diff --git a/lib/cli.js b/lib/cli.js
index 14f768e..40cbce8 100644
--- a/lib/cli.js
+++ b/lib/cli.js
@@ -198,8 +198,12 @@ CLI.prototype.init = function (opts, args, callback) {
                 keyId: opts.keyId,
                 insecure: opts.insecure
             };
-            if (opts.insecure === undefined && process.env.SDC_TESTING) {
-                opts.insecure = common.boolFromString(process.env.SDC_TESTING);
+            // If --insecure not given, look at envvar(s) for that.
+            var specifiedInsecureOpt = opts._order.filter(
+                function (opt) { return opt.key === 'insecure'; }).length > 0;
+            if (!specifiedInsecureOpt && process.env.SDC_TESTING) {
+                opts.insecure = common.boolFromString(process.env.SDC_TESTING,
+                    false, '"SDC_TESTING" envvar');
             }
             if (opts.J) {
                 envProfile.url = format('https://%s.api.joyent.com', opts.J);
diff --git a/lib/common.js b/lib/common.js
index ca5065f..7c77f05 100755
--- a/lib/common.js
+++ b/lib/common.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ function zeroPad(n, width) {
  *
  * @param value {Boolean|String} The input value to convert.
  * @param default_ {Boolean} The default value is `value` is undefined.
- * @param errName {String} The variable name to quote in the possibly
+ * @param errName {String} The context to quote in the possibly
  *      raised TypeError.
  */
 function boolFromString(value, default_, errName) {
@@ -63,8 +63,11 @@ function boolFromString(value, default_, errName) {
     } else if (typeof (value) === 'boolean') {
         return value;
     } else {
-        throw new TypeError(
-            format('invalid value for "%s": %j', errName, value));
+        var errmsg = format('invalid boolean value: %j', value);
+        if (errName) {
+            errmsg = format('invalid boolean value for %s: %j', errName, value);
+        }
+        throw new TypeError(errmsg);
     }
 }