diff --git a/libbeat/cfgfile/cfgfile.go b/libbeat/cfgfile/cfgfile.go
index 3ccaf684d38c..5320622ec282 100644
--- a/libbeat/cfgfile/cfgfile.go
+++ b/libbeat/cfgfile/cfgfile.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ var (
 	// The default config cannot include the beat name as it is not initialized
 	// when this variable is created. See ChangeDefaultCfgfileFlag which should
 	// be called prior to flags.Parse().
-	configfiles = flagArgList("c", "beat.yml", "Configuration file")
+	configfiles = flagArgList("c", "beat.yml", "Configuration file `path`")
 	overwrites  = common.NewFlagConfig(nil, nil, "E", "Configuration overwrite")
 	testConfig  = flag.Bool("configtest", false, "Test configuration and exit.")
 
diff --git a/libbeat/cfgfile/flags.go b/libbeat/cfgfile/flags.go
index 8976dbf21c02..9daa2e657014 100644
--- a/libbeat/cfgfile/flags.go
+++ b/libbeat/cfgfile/flags.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 type argList struct {
 	list      []string
 	isDefault bool
+	f         *flag.Flag
 }
 
 func flagArgList(name string, def string, usage string) *argList {
@@ -16,10 +17,15 @@ func flagArgList(name string, def string, usage string) *argList {
 		isDefault: true,
 	}
 	flag.Var(l, name, usage)
+	l.f = flag.Lookup(name)
+	if l.f == nil {
+		panic("Failed to lookup registered flag")
+	}
 	return l
 }
 
 func (l *argList) SetDefault(v string) {
+	l.f.DefValue = v
 	l.list = []string{v}
 	l.isDefault = true
 }