diff --git a/cli/command/cli.go b/cli/command/cli.go
index fc557635c4..a8711de70c 100644
--- a/cli/command/cli.go
+++ b/cli/command/cli.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/docker"
 	kubcontext "github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/kubernetes"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/context/store"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/debug"
 	cliflags "github.com/docker/cli/cli/flags"
 	manifeststore "github.com/docker/cli/cli/manifest/store"
 	registryclient "github.com/docker/cli/cli/registry/client"
@@ -177,6 +178,16 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) RegistryClient(allowInsecure bool) registryclient.Registry
 // Initialize the dockerCli runs initialization that must happen after command
 // line flags are parsed.
 func (cli *DockerCli) Initialize(opts *cliflags.ClientOptions) error {
+	cliflags.SetLogLevel(opts.Common.LogLevel)
+
+	if opts.ConfigDir != "" {
+		cliconfig.SetDir(opts.ConfigDir)
+	}
+
+	if opts.Common.Debug {
+		debug.Enable()
+	}
+
 	cli.configFile = cliconfig.LoadDefaultConfigFile(cli.err)
 	var err error
 	cli.contextStore = store.New(cliconfig.ContextStoreDir(), cli.contextStoreConfig)
diff --git a/cmd/docker/docker.go b/cmd/docker/docker.go
index 5909953be3..b16b3ec194 100644
--- a/cmd/docker/docker.go
+++ b/cmd/docker/docker.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command/commands"
 	cliconfig "github.com/docker/cli/cli/config"
-	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/debug"
 	cliflags "github.com/docker/cli/cli/flags"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/versions"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
@@ -36,7 +35,6 @@ func newDockerCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
 		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			// flags must be the top-level command flags, not cmd.Flags()
 			opts.Common.SetDefaultOptions(flags)
-			dockerPreRun(opts)
 			if err := dockerCli.Initialize(opts); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -144,7 +142,6 @@ func initializeDockerCli(dockerCli *command.DockerCli, flags *pflag.FlagSet, opt
 	// when using --help, PersistentPreRun is not called, so initialization is needed.
 	// flags must be the top-level command flags, not cmd.Flags()
 	opts.Common.SetDefaultOptions(flags)
-	dockerPreRun(opts)
 	return dockerCli.Initialize(opts)
 }
 
@@ -193,18 +190,6 @@ func main() {
 	}
 }
 
-func dockerPreRun(opts *cliflags.ClientOptions) {
-	cliflags.SetLogLevel(opts.Common.LogLevel)
-
-	if opts.ConfigDir != "" {
-		cliconfig.SetDir(opts.ConfigDir)
-	}
-
-	if opts.Common.Debug {
-		debug.Enable()
-	}
-}
-
 type versionDetails interface {
 	Client() client.APIClient
 	ClientInfo() command.ClientInfo