diff --git a/cli/command/cli.go b/cli/command/cli.go
index b34d9e7f3d..bdd3b18f24 100644
--- a/cli/command/cli.go
+++ b/cli/command/cli.go
@@ -136,11 +136,12 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) Initialize(opts *cliflags.ClientOptions) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "Experimental field")
 	}
-	orchestrator := GetOrchestrator(cli.configFile.Orchestrator)
+	orchestrator := GetOrchestrator(opts.Common.Orchestrator, cli.configFile.Orchestrator)
 	cli.clientInfo = ClientInfo{
 		DefaultVersion:  cli.client.ClientVersion(),
 		HasExperimental: hasExperimental,
 		HasKubernetes:   orchestrator == OrchestratorKubernetes,
+		Orchestrator:    orchestrator,
 	}
 	cli.initializeFromClient()
 	return nil
@@ -207,6 +208,7 @@ type ClientInfo struct {
 	HasExperimental bool
 	HasKubernetes   bool
 	DefaultVersion  string
+	Orchestrator    Orchestrator
 }
 
 // NewDockerCli returns a DockerCli instance with IO output and error streams set by in, out and err.
diff --git a/cli/command/orchestrator.go b/cli/command/orchestrator.go
index 4438ef5cc6..6cf0e4603b 100644
--- a/cli/command/orchestrator.go
+++ b/cli/command/orchestrator.go
@@ -33,19 +33,23 @@ func normalize(flag string) Orchestrator {
 
 // GetOrchestrator checks DOCKER_ORCHESTRATOR environment variable and configuration file
 // orchestrator value and returns user defined Orchestrator.
-func GetOrchestrator(orchestrator string) Orchestrator {
+func GetOrchestrator(flagValue, value string) Orchestrator {
+	// Check flag
+	if o := normalize(flagValue); o != orchestratorUnset {
+		return o
+	}
 	// Check environment variable
 	env := os.Getenv(dockerOrchestrator)
 	if o := normalize(env); o != orchestratorUnset {
 		return o
 	}
 	// Check specified orchestrator
-	if o := normalize(orchestrator); o != orchestratorUnset {
+	if o := normalize(value); o != orchestratorUnset {
 		return o
 	}
 
-	if orchestrator != "" {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Specified orchestrator %q is invalid. Please use either kubernetes or swarm\n", orchestrator)
+	if value != "" {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Specified orchestrator %q is invalid. Please use either kubernetes or swarm\n", value)
 	}
 	// Nothing set, use default orchestrator
 	return defaultOrchestrator
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/deploy.go b/cli/command/stack/deploy.go
index f9866716a8..d01add7b98 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/deploy.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/deploy.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func newDeployCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 		Args:    cli.ExactArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			opts.Namespace = args[0]
-			if dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes {
+			if dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes() {
 				kli, err := kubernetes.WrapCli(dockerCli, cmd)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/list.go b/cli/command/stack/list.go
index 4db83765fe..2cb10c1716 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/list.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/list.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func newListCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 		Short:   "List stacks",
 		Args:    cli.NoArgs,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			if dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes {
+			if dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes() {
 				kli, err := kubernetes.WrapCli(dockerCli, cmd)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/ps.go b/cli/command/stack/ps.go
index cd8c32a28e..8e835201a2 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/ps.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/ps.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func newPsCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 		Args:  cli.ExactArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			opts.Namespace = args[0]
-			if dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes {
+			if dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes() {
 				kli, err := kubernetes.WrapCli(dockerCli, cmd)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/remove.go b/cli/command/stack/remove.go
index 8324ba09a2..e4dd913dbd 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/remove.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/remove.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func newRemoveCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 		Args:    cli.RequiresMinArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			opts.Namespaces = args
-			if dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes {
+			if dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes() {
 				kli, err := kubernetes.WrapCli(dockerCli, cmd)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/services.go b/cli/command/stack/services.go
index b3331c3df4..7f427c170e 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/services.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/services.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func newServicesCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 		Args:  cli.ExactArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			opts.Namespace = args[0]
-			if dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes {
+			if dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes() {
 				kli, err := kubernetes.WrapCli(dockerCli, cmd)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
diff --git a/cli/command/system/version.go b/cli/command/system/version.go
index 31f441e53f..8223b6df80 100644
--- a/cli/command/system/version.go
+++ b/cli/command/system/version.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func runVersion(dockerCli command.Cli, opts *versionOptions) error {
 			Os:                runtime.GOOS,
 			Arch:              runtime.GOARCH,
 			Experimental:      dockerCli.ClientInfo().HasExperimental,
-			Orchestrator:      string(command.GetOrchestrator(dockerCli.ConfigFile().Orchestrator)),
+			Orchestrator:      string(dockerCli.ClientInfo().Orchestrator),
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/cli/flags/common.go b/cli/flags/common.go
index a07bc77a75..a8e2840426 100644
--- a/cli/flags/common.go
+++ b/cli/flags/common.go
@@ -30,12 +30,13 @@ var (
 
 // CommonOptions are options common to both the client and the daemon.
 type CommonOptions struct {
-	Debug      bool
-	Hosts      []string
-	LogLevel   string
-	TLS        bool
-	TLSVerify  bool
-	TLSOptions *tlsconfig.Options
+	Debug        bool
+	Hosts        []string
+	Orchestrator string
+	LogLevel     string
+	TLS          bool
+	TLSVerify    bool
+	TLSOptions   *tlsconfig.Options
 }
 
 // NewCommonOptions returns a new CommonOptions
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ func (commonOpts *CommonOptions) InstallFlags(flags *pflag.FlagSet) {
 	flags.StringVarP(&commonOpts.LogLevel, "log-level", "l", "info", `Set the logging level ("debug"|"info"|"warn"|"error"|"fatal")`)
 	flags.BoolVar(&commonOpts.TLS, "tls", false, "Use TLS; implied by --tlsverify")
 	flags.BoolVar(&commonOpts.TLSVerify, FlagTLSVerify, dockerTLSVerify, "Use TLS and verify the remote")
+	flags.StringVar(&commonOpts.Orchestrator, "orchestrator", "", "Which orchestrator to use with the docker cli (swarm|kubernetes)")
 
 	// TODO use flag flags.String("identity"}, "i", "", "Path to libtrust key file")
 
diff --git a/cmd/docker/docker.go b/cmd/docker/docker.go
index c96c3b674b..0b48f464cc 100644
--- a/cmd/docker/docker.go
+++ b/cmd/docker/docker.go
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ func areFlagsSupported(cmd *cobra.Command, details versionDetails) error {
 	clientVersion := details.Client().ClientVersion()
 	osType := details.ServerInfo().OSType
 	hasExperimental := details.ServerInfo().HasExperimental
-	hasKubernetes := details.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes
+	hasKubernetes := details.ClientInfo().HasKubernetes()
 
 	errs := []string{}