diff --git a/command/cli.go b/command/cli.go
index be82ecf6f3..9b61492442 100644
--- a/command/cli.go
+++ b/command/cli.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ type DockerCli struct {
 func (cli *DockerCli) HasExperimental() bool {
 	if cli.hasExperimental == nil {
 		if cli.client == nil {
-			cli.Initialize(cliflags.NewClientOptions())
+			return false
 		}
 		enabled := false
 		cli.hasExperimental = &enabled
diff --git a/command/commands/commands.go b/command/commands/commands.go
index 425f90ba7d..fad709bca1 100644
--- a/command/commands/commands.go
+++ b/command/commands/commands.go
@@ -70,17 +70,12 @@ func AddCommands(cmd *cobra.Command, dockerCli *command.DockerCli) {
 		hide(image.NewSaveCommand(dockerCli)),
 		hide(image.NewTagCommand(dockerCli)),
 		hide(system.NewInspectCommand(dockerCli)),
+		stack.NewStackCommand(dockerCli),
+		stack.NewTopLevelDeployCommand(dockerCli),
+		checkpoint.NewCheckpointCommand(dockerCli),
+		plugin.NewPluginCommand(dockerCli),
 	)
 
-	if dockerCli.HasExperimental() {
-		cmd.AddCommand(
-			stack.NewStackCommand(dockerCli),
-			stack.NewTopLevelDeployCommand(dockerCli),
-			checkpoint.NewCheckpointCommand(dockerCli),
-			plugin.NewPluginCommand(dockerCli),
-		)
-	}
-
 }
 
 func hide(cmd *cobra.Command) *cobra.Command {
diff --git a/command/container/start.go b/command/container/start.go
index 8e0654da37..e544028932 100644
--- a/command/container/start.go
+++ b/command/container/start.go
@@ -45,11 +45,10 @@ func NewStartCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
 	flags.BoolVarP(&opts.openStdin, "interactive", "i", false, "Attach container's STDIN")
 	flags.StringVar(&opts.detachKeys, "detach-keys", "", "Override the key sequence for detaching a container")
 
-	if dockerCli.HasExperimental() {
-		flags.StringVar(&opts.checkpoint, "checkpoint", "", "Restore from this checkpoint")
-		flags.StringVar(&opts.checkpointDir, "checkpoint-dir", "", "Use a custom checkpoint storage directory")
-	}
-
+	flags.StringVar(&opts.checkpoint, "checkpoint", "", "Restore from this checkpoint")
+	flags.StringVar(&opts.checkpointDir, "checkpoint-dir", "", "Use a custom checkpoint storage directory")
+	flags.SetAnnotation("checkpoint", "experimental", nil)
+	flags.SetAnnotation("checkpoint-dir", "experimental", nil)
 	return cmd
 }
 
diff --git a/command/image/build.go b/command/image/build.go
index dc18601900..5cf36cfd53 100644
--- a/command/image/build.go
+++ b/command/image/build.go
@@ -111,9 +111,8 @@ func NewBuildCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
 
 	command.AddTrustedFlags(flags, true)
 
-	if dockerCli.HasExperimental() {
-		flags.BoolVar(&options.squash, "squash", false, "Squash newly built layers into a single new layer")
-	}
+	flags.BoolVar(&options.squash, "squash", false, "Squash newly built layers into a single new layer")
+	flags.SetAnnotation("squash", "experimental", nil)
 
 	return cmd
 }