diff --git a/examples/ccchecker/ccchecker.go b/examples/ccchecker/ccchecker.go
index 66bb9778993..9f93330ad93 100644
--- a/examples/ccchecker/ccchecker.go
+++ b/examples/ccchecker/ccchecker.go
@@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ func CCCheckerInit() {
 }
 
 //CCCheckerRun main loops that will run the tests and cleanup
-func CCCheckerRun(report bool, verbose bool) error {
+func CCCheckerRun(orderingEndpoint string, report bool, verbose bool) error {
 	//connect with Broadcast client
-	bc, err := common.GetBroadcastClient()
+	bc, err := common.GetBroadcastClient(orderingEndpoint)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/examples/ccchecker/main.go b/examples/ccchecker/main.go
index 138d5f3b75f..f34fdc84500 100644
--- a/examples/ccchecker/main.go
+++ b/examples/ccchecker/main.go
@@ -40,9 +40,11 @@ var mainCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	},
 }
 
+var orderingEndpoint string
+
 func main() {
 	mainFlags := mainCmd.PersistentFlags()
-
+	mainFlags.StringVarP(&orderingEndpoint, "orderer", "o", "", "Ordering service endpoint")
 	//initialize the env
 	InitCCCheckerEnv(mainFlags)
 
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@ func main() {
 func run(args []string) {
 	CCCheckerInit()
 	//TODO make parameters out of report and verbose
-	CCCheckerRun(true, true)
+	CCCheckerRun(orderingEndpoint, true, true)
 	fmt.Printf("Test complete\n")
 	return
 }
diff --git a/peer/chaincode/chaincode.go b/peer/chaincode/chaincode.go
index 36d1e0641cc..cf0381d4c22 100644
--- a/peer/chaincode/chaincode.go
+++ b/peer/chaincode/chaincode.go
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ func AddFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 		fmt.Sprint("The name of the endorsement system chaincode to be used for this chaincode"))
 	flags.StringVarP(&vscc, "vscc", "V", common.UndefinedParamValue,
 		fmt.Sprint("The name of the verification system chaincode to be used for this chaincode"))
+	flags.StringVarP(&orderingEndpoint, "orderer", "o", "", "Ordering service endpoint")
 }
 
 // Cmd returns the cobra command for Chaincode
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ var (
 	escc              string
 	vscc              string
 	policyMarhsalled  []byte
+	orderingEndpoint  string
 )
 
 var chaincodeCmd = &cobra.Command{
diff --git a/peer/chaincode/common.go b/peer/chaincode/common.go
index fd46508e3b3..9e1b192b64d 100644
--- a/peer/chaincode/common.go
+++ b/peer/chaincode/common.go
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ func InitCmdFactory() (*ChaincodeCmdFactory, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error getting default signer: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	broadcastClient, err := common.GetBroadcastClient()
+	broadcastClient, err := common.GetBroadcastClient(orderingEndpoint)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error getting broadcast client: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/peer/channel/channel.go b/peer/channel/channel.go
index f998c236fd5..78ad05950cf 100644
--- a/peer/channel/channel.go
+++ b/peer/channel/channel.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package channel
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/msp"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/peer/common"
@@ -25,7 +26,6 @@ import (
 	pb "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/peer"
 	"github.com/op/go-logging"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 )
@@ -39,17 +39,13 @@ var (
 	genesisBlockPath string
 
 	// create related variables
-	chainID       string
-	channelTxFile string
+	chainID          string
+	channelTxFile    string
+	orderingEndpoint string
 )
 
 // Cmd returns the cobra command for Node
 func Cmd(cf *ChannelCmdFactory) *cobra.Command {
-	//the "peer.committer.enabled" flag should really go away...
-	//basically we need the orderer for create and join
-	if !viper.GetBool("peer.committer.enabled") || viper.GetString("peer.committer.ledger.orderer") == "" {
-		panic("orderer not provided")
-	}
 
 	AddFlags(channelCmd)
 	channelCmd.AddCommand(joinCmd(cf))
@@ -66,6 +62,7 @@ func AddFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 	flags.StringVarP(&genesisBlockPath, "blockpath", "b", common.UndefinedParamValue, "Path to file containing genesis block")
 	flags.StringVarP(&chainID, "chain", "c", common.UndefinedParamValue, "In case of a newChain command, the chain ID to create.")
 	flags.StringVarP(&channelTxFile, "file", "f", "", "Configuration transaction file generated by a tool such as configtxgen for submitting to orderer")
+	flags.StringVarP(&orderingEndpoint, "orderer", "o", "", "Ordering service endpoint")
 }
 
 var channelCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -97,7 +94,7 @@ func InitCmdFactory(isOrdererRequired bool) (*ChannelCmdFactory, error) {
 	}
 
 	cmdFact.BroadcastFactory = func() (common.BroadcastClient, error) {
-		return common.GetBroadcastClient()
+		return common.GetBroadcastClient(orderingEndpoint)
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -111,8 +108,12 @@ func InitCmdFactory(isOrdererRequired bool) (*ChannelCmdFactory, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error getting endorser client %s: %s", channelFuncName, err)
 		}
 	} else {
-		orderer := viper.GetString("peer.committer.ledger.orderer")
-		conn, err := grpc.Dial(orderer, grpc.WithInsecure())
+
+		if len(strings.Split(orderingEndpoint, ":")) != 2 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Ordering service endpoint %s is not valid or missing", orderingEndpoint)
+		}
+
+		conn, err := grpc.Dial(orderingEndpoint, grpc.WithInsecure())
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/peer/channel/create_test.go b/peer/channel/create_test.go
index 90e5f5f1de0..aec313103e3 100644
--- a/peer/channel/create_test.go
+++ b/peer/channel/create_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
 
+	"errors"
+
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/msp/mgmt/testtools"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/peer/common"
 	cb "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/common"
@@ -103,7 +105,7 @@ func TestCreateChain(t *testing.T) {
 
 	AddFlags(cmd)
 
-	args := []string{"-c", mockchain}
+	args := []string{"-c", mockchain, "-o", "localhost:7050"}
 	cmd.SetArgs(args)
 
 	if err := cmd.Execute(); err != nil {
@@ -134,7 +136,7 @@ func TestCreateChainWithDefaultAnchorPeers(t *testing.T) {
 
 	AddFlags(cmd)
 
-	args := []string{"-c", mockchain}
+	args := []string{"-c", mockchain, "-o", "localhost:7050"}
 	cmd.SetArgs(args)
 
 	if err := cmd.Execute(); err != nil {
@@ -155,7 +157,7 @@ func TestCreateChainBCFail(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Get default signer error: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	sendErr := fmt.Errorf("send create tx failed")
+	sendErr := errors.New("send create tx failed")
 
 	mockCF := &ChannelCmdFactory{
 		BroadcastFactory: func() (common.BroadcastClient, error) {
@@ -169,7 +171,7 @@ func TestCreateChainBCFail(t *testing.T) {
 
 	AddFlags(cmd)
 
-	args := []string{"-c", mockchain}
+	args := []string{"-c", mockchain, "-o", "localhost:7050"}
 	cmd.SetArgs(args)
 
 	expectedErrMsg := sendErr.Error()
@@ -206,7 +208,7 @@ func TestCreateChainDeliverFail(t *testing.T) {
 
 	AddFlags(cmd)
 
-	args := []string{"-c", mockchain}
+	args := []string{"-c", mockchain, "-o", "localhost:7050"}
 	cmd.SetArgs(args)
 
 	expectedErrMsg := recvErr.Error()
@@ -277,7 +279,7 @@ func TestCreateChainFromTx(t *testing.T) {
 
 	AddFlags(cmd)
 
-	args := []string{"-c", mockchannel, "-f", file}
+	args := []string{"-c", mockchannel, "-f", file, "-o", "localhost:7050"}
 	cmd.SetArgs(args)
 
 	if _, err = createTxFile(file, cb.HeaderType_CONFIG_UPDATE, mockchannel); err != nil {
@@ -321,7 +323,7 @@ func TestCreateChainInvalidTx(t *testing.T) {
 
 	AddFlags(cmd)
 
-	args := []string{"-c", mockchannel, "-f", file}
+	args := []string{"-c", mockchannel, "-f", file, "-o", "localhost:7050"}
 	cmd.SetArgs(args)
 
 	//bad type CONFIG
diff --git a/peer/common/ordererclient.go b/peer/common/ordererclient.go
index 829e041f4b8..0cbd8132cde 100644
--- a/peer/common/ordererclient.go
+++ b/peer/common/ordererclient.go
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ package common
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	cb "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/common"
 	ab "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/orderer"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 )
@@ -39,14 +39,10 @@ type broadcastClient struct {
 }
 
 // GetBroadcastClient creates a simple instance of the BroadcastClient interface
-func GetBroadcastClient() (BroadcastClient, error) {
-	var orderer string
-	if viper.GetBool("peer.committer.enabled") {
-		orderer = viper.GetString("peer.committer.ledger.orderer")
-	}
+func GetBroadcastClient(orderingEndpoint string) (BroadcastClient, error) {
 
-	if orderer == "" {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Can't get orderer address")
+	if len(strings.Split(orderingEndpoint, ":")) != 2 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Ordering service endpoint %s is not valid or missing", orderingEndpoint)
 	}
 
 	var opts []grpc.DialOption
@@ -54,14 +50,14 @@ func GetBroadcastClient() (BroadcastClient, error) {
 	opts = append(opts, grpc.WithTimeout(3*time.Second))
 	opts = append(opts, grpc.WithBlock())
 
-	conn, err := grpc.Dial(orderer, opts...)
+	conn, err := grpc.Dial(orderingEndpoint, opts...)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to %s due to %s", orderer, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to %s due to %s", orderingEndpoint, err)
 	}
 	client, err := ab.NewAtomicBroadcastClient(conn).Broadcast(context.TODO())
 	if err != nil {
 		conn.Close()
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to %s due to %s", orderer, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to %s due to %s", orderingEndpoint, err)
 	}
 
 	return &broadcastClient{conn: conn, client: client}, nil