diff --git a/cmd/cli/app/root.go b/cmd/cli/app/root.go
index 682595e20a5096cb95501489fbc7eb086bbed704..086880b5e98e5b514fda9fe17e2a150e73c5ae53 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/app/root.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/app/root.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func init() {
 
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&cfgFile, "config", "", "config file (default is $HOME/.rekor.yaml)")
 
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Var(&urlFlag{url: "http://localhost:3000"}, "rekor_server", "Server address:port")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Var(&urlFlag{url: "https://api.rekor.dev"}, "rekor_server", "Server address:port")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Var(&formatFlag{format: "default"}, "format", "Command output format")
 
 	// these are bound here and not in PreRun so that all child commands can use them
diff --git a/tests/util.go b/tests/util.go
index 8ea6e0f607343a335bfa1c1a08399abb74d94cfe..d9f98300c062918065ca6be4869e77f4b9a810ee 100644
--- a/tests/util.go
+++ b/tests/util.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ func run(t *testing.T, stdin, cmd string, arg ...string) string {
 
 func runCli(t *testing.T, arg ...string) string {
 	t.Helper()
+	arg = append(arg, "--rekor_server=http://localhost:3000")
 	return run(t, "", cli, arg...)
 }