diff --git a/cmd/influx/main.go b/cmd/influx/main.go
index 9b614d0c592..2093e8bfa0d 100644
--- a/cmd/influx/main.go
+++ b/cmd/influx/main.go
@@ -55,15 +55,17 @@ func newHTTPClient() (*httpc.Client, error) {
 type (
 	cobraRunEFn func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error
 
-	cobraRuneEMiddleware func(fn cobraRunEFn) cobraRunEFn
+	cobraRunEMiddleware func(fn cobraRunEFn) cobraRunEFn
 
 	genericCLIOptFn func(*genericCLIOpts)
 )
 
 type genericCLIOpts struct {
-	in         io.Reader
-	w          io.Writer
-	runEWrapFn cobraRuneEMiddleware
+	in   io.Reader
+	w    io.Writer
+	errW io.Writer
+
+	runEWrapFn cobraRunEMiddleware
 }
 
 func (o genericCLIOpts) newCmd(use string, runE func(*cobra.Command, []string) error) *cobra.Command {
@@ -76,6 +78,8 @@ func (o genericCLIOpts) newCmd(use string, runE func(*cobra.Command, []string) e
 		cmd.RunE = o.runEWrapFn(runE)
 	}
 	cmd.SetOut(o.w)
+	cmd.SetIn(o.in)
+	cmd.SetErr(o.errW)
 	return cmd
 }
 
@@ -95,6 +99,18 @@ func out(w io.Writer) genericCLIOptFn {
 	}
 }
 
+func err(w io.Writer) genericCLIOptFn {
+	return func(o *genericCLIOpts) {
+		o.errW = w
+	}
+}
+
+func runEMiddlware(mw cobraRunEMiddleware) genericCLIOptFn {
+	return func(o *genericCLIOpts) {
+		o.runEWrapFn = mw
+	}
+}
+
 type globalFlags struct {
 	config.Config
 	local      bool
@@ -115,6 +131,7 @@ func newInfluxCmdBuilder(optFns ...genericCLIOptFn) *cmdInfluxBuilder {
 	opt := genericCLIOpts{
 		in:         os.Stdin,
 		w:          os.Stdout,
+		errW:       os.Stderr,
 		runEWrapFn: checkSetupRunEMiddleware(&flags),
 	}
 	for _, optFn := range optFns {
@@ -298,7 +315,7 @@ func checkSetup(host string, skipVerify bool) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func checkSetupRunEMiddleware(f *globalFlags) cobraRuneEMiddleware {
+func checkSetupRunEMiddleware(f *globalFlags) cobraRunEMiddleware {
 	return func(fn cobraRunEFn) cobraRunEFn {
 		return func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			err := fn(cmd, args)
diff --git a/cmd/influx/main_test.go b/cmd/influx/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8972145c474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/influx/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/influxdata/influxdb/cmd/influx/config"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func Test_influx_cmd(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		args     []string
+		envVars  map[string]string
+		expected globalFlags
+	}{
+		{
+			name:    "all full length flags set",
+			args:    []string{"--token=TOKEN", "--host=HOST", "--local=true", "--skip-verify=true"},
+			envVars: envVarsZeroMap,
+			expected: globalFlags{
+				Config: config.Config{
+					Token: "TOKEN",
+					Host:  "HOST",
+				},
+				skipVerify: true,
+				local:      true,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "token p flag set",
+			args:    []string{"-t=TOKEN", "--host=HOST", "--local=true", "--skip-verify=true"},
+			envVars: envVarsZeroMap,
+			expected: globalFlags{
+				Config: config.Config{
+					Token: "TOKEN",
+					Host:  "HOST",
+				},
+				skipVerify: true,
+				local:      true,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "env vars set",
+			args: []string{"--local=true", "--skip-verify=true"},
+			envVars: map[string]string{
+				"INFLUX_TOKEN": "TOKEN",
+				"INFLUX_HOST":  "HOST",
+			},
+			expected: globalFlags{
+				Config: config.Config{
+					Token: "TOKEN",
+					Host:  "HOST",
+				},
+				skipVerify: true,
+				local:      true,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		fn := func(t *testing.T) {
+			defer addEnvVars(t, tt.envVars)()
+
+			builder := newInfluxCmdBuilder(
+				in(new(bytes.Buffer)),
+				out(ioutil.Discard),
+				err(ioutil.Discard),
+				runEMiddlware(func(fn cobraRunEFn) cobraRunEFn { return fn }),
+			)
+
+			flagCapture := new(globalFlags)
+			influxCmd := builder.cmd(func(f *globalFlags, opt genericCLIOpts) *cobra.Command {
+				flagCapture = f
+				return &cobra.Command{Use: "foo"}
+			})
+
+			influxCmd.SetArgs(append([]string{"foo"}, tt.args...))
+
+			require.NoError(t, influxCmd.Execute())
+
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected.Host, flagCapture.Host)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected.Token, flagCapture.Token)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected.local, flagCapture.local)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected.skipVerify, flagCapture.skipVerify)
+		}
+
+		t.Run(tt.name, fn)
+	}
+}