diff --git a/src/commands/run.rs b/src/commands/run.rs
index 9a72186984..c6567fe037 100644
--- a/src/commands/run.rs
+++ b/src/commands/run.rs
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ use tokio::runtime::Runtime;
 use tokio::time::{interval_at, Instant};
 
 pub fn execute(matches: &ArgMatches) {
-    let custom_cfg = matches.value_of("customCfg");
-    println!("Starting client with config: {:?}", custom_cfg);
+    let is_local = matches.is_present("local");
+    println!("Starting client, local: {:?}", is_local);
 
     // Grab the network topology from the remote directory server
-    let topology = get_topology();
+    let topology = get_topology(is_local);
 
     // Create the runtime, probably later move it to Client struct itself?
     let mut rt = Runtime::new().unwrap();
@@ -61,10 +61,14 @@ pub fn execute(matches: &ArgMatches) {
     })
 }
 
-fn get_topology() -> Topology {
-    let directory_config = directory::Config {
-        base_url: "https://directory.nymtech.net".to_string(),
+fn get_topology(is_local: bool) -> Topology {
+    let url = if is_local {
+        "http://localhost:8080".to_string()
+    } else {
+        "https://directory.nymtech.net".to_string()
     };
+    println!("Using directory server: {:?}", url);
+    let directory_config = directory::Config { base_url: url };
     let directory = directory::Client::new(directory_config);
 
     let topology = directory
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 996efb014b..6dc3ea6c3e 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -27,21 +27,14 @@ fn main() {
                     .help("Id of the provider we have preference to connect to. If left empty, a random provider will be chosen.")
                     .takes_value(true)
                 )
-                .arg(Arg::with_name("local")
-                    .long("local")
-                    .help("Flag to indicate whether the client is expected to run on the local deployment.")
-                    .takes_value(true)
-                )
         )
         .subcommand(
             SubCommand::with_name("run")
                 .about("Run a persistent Nym client process")
-                .arg(
-                    Arg::with_name("customCfg")
-                        .short("cfg")
-                        .long("customCfg")
-                        .help("Path to custom configuration file of the client")
-                        .takes_value(true)
+                .arg(Arg::with_name("local")
+                    .long("local")
+                    .help("Flag to indicate whether the client is expected to run on the local deployment.")
+                    .takes_value(false)
                 )
         )
         .subcommand(