diff --git a/cli/cdsctl/config.go b/cli/cdsctl/config.go
index ad0e96931a..10aefcd974 100644
--- a/cli/cdsctl/config.go
+++ b/cli/cdsctl/config.go
@@ -181,7 +181,13 @@ func withAutoConf() cli.CommandModifier {
 		func(c *cli.Command, args *[]string) error {
 			// if args length equals or over context args length means that all
 			// context args were given so ignore discover conf
-			if len(*args) >= len(c.Ctx)+len(c.Args) {
+			var expectedArgs = len(c.Ctx)
+			for _, a := range c.Args {
+				if !a.AllowEmpty {
+					expectedArgs++
+				}
+			}
+			if len(*args) >= expectedArgs {
 				return nil
 			}
 
diff --git a/cli/cdsctl/project_variable.go b/cli/cdsctl/project_variable.go
index aa96a1c45f..a8365e023e 100644
--- a/cli/cdsctl/project_variable.go
+++ b/cli/cdsctl/project_variable.go
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/ovh/cds/cli"
@@ -32,8 +36,17 @@ var projectVariableCreateCmd = cli.Command{
 	Args: []cli.Arg{
 		{Name: "variable-name"},
 		{Name: "variable-type"},
+	},
+	OptionalArgs: []cli.Arg{
 		{Name: "variable-value"},
 	},
+	Flags: []cli.Flag{
+		{
+			Name:  "stdin",
+			Usage: "read the variable value from stdin",
+			Type:  cli.FlagBool,
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 func projectCreateVariableRun(v cli.Values) error {
@@ -42,6 +55,19 @@ func projectCreateVariableRun(v cli.Values) error {
 		Type:  v.GetString("variable-type"),
 		Value: v.GetString("variable-value"),
 	}
+
+	if variable.Value == "" && v.GetBool("stdin") {
+		btes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(os.Stdin)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		variable.Value = string(btes)
+	}
+
+	if variable.Value == "" {
+		return errors.New("missing value")
+	}
+
 	return client.ProjectVariableCreate(v.GetString(_ProjectKey), variable)
 }
 
@@ -101,8 +127,17 @@ var projectVariableUpdateCmd = cli.Command{
 		{Name: "variable-oldname"},
 		{Name: "variable-name"},
 		{Name: "variable-type"},
+	},
+	OptionalArgs: []cli.Arg{
 		{Name: "variable-value"},
 	},
+	Flags: []cli.Flag{
+		{
+			Name:  "stdin",
+			Usage: "read the variable value from stdin",
+			Type:  cli.FlagBool,
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 func projectUpdateVariableRun(v cli.Values) error {
@@ -113,5 +148,18 @@ func projectUpdateVariableRun(v cli.Values) error {
 	variable.Name = v.GetString("variable-name")
 	variable.Type = v.GetString("variable-type")
 	variable.Value = v.GetString("variable-value")
+
+	if variable.Value == "" && v.GetBool("stdin") {
+		btes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(os.Stdin)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		variable.Value = string(btes)
+	}
+
+	if variable.Value == "" {
+		return errors.New("missing value")
+	}
+
 	return client.ProjectVariableUpdate(v.GetString(_ProjectKey), variable)
 }