diff --git a/command/agent/agent.go b/command/agent/agent.go
index 78c4639130f..6f12d3896e2 100644
--- a/command/agent/agent.go
+++ b/command/agent/agent.go
@@ -69,11 +69,13 @@ func NewAgent(config *Config, logOutput io.Writer) (*Agent, error) {
 	if a.client == nil && a.server == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("must have at least client or server mode enabled")
 	}
-	if err := a.syncAgentServicesWithConsul(a.serverHTTPAddr, a.clientHTTPAddr); err != nil {
-		a.logger.Printf("[ERR] agent: unable to sync agent services with consul: %v", err)
-	}
-	if a.consulService != nil {
-		go a.consulService.PeriodicSync()
+	if a.config.ConsulConfig.AutoRegister {
+		if err := a.syncAgentServicesWithConsul(a.serverHTTPAddr, a.clientHTTPAddr); err != nil {
+			a.logger.Printf("[ERR] agent: unable to sync agent services with consul: %v", err)
+		}
+		if a.consulService != nil {
+			go a.consulService.PeriodicSync()
+		}
 	}
 	return a, nil
 }
@@ -523,6 +525,12 @@ func (a *Agent) syncAgentServicesWithConsul(clientHttpAddr string, serverHttpAdd
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", 0
 		}
+
+		// if the addr for the service is ":port", then we default to
+		// registering the service with ip as the loopback addr
+		if host == "" {
+			host = "127.0.0.1"
+		}
 		p, err := strconv.Atoi(port)
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", 0
diff --git a/command/agent/config.go b/command/agent/config.go
index 967171efaf0..ee99d32e660 100644
--- a/command/agent/config.go
+++ b/command/agent/config.go
@@ -396,6 +396,7 @@ func DevConfig() *Config {
 	conf.DevMode = true
 	conf.EnableDebug = true
 	conf.DisableAnonymousSignature = true
+	conf.ConsulConfig.AutoRegister = true
 	if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
 		conf.Client.NetworkInterface = "lo0"
 	} else if runtime.GOOS == "linux" {
@@ -426,7 +427,6 @@ func DefaultConfig() *Config {
 		ConsulConfig: &ConsulConfig{
 			ServerServiceName: "nomad-server",
 			ClientServiceName: "nomad-client",
-			AutoRegister:      true,
 		},
 		Client: &ClientConfig{
 			Enabled:        false,
@@ -796,6 +796,9 @@ func (a *ConsulConfig) Merge(b *ConsulConfig) *ConsulConfig {
 	if b.ClientServiceName != "" {
 		result.ClientServiceName = b.ClientServiceName
 	}
+	if b.AutoRegister {
+		result.AutoRegister = true
+	}
 	if b.Addr != "" {
 		result.Addr = b.Addr
 	}
diff --git a/command/agent/config_parse.go b/command/agent/config_parse.go
index 69b6a626def..089493cc383 100644
--- a/command/agent/config_parse.go
+++ b/command/agent/config_parse.go
@@ -552,6 +552,7 @@ func parseConsulConfig(result **ConsulConfig, list *ast.ObjectList) error {
 	valid := []string{
 		"server_service_name",
 		"client_service_name",
+		"auto_register",
 		"addr",
 		"token",
 		"auth",
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 073e46d52de..212c28f502a 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ func RunCustom(args []string, commands map[string]cli.CommandFactory) int {
 		case "executor":
 		case "syslog":
 		case "fs ls", "fs cat", "fs stat":
+		case "check":
 		default:
 			commandsInclude = append(commandsInclude, k)
 		}