diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/generic_digest.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/generic_digest.rs
index 542197b7c8..df2631f8cb 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/generic_digest.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/generic_digest.rs
@@ -1,40 +1,84 @@
+use std::marker::PhantomData;
+
 use crate::prelude::*;
 use nu_errors::ShellError;
-use nu_protocol::ShellTypeName;
-use nu_protocol::{ColumnPath, Primitive, UntaggedValue, Value};
+use nu_protocol::{ColumnPath, Primitive, SyntaxShape, UntaggedValue, Value};
+use nu_protocol::{ShellTypeName, Signature};
 use nu_source::Tag;
 
-pub fn run<D>(args: CommandArgs) -> Result<OutputStream, ShellError>
+pub trait HashDigest: digest::Digest {
+    fn name() -> &'static str;
+    fn examples() -> Vec<Example>;
+}
+
+pub struct SubCommand<D: HashDigest> {
+    name_string: String,
+    usage_string: String,
+    phantom: PhantomData<D>,
+}
+
+impl<D: HashDigest> Default for SubCommand<D> {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            name_string: format!("hash {}", D::name()),
+            usage_string: format!("{} encode a value", D::name()),
+            phantom: PhantomData,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<D> WholeStreamCommand for SubCommand<D>
 where
-    D: digest::Digest,
+    D: HashDigest + Send + Sync,
     digest::Output<D>: core::fmt::LowerHex,
 {
-    let column_paths: Vec<ColumnPath> = args.rest(0)?;
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.name_string
+    }
 
-    Ok(args
-        .input
-        .map(move |v| {
-            if column_paths.is_empty() {
-                action::<D>(&v, v.tag())
-            } else {
-                let mut ret = v;
+    fn signature(&self) -> Signature {
+        Signature::build(self.name()).rest(
+            SyntaxShape::ColumnPath,
+            format!("optionally {} encode data by column paths", D::name()),
+        )
+    }
 
-                for path in &column_paths {
-                    ret = ret.swap_data_by_column_path(
-                        path,
-                        Box::new(move |old| action::<D>(old, old.tag())),
-                    )?;
+    fn usage(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.usage_string
+    }
+
+    fn examples(&self) -> Vec<Example> {
+        D::examples()
+    }
+
+    fn run(&self, args: CommandArgs) -> Result<OutputStream, ShellError> {
+        let column_paths: Vec<ColumnPath> = args.rest(0)?;
+
+        Ok(args
+            .input
+            .map(move |v| {
+                if column_paths.is_empty() {
+                    action::<D>(&v, v.tag())
+                } else {
+                    let mut ret = v;
+
+                    for path in &column_paths {
+                        ret = ret.swap_data_by_column_path(
+                            path,
+                            Box::new(move |old| action::<D>(old, old.tag())),
+                        )?;
+                    }
+
+                    Ok(ret)
                 }
-
-                Ok(ret)
-            }
-        })
-        .into_input_stream())
+            })
+            .into_input_stream())
+    }
 }
 
 pub fn action<D>(input: &Value, tag: Tag) -> Result<Value, ShellError>
 where
-    D: digest::Digest,
+    D: HashDigest,
     digest::Output<D>: core::fmt::LowerHex,
 {
     match &input.value {
@@ -49,7 +93,7 @@ where
         other => {
             let got = format!("got {}", other.type_name());
             Err(ShellError::labeled_error(
-                "value is not supported for hashing",
+                format!("value is not supported for hashing as {}", D::name()),
                 got,
                 tag.span,
             ))
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/md5_.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/md5_.rs
index 33365b497f..0559e7dfc6 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/md5_.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/md5_.rs
@@ -1,34 +1,17 @@
 use crate::prelude::*;
 use md5::Md5;
-use nu_engine::WholeStreamCommand;
-use nu_errors::ShellError;
-use nu_protocol::{Signature, SyntaxShape, UntaggedValue};
+use nu_protocol::UntaggedValue;
 
-use super::generic_digest;
+use super::generic_digest::{self, HashDigest};
 
-pub struct SubCommand;
+pub type SubCommand = generic_digest::SubCommand<Md5>;
 
-impl WholeStreamCommand for SubCommand {
-    fn name(&self) -> &str {
-        "hash md5"
+impl HashDigest for Md5 {
+    fn name() -> &'static str {
+        "md5"
     }
 
-    fn signature(&self) -> Signature {
-        Signature::build("hash md5").rest(
-            SyntaxShape::ColumnPath,
-            "optionally md5 encode data by column paths",
-        )
-    }
-
-    fn usage(&self) -> &str {
-        "md5 encode a value"
-    }
-
-    fn run(&self, args: CommandArgs) -> Result<OutputStream, ShellError> {
-        generic_digest::run::<Md5>(args)
-    }
-
-    fn examples(&self) -> Vec<Example> {
+    fn examples() -> Vec<Example> {
         vec![
             Example {
                 description: "md5 encode a string",
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/sha256_.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/sha256_.rs
index 666afde88d..4028dfdb42 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/sha256_.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/commands/generators/hash_/sha256_.rs
@@ -1,34 +1,17 @@
 use crate::prelude::*;
-use nu_engine::WholeStreamCommand;
-use nu_errors::ShellError;
-use nu_protocol::{Signature, SyntaxShape, UntaggedValue};
+use nu_protocol::UntaggedValue;
 use sha2::Sha256;
 
-use super::generic_digest;
+use super::generic_digest::{self, HashDigest};
 
-pub struct SubCommand;
+pub type SubCommand = generic_digest::SubCommand<Sha256>;
 
-impl WholeStreamCommand for SubCommand {
-    fn name(&self) -> &str {
-        "hash sha256"
+impl HashDigest for Sha256 {
+    fn name() -> &'static str {
+        "sha256"
     }
 
-    fn signature(&self) -> Signature {
-        Signature::build("hash sha256").rest(
-            SyntaxShape::ColumnPath,
-            "optionally sha256 encode data by column paths",
-        )
-    }
-
-    fn usage(&self) -> &str {
-        "sha256 encode a value"
-    }
-
-    fn run(&self, args: CommandArgs) -> Result<OutputStream, ShellError> {
-        generic_digest::run::<Sha256>(args)
-    }
-
-    fn examples(&self) -> Vec<Example> {
+    fn examples() -> Vec<Example> {
         vec![
             Example {
                 description: "sha256 encode a string",
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
index e07fd4daef..bb1780cc84 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ pub fn create_default_context(interactive: bool) -> Result<EvaluationContext, Bo
             // Text manipulation
             whole_stream_command(Hash),
             whole_stream_command(HashBase64),
-            whole_stream_command(HashMd5),
-            whole_stream_command(HashSha256),
+            whole_stream_command(HashMd5::default()),
+            whole_stream_command(HashSha256::default()),
             whole_stream_command(Split),
             whole_stream_command(SplitColumn),
             whole_stream_command(SplitRow),
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/hash_/mod.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/hash_/mod.rs
index 51a3463f64..61ad8f155b 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/hash_/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/hash_/mod.rs
@@ -96,3 +96,19 @@ fn md5_works_with_file() {
 
     assert_eq!(actual.out, "4de97601d232c427977ef11db396c951");
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn sha256_works_with_file() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: "tests/fixtures/formats", pipeline(
+        r#"
+        open sample.db | hash sha256
+        "#
+        )
+    );
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        actual.out,
+        "2f5050e7eea415c1f3d80b5d93355efd15043ec9157a2bb167a9e73f2ae651f2"
+    );
+}