diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 037d0920331..eda0dcd68f4 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -74,14 +74,14 @@ var libbeatConfigOverrides = []cfgfile.ConditionalOverride{{
 },
 }
 
-// NewRootCommand returns the "apm-server" root command.
-func NewRootCommand(newBeat beat.Creator) *cmd.BeatsRootCmd {
-	var runFlags = pflag.NewFlagSet(beatName, pflag.ExitOnError)
-	settings := instance.Settings{
+// DefaultSettings return the default settings for APM Server to pass into
+// the GenRootCmdWithSettings.
+func DefaultSettings() instance.Settings {
+	return instance.Settings{
 		Name:        beatName,
 		IndexPrefix: apmIndexPattern,
 		Version:     defaultBeatVersion,
-		RunFlags:    runFlags,
+		RunFlags:    pflag.NewFlagSet(beatName, pflag.ExitOnError),
 		Monitoring: report.Settings{
 			DefaultUsername: "apm_system",
 		},
@@ -89,7 +89,10 @@ func NewRootCommand(newBeat beat.Creator) *cmd.BeatsRootCmd {
 		Processing:      processing.MakeDefaultObserverSupport(false),
 		ConfigOverrides: libbeatConfigOverrides,
 	}
+}
 
+// NewRootCommand returns the "apm-server" root command.
+func NewRootCommand(newBeat beat.Creator, settings instance.Settings) *cmd.BeatsRootCmd {
 	rootCmd := cmd.GenRootCmdWithSettings(newBeat, settings)
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(genApikeyCmd(settings))
 	modifyBuiltinCommands(rootCmd, settings)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 6b539245033..514f33ec3cb 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/elastic/apm-server/cmd"
 )
 
-var rootCmd = cmd.NewRootCommand(beater.NewCreator(beater.CreatorParams{}))
+var rootCmd = cmd.NewRootCommand(beater.NewCreator(beater.CreatorParams{}), cmd.DefaultSettings())
 
 func main() {
 	if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
diff --git a/x-pack/apm-server/cmd/root.go b/x-pack/apm-server/cmd/root.go
index b79745d62c2..4355a1c71e3 100644
--- a/x-pack/apm-server/cmd/root.go
+++ b/x-pack/apm-server/cmd/root.go
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ import (
 
 // NewXPackRootCommand returns the Elastic licensed "apm-server" root command.
 func NewXPackRootCommand(newBeat beat.Creator) *libbeatcmd.BeatsRootCmd {
-	rootCmd := cmd.NewRootCommand(newBeat)
+	settings := cmd.DefaultSettings()
+	settings.ElasticLicensed = true
+	rootCmd := cmd.NewRootCommand(newBeat, settings)
 	xpackcmd.AddXPack(rootCmd, rootCmd.Name())
 	if enrollCmd, _, err := rootCmd.Find([]string{"enroll"}); err == nil {
 		// error is ok => enroll has already been removed