diff --git a/src/CLI/Baseline.php b/src/CLI/Baseline.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f4480060
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/CLI/Baseline.php
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Arkitect\CLI;
+
+use Arkitect\Rules\Violations;
+
+class Baseline
+{
+    private Violations $violations;
+
+    private string $filename;
+
+    private function __construct(Violations $violations, string $filename)
+    {
+        $this->violations = $violations;
+        $this->filename = $filename;
+    }
+
+    public function getFilename(): string
+    {
+        return $this->filename;
+    }
+
+    public function applyTo(Violations $violations, bool $ignoreBaselineLinenumbers): void
+    {
+        $violations->remove($this->violations, $ignoreBaselineLinenumbers);
+    }
+
+    public static function empty(): self
+    {
+        return new self(new Violations(), '');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @psalm-suppress RiskyTruthyFalsyComparison
+     */
+    public static function create(bool $skipBaseline, ?string $baselineFilePath, string $defaultFilePath): self
+    {
+        if ($skipBaseline) {
+            return self::empty();
+        }
+
+        if (!$baselineFilePath && file_exists($defaultFilePath)) {
+            $baselineFilePath = $defaultFilePath;
+        }
+
+        return $baselineFilePath ? self::loadFromFile($baselineFilePath) : self::empty();
+    }
+
+    public static function loadFromFile(string $filename): self
+    {
+        if (!file_exists($filename)) {
+            throw new \RuntimeException("Baseline file '$filename' not found.");
+        }
+
+        return new self(
+            Violations::fromJson(file_get_contents($filename)),
+            $filename
+        );
+    }
+
+    public static function save(?string $filename, string $defaultFilePath, Violations $violations): string
+    {
+        if (null === $filename) {
+            $filename = $defaultFilePath;
+        }
+
+        file_put_contents($filename, json_encode($violations, \JSON_PRETTY_PRINT));
+
+        return $filename;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/CLI/Command/Check.php b/src/CLI/Command/Check.php
index 22601e80..a46db73b 100644
--- a/src/CLI/Command/Check.php
+++ b/src/CLI/Command/Check.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 namespace Arkitect\CLI\Command;
 
+use Arkitect\CLI\Baseline;
 use Arkitect\CLI\Config;
 use Arkitect\CLI\Printer\PrinterFactory;
 use Arkitect\CLI\Progress\DebugProgress;
@@ -123,19 +124,13 @@ protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output): int
 
             $progress = $verbose ? new DebugProgress($output) : new ProgressBarProgress($output);
 
-            $this->printHeadingLine($output);
-
-            if (true !== $skipBaseline && !$useBaseline && file_exists(self::DEFAULT_BASELINE_FILENAME)) {
-                $useBaseline = self::DEFAULT_BASELINE_FILENAME;
-            }
+            $baseline = Baseline::create($skipBaseline, $useBaseline, self::DEFAULT_BASELINE_FILENAME);
 
-            if ($useBaseline && !file_exists($useBaseline)) {
-                $output->writeln("❌ Baseline file '$useBaseline' not found.");
+            $printer = (new PrinterFactory())->create($format);
 
-                return self::ERROR_CODE;
-            }
+            $this->printHeadingLine($output);
 
-            $output->writeln("Baseline file '$useBaseline' found");
+            $baseline->getFilename() && $output->writeln("Baseline file '{$baseline->getFilename()}' found");
 
             $rulesFilename = $this->getConfigFilename($input);
 
@@ -151,29 +146,20 @@ protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output): int
             $violations = $result->getViolations();
 
             if (false !== $generateBaseline) {
-                if (null === $generateBaseline) {
-                    $generateBaseline = self::DEFAULT_BASELINE_FILENAME;
-                }
-                $this->saveBaseline($generateBaseline, $violations);
+                $baselineFilePath = Baseline::save($generateBaseline, self::DEFAULT_BASELINE_FILENAME, $violations);
 
-                $output->writeln("ℹ️ Baseline file '$generateBaseline' created!");
+                $output->writeln("ℹ️ Baseline file '$baselineFilePath' created!");
 
                 return self::SUCCESS_CODE;
             }
 
-            if ($useBaseline) {
-                $baseline = $this->loadBaseline($useBaseline);
-
-                $violations->remove($baseline, $ignoreBaselineLinenumbers);
-            }
-
-            $printer = (new PrinterFactory())->create($format);
+            $baseline->applyTo($violations, $ignoreBaselineLinenumbers);
 
             // we always print this so we do not have to do additional ifs later
             $stdOut->writeln($printer->print($violations->groupedByFqcn()));
 
             if ($violations->count() > 0) {
-                $output->writeln(\sprintf('⚠️ %s violations detected!', \count($violations)));
+                $output->writeln("⚠️ {$violations->count()} violations detected!");
             }
 
             if ($result->hasParsingErrors()) {
@@ -222,16 +208,6 @@ protected function printExecutionTime(OutputInterface $output, float $startTime)
         $output->writeln("⏱️ Execution time: $executionTime\n");
     }
 
-    private function loadBaseline(string $filename): Violations
-    {
-        return Violations::fromJson(file_get_contents($filename));
-    }
-
-    private function saveBaseline(string $filename, Violations $violations): void
-    {
-        file_put_contents($filename, json_encode($violations, \JSON_PRETTY_PRINT));
-    }
-
     private function getConfigFilename(InputInterface $input): string
     {
         $filename = $input->getOption(self::CONFIG_FILENAME_PARAM);