diff --git a/sqlelf/cli.py b/sqlelf/cli.py
index 5b2bd66..984cebb 100644
--- a/sqlelf/cli.py
+++ b/sqlelf/cli.py
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
 from functools import reduce
 from typing import TextIO
 
-import lief
-
 from sqlelf import sql as api_sql
 
 
@@ -60,16 +58,14 @@ def start(args: list[str] = sys.argv[1:], stdin: TextIO = sys.stdin) -> None:
             program_args.filenames,
         ),
     )
-    # Filter the list of filenames to those that are ELF files only
-    filenames = [f for f in filenames if os.path.isfile(f) and lief.is_elf(f)]
+    # Filter the list of filenames to those that are files only
+    filenames = [f for f in filenames if os.path.isfile(f)]
 
     # If none of the inputs are valid files, simply return
     if len(filenames) == 0:
         sys.exit("No valid ELF files were provided")
 
-    binaries: list[lief.Binary] = [lief.parse(filename) for filename in filenames]
-
-    sql_engine = api_sql.make_sql_engine(binaries, recursive=program_args.recursive)
+    sql_engine = api_sql.make_sql_engine(filenames, recursive=program_args.recursive)
     shell = sql_engine.shell(stdin=stdin)
 
     if program_args.sql and len(program_args.filenames) > 0:
diff --git a/sqlelf/sql.py b/sqlelf/sql.py
index 2019e63..eb76abf 100644
--- a/sqlelf/sql.py
+++ b/sqlelf/sql.py
@@ -51,7 +51,15 @@ def find_libraries(binary: lief.Binary) -> Dict[str, str]:
     return result
 
 
-def make_sql_engine(binaries: list[lief.Binary], recursive: bool = False) -> SQLEngine:
+def make_sql_engine(filenames: list[str], recursive: bool = False) -> SQLEngine:
+    """Create a SQL engine from a list of binaries
+
+    Args:
+        filenames: the list of binaries to analyze -- should be absolute path
+        recursive: whether to recursively load all shared
+                libraries needed by each binary
+    """
+    binaries: list[lief.Binary] = [lief.parse(filename) for filename in filenames]
     connection = apsw.Connection(":memory:")
 
     if recursive:
diff --git a/tests/test_sql.py b/tests/test_sql.py
index 9c745fd..256a89d 100644
--- a/tests/test_sql.py
+++ b/tests/test_sql.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def test_simple_binary_mocked(Command: sh.Command) -> None:
 
 def test_simple_select_header() -> None:
     # TODO(fzakaria): Figure out a better binary to be doing that we control
-    engine = sql.make_sql_engine([lief.parse("/bin/ls")])
+    engine = sql.make_sql_engine(["/bin/ls"])
     result = list(engine.execute("SELECT * FROM elf_headers LIMIT 1"))
     assert len(result) == 1
     assert "path" in result[0]
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def test_simple_select_header() -> None:
 
 def test_simple_select_version_requirements() -> None:
     # TODO(fzakaria): Figure out a better binary to be doing that we control
-    engine = sql.make_sql_engine([lief.parse("/bin/ls")])
+    engine = sql.make_sql_engine(["/bin/ls"])
     result = list(engine.execute("SELECT * FROM elf_version_requirements LIMIT 1"))
     assert len(result) == 1
     assert "path" in result[0]