diff --git a/fleetctl/fleetctl.go b/fleetctl/fleetctl.go
index 4de563bc0..df00765d9 100644
--- a/fleetctl/fleetctl.go
+++ b/fleetctl/fleetctl.go
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ func init() {
 
 	globalFlagset.BoolVar(&globalFlags.Debug, "debug", false, "Print out more debug information to stderr")
 	globalFlagset.BoolVar(&globalFlags.Version, "version", false, "Print the version and exit")
-	globalFlagset.StringVar(&globalFlags.ClientDriver, "driver", clientDriverEtcd, fmt.Sprintf("Adapter used to execute fleetctl commands. Options include %q and %q.", clientDriverAPI, clientDriverEtcd))
-	globalFlagset.StringVar(&globalFlags.Endpoint, "endpoint", "http://127.0.0.1:4001", fmt.Sprintf("Location of the fleet API if --driver=%s. Alternatively, if --driver=%s, location of the etcd API.", clientDriverAPI, clientDriverEtcd))
+	globalFlagset.StringVar(&globalFlags.ClientDriver, "driver", clientDriverAPI, fmt.Sprintf("Adapter used to execute fleetctl commands. Options include %q and %q.", clientDriverAPI, clientDriverEtcd))
+	globalFlagset.StringVar(&globalFlags.Endpoint, "endpoint", "unix:///var/run/fleet.sock", fmt.Sprintf("Location of the fleet API if --driver=%s. Alternatively, if --driver=%s, location of the etcd API.", clientDriverAPI, clientDriverEtcd))
 	globalFlagset.StringVar(&globalFlags.EtcdKeyPrefix, "etcd-key-prefix", registry.DefaultKeyPrefix, "Keyspace for fleet data in etcd (development use only!)")
 
 	globalFlagset.StringVar(&globalFlags.KeyFile, "keyfile", "", "Location of TLS key file used to secure communication with the fleet API or etcd")
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func init() {
 	globalFlagset.Float64Var(&globalFlags.RequestTimeout, "request-timeout", 3.0, "Amount of time in seconds to allow a single request before considering it failed.")
 
 	// deprecated flags
-	globalFlagset.BoolVar(&globalFlags.ExperimentalAPI, "experimental-api", false, hidden)
+	globalFlagset.BoolVar(&globalFlags.ExperimentalAPI, "experimental-api", true, hidden)
 	globalFlagset.StringVar(&globalFlags.KeyFile, "etcd-keyfile", "", hidden)
 	globalFlagset.StringVar(&globalFlags.CertFile, "etcd-certfile", "", hidden)
 	globalFlagset.StringVar(&globalFlags.CAFile, "etcd-cafile", "", hidden)
@@ -295,10 +295,10 @@ func getFlagsFromEnv(prefix string, fs *flag.FlagSet) {
 
 // getClient initializes a client of fleet based on CLI flags
 func getClient() (client.API, error) {
-	// The user explicitly set --experimental-api=true, so it trumps the
+	// The user explicitly set --experimental-api=false, so it trumps the
 	// --driver flag. This behavior exists for backwards-compatibilty.
-	if globalFlags.ExperimentalAPI {
-		return getHTTPClient()
+	if !globalFlags.ExperimentalAPI {
+		return getRegistryClient()
 	}
 
 	switch globalFlags.ClientDriver {