diff --git a/clients/go/camget/camget.go b/clients/go/camget/camget.go
index ec26db45e..82a4f8996 100644
--- a/clients/go/camget/camget.go
+++ b/clients/go/camget/camget.go
@@ -31,22 +31,25 @@ limitations under the License.
 package main
 
 import (
-	"camli/blobref"
-	"camli/client"
 	"flag"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
+
+	"camli/blobref"
+	"camli/client"
 )
 
-var flagVerbose *bool = flag.Bool("verbose", false, "be verbose")
-
-var flagCheck *bool = flag.Bool("check", false, "just check for the existence of listed blobs; returning 0 if all our present")
-var flagOutput *string = flag.String("o", "-", "Output file/directory to create.  Use -f to overwrite.")
-var flagVia *string = flag.String("via", "", "Fetch the blob via the given comma-separated sharerefs (dev only).")
+var (
+	flagVerbose = flag.Bool("verbose", false, "be verbose")
+	flagCheck   = flag.Bool("check", false, "just check for the existence of listed blobs; returning 0 if all our present")
+	flagOutput  = flag.String("o", "-", "Output file/directory to create.  Use -f to overwrite.")
+	flagVia     = flag.String("via", "", "Fetch the blob via the given comma-separated sharerefs (dev only).")
+)
 
 func main() {
+	client.AddFlags()
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	client := client.NewOrFail()
diff --git a/clients/go/cammount/main.go b/clients/go/cammount/main.go
index eefa6f555..d16fb842e 100644
--- a/clients/go/cammount/main.go
+++ b/clients/go/cammount/main.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ func main() {
 	// Scans the arg list and sets up flags
 	debug := flag.Bool("debug", false, "print debugging messages.")
 	threaded := flag.Bool("threaded", true, "switch off threading; print debugging messages.")
+	client.AddFlags()
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	errorf := func(msg string, args ...interface{}) {
diff --git a/clients/go/camput/camput.go b/clients/go/camput/camput.go
index 1f05aa28b..5c371e9fd 100644
--- a/clients/go/camput/camput.go
+++ b/clients/go/camput/camput.go
@@ -531,6 +531,7 @@ func Save() {
 func main() {
 	defer Save()
 	jsonsign.AddFlags()
+	client.AddFlags()
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	if flag.NArg() == 0 {
diff --git a/clients/go/camwebdav/main.go b/clients/go/camwebdav/main.go
index e8a01eaa9..01f0c4235 100644
--- a/clients/go/camwebdav/main.go
+++ b/clients/go/camwebdav/main.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ var (
 
 // TODO(rh): tame copy/paste code from cammount
 func main() {
+	client.AddFlags()
 	flag.Parse()
 	cacheDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "camlicache")
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/lib/go/camli/client/config.go b/lib/go/camli/client/config.go
index 9629ad97a..6250e2981 100644
--- a/lib/go/camli/client/config.go
+++ b/lib/go/camli/client/config.go
@@ -31,10 +31,16 @@ import (
 	"camli/osutil"
 )
 
-// These override the JSON config file ~/.camli/config "server" and
-// "password" keys
-var flagServer *string = flag.String("blobserver", "", "camlistore blob server")
-var flagPassword *string = flag.String("password", "", "password for blob server")
+// These, if set, override the JSON config file ~/.camli/config
+// "server" and "password" keys.
+//
+// A main binary must call AddFlags to expose these.
+var flagServer, flagPassword *string
+
+func AddFlags() {
+	flagServer = flag.String("blobserver", "", "camlistore blob server")
+	flagPassword = flag.String("password", "", "password for blob server")
+}
 
 func ConfigFilePath() string {
 	return filepath.Join(osutil.CamliConfigDir(), "config")
@@ -66,7 +72,7 @@ func cleanServer(server string) string {
 }
 
 func blobServerOrDie() string {
-	if *flagServer != "" {
+	if flagServer != nil && *flagServer != "" {
 		return cleanServer(*flagServer)
 	}
 	configOnce.Do(parseConfig)
@@ -83,7 +89,7 @@ func blobServerOrDie() string {
 }
 
 func passwordOrDie() string {
-	if *flagPassword != "" {
+	if flagPassword != nil && *flagPassword != "" {
 		return *flagPassword
 	}
 	configOnce.Do(parseConfig)