diff --git a/pkg/cli/flags.go b/pkg/cli/flags.go
index 38087a880a82..4f35a51921f6 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/flags.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/flags.go
@@ -389,7 +389,8 @@ func init() {
 		// 'start' will check that the flag is properly defined.
 		VarFlag(f, &serverCfg.JoinList, cliflags.Join)
 		VarFlag(f, clusterNameSetter{&baseCfg.ClusterName}, cliflags.ClusterName)
-		BoolFlag(f, &baseCfg.DisableClusterNameVerification, cliflags.DisableClusterNameVerification, false)
+		BoolFlag(f, &baseCfg.DisableClusterNameVerification,
+			cliflags.DisableClusterNameVerification, baseCfg.DisableClusterNameVerification)
 		if cmd == startSingleNodeCmd {
 			// Even though all server flags are supported for
 			// 'start-single-node', we intend that command to be used by
@@ -470,6 +471,7 @@ func init() {
 		debugZipCmd,
 		dumpCmd,
 		genHAProxyCmd,
+		initCmd,
 		quitCmd,
 		sqlShellCmd,
 		/* StartCmds are covered above */
@@ -477,7 +479,6 @@ func init() {
 	clientCmds = append(clientCmds, authCmds...)
 	clientCmds = append(clientCmds, nodeCmds...)
 	clientCmds = append(clientCmds, systemBenchCmds...)
-	clientCmds = append(clientCmds, initCmd)
 	clientCmds = append(clientCmds, nodeLocalCmds...)
 	for _, cmd := range clientCmds {
 		f := cmd.PersistentFlags()
@@ -612,14 +613,18 @@ func init() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Make the other non-SQL client commands also recognize --url in
-	// strict SSL mode.
+	// Make the non-SQL client commands also recognize --url in strict SSL mode
+	// and ensure they can connect to clusters that use a cluster-name.
 	for _, cmd := range clientCmds {
 		if f := flagSetForCmd(cmd).Lookup(cliflags.URL.Name); f != nil {
 			// --url already registered above, nothing to do.
 			continue
 		}
-		VarFlag(cmd.PersistentFlags(), urlParser{cmd, &cliCtx, true /* strictSSL */}, cliflags.URL)
+		f := cmd.PersistentFlags()
+		VarFlag(f, urlParser{cmd, &cliCtx, true /* strictSSL */}, cliflags.URL)
+		VarFlag(f, clusterNameSetter{&baseCfg.ClusterName}, cliflags.ClusterName)
+		BoolFlag(f, &baseCfg.DisableClusterNameVerification,
+			cliflags.DisableClusterNameVerification, baseCfg.DisableClusterNameVerification)
 	}
 
 	// Commands that print tables.
diff --git a/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/test_cluster_name.tcl b/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/test_cluster_name.tcl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..11ab893c19a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/test_cluster_name.tcl
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env expect -f
+#
+source [file join [file dirnam $argv0] common.tcl]
+
+# Start a server with a --join flag so the init command is required
+# (even though we have no intention of starting a second node).  Note that unlike other
+# expect-based tests, this one doesn't use a fifo for --pid_file
+# because we don't want reads from that fifo to change the outcome.
+system "$argv start --insecure --pid-file=server_pid -s=path=logs/db --listen-addr=localhost --background --join=localhost:26258 --cluster-name=foo >>logs/expect-cmd.log 2>&1"
+
+start_test "Check that the server has informed us and the log file that it was ready before forking off in the background"
+system "grep -q 'initial startup completed' logs/db/logs/cockroach.log"
+system "grep -q 'will now attempt to join a running cluster, or wait' logs/db/logs/cockroach.log"
+end_test
+
+start_test "Check that init works with a cluster-name provided"
+system "$argv init --insecure --host=localhost --cluster-name=foo"
+end_test
+
+start_test "Check that decommission works with a cluster-name provided"
+send "$argv node decommission 1 --insecure --host=localhost --wait=none --cluster-name=foo\r"
+end_test
+
+start_test "Check that recommission works with cluster name verification disabled"
+send "$argv node recommission 1 --insecure --host=localhost --disable-cluster-name-verification\r"
+end_test
+
+start_test "Check that debug commands work with a cluster name provided"
+send "$argv debug gossip-values --insecure --host=localhost --cluster-name=foo\r"
+end_test
+
+start_test "Check that quit works with a cluster-name provided"
+send "$argv quit --insecure --host=localhost --wait=none --cluster-name=foo\r"
+end_test
+
+stop_server $argv