diff --git a/cluster/cluster.go b/cluster/cluster.go
index 18080b93..b04218cc 100644
--- a/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -298,13 +298,3 @@ func (c *Cluster) ApplyAuthzResources(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
-
-func GetLocalRKENodeConfig() *v3.RKEConfigNode {
-	rkeLocalNode := &v3.RKEConfigNode{
-		Address:          LocalNodeAddress,
-		HostnameOverride: LocalNodeHostname,
-		User:             LocalNodeUser,
-		Role:             []string{services.ControlRole, services.WorkerRole, services.ETCDRole},
-	}
-	return rkeLocalNode
-}
diff --git a/cluster/local.go b/cluster/local.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..92642677
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cluster/local.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package cluster
+
+import (
+	"github.com/rancher/rke/services"
+	"github.com/rancher/types/apis/management.cattle.io/v3"
+)
+
+func GetLocalRKEConfig() *v3.RancherKubernetesEngineConfig {
+	rkeLocalNode := GetLocalRKENodeConfig()
+	rkeServices := v3.RKEConfigServices{
+		Kubelet: v3.KubeletService{
+			BaseService: v3.BaseService{
+				Image:     DefaultK8sImage,
+				ExtraArgs: map[string]string{"fail-swap-on": "false"},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	return &v3.RancherKubernetesEngineConfig{
+		Nodes:    []v3.RKEConfigNode{*rkeLocalNode},
+		Services: rkeServices,
+	}
+
+}
+
+func GetLocalRKENodeConfig() *v3.RKEConfigNode {
+	rkeLocalNode := &v3.RKEConfigNode{
+		Address:          LocalNodeAddress,
+		HostnameOverride: LocalNodeHostname,
+		User:             LocalNodeUser,
+		Role:             []string{services.ControlRole, services.WorkerRole, services.ETCDRole},
+	}
+	return rkeLocalNode
+}
diff --git a/cmd/remove.go b/cmd/remove.go
index f0570939..3b10cc9e 100644
--- a/cmd/remove.go
+++ b/cmd/remove.go
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ func ClusterRemove(
 }
 
 func clusterRemoveFromCli(ctx *cli.Context) error {
-	var local bool
 	force := ctx.Bool("force")
 	if !force {
 		reader := bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)
@@ -82,6 +81,9 @@ func clusterRemoveFromCli(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 			return nil
 		}
 	}
+	if ctx.Bool("local") {
+		return clusterRemoveLocal(ctx)
+	}
 	clusterFile, filePath, err := resolveClusterFile(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to resolve cluster file: %v", err)
@@ -91,9 +93,11 @@ func clusterRemoveFromCli(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to parse cluster file: %v", err)
 	}
-	if ctx.Bool("local") {
-		rkeConfig.Nodes = []v3.RKEConfigNode{*cluster.GetLocalRKENodeConfig()}
-		local = true
-	}
-	return ClusterRemove(context.Background(), rkeConfig, nil, local, "")
+	return ClusterRemove(context.Background(), rkeConfig, nil, false, "")
+}
+
+func clusterRemoveLocal(ctx *cli.Context) error {
+	var rkeConfig *v3.RancherKubernetesEngineConfig
+	rkeConfig = cluster.GetLocalRKEConfig()
+	return ClusterRemove(context.Background(), rkeConfig, nil, true, "")
 }
diff --git a/cmd/up.go b/cmd/up.go
index dec38288..de0123f2 100644
--- a/cmd/up.go
+++ b/cmd/up.go
@@ -114,8 +114,9 @@ func ClusterUp(
 }
 
 func clusterUpFromCli(ctx *cli.Context) error {
-	var local bool
-	var localConnDialerFactory hosts.DialerFactory
+	if ctx.Bool("local") {
+		return clusterUpLocal(ctx)
+	}
 	clusterFile, filePath, err := resolveClusterFile(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to resolve cluster file: %v", err)
@@ -126,11 +127,24 @@ func clusterUpFromCli(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to parse cluster file: %v", err)
 	}
-	if ctx.Bool("local") {
-		rkeConfig.Nodes = []v3.RKEConfigNode{*cluster.GetLocalRKENodeConfig()}
-		localConnDialerFactory = hosts.LocalHealthcheckFactory
-		local = true
-	}
-	_, _, _, _, err = ClusterUp(context.Background(), rkeConfig, nil, localConnDialerFactory, local, "")
+	_, _, _, _, err = ClusterUp(context.Background(), rkeConfig, nil, nil, false, "")
+	return err
+}
+
+func clusterUpLocal(ctx *cli.Context) error {
+	var rkeConfig *v3.RancherKubernetesEngineConfig
+	clusterFile, filePath, err := resolveClusterFile(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Infof(context.Background(), "Failed to resolve cluster file, using default cluster instead")
+		rkeConfig = cluster.GetLocalRKEConfig()
+	} else {
+		clusterFilePath = filePath
+		rkeConfig, err = cluster.ParseConfig(clusterFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to parse cluster file: %v", err)
+		}
+		rkeConfig.Nodes = []v3.RKEConfigNode{*cluster.GetLocalRKENodeConfig()}
+	}
+	_, _, _, _, err = ClusterUp(context.Background(), rkeConfig, nil, hosts.LocalHealthcheckFactory, true, "")
 	return err
 }