULE_MANIFEST_HELPER" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
   if ! command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     echo "ERROR: python3 is required to read $MODULE_MANIFEST_PATH" >&2
     exit 1
   fi
 
   mapfile -t MODULE_KEYS < <(
-    python3 - "$MODULE_MANIFEST_PATH" <<'PY'
-import json, sys
-from pathlib import Path
-
-manifest_path = Path(sys.argv[1])
-manifest = json.loads(manifest_path.read_text())
-modules = manifest.get("modules", [])
-for entry in modules:
-    key = entry.get("key")
-    if not key:
-        continue
-    print(key)
-PY
+    python3 "$MODULE_MANIFEST_HELPER" keys "$MODULE_MANIFEST_PATH"
   )
 
   if [ ${#MODULE_KEYS[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
@@ -438,55 +431,10 @@ PY
     MODULE_DESCRIPTION_MAP["$key"]="$description"
     MODULE_CATEGORY_MAP["$key"]="$category"
     KNOWN_MODULE_LOOKUP["$key"]=1
-  done < <(
-    python3 - "$MODULE_MANIFEST_PATH" <<'PY'
-import json, sys
-from pathlib import Path
-
-manifest_path = Path(sys.argv[1])
-manifest = json.loads(manifest_path.read_text())
-
-def clean(value):
-    if value is None or value == "":
-        return "-"
-    return str(value).replace("\t", " ").replace("\n", " ").strip()
-
-for entry in manifest.get("modules", []):
-    key = entry.get("key")
-    if not key:
-        continue
-    name = clean(entry.get("name", key))
-    needs_build = "1" if entry.get("needs_build") else "0"
-    module_type = clean(entry.get("type", "")) or "-"
-    status = clean(entry.get("status", "active"))
-    block_reason = clean(entry.get("block_reason", ""))
-    requires = entry.get("requires") or []
-    ordered = []
-    for dep in list(requires):
-        if dep and dep not in ordered:
-            ordered.append(dep)
-    requires_csv = ",".join(ordered) if ordered else "-"
-    notes = clean(entry.get("notes", ""))
-    description = clean(entry.get("description", ""))
-    category = clean(entry.get("category", ""))
-    print("\t".join([key, name, needs_build, module_type, status, block_reason, requires_csv, notes, description, category]))
-PY
-  )
+  done < <(python3 "$MODULE_MANIFEST_HELPER" metadata "$MODULE_MANIFEST_PATH")
 
   mapfile -t MODULE_KEYS_SORTED < <(
-    python3 - "$MODULE_MANIFEST_PATH" <<'PY'
-import json, sys
-from pathlib import Path
-
-manifest_path = Path(sys.argv[1])
-manifest = json.loads(manifest_path.read_text())
-modules = manifest.get("modules", [])
-sorted_keys = sorted(modules, key=lambda m: (str(m.get("type", "")), str(m.get("name", m.get("key"))).lower()))
-for entry in sorted_keys:
-    key = entry.get("key")
-    if key:
-        print(key)
-PY
+    python3 "$MODULE_MANIFEST_HELPER" sorted-keys "$MODULE_MANIFEST_PATH"
   )
 }