diff --git a/src/cli.mjs b/src/cli.mjs
index 0f6ccee9..f240cd84 100644
--- a/src/cli.mjs
+++ b/src/cli.mjs
@@ -104,6 +104,18 @@ function buildYargs(argvInput) {
     .env("FAUNA")
     .config("config", configParser)
     .middleware([checkForUpdates, logArgv], true)
+    .middleware((argv) => {
+      if (!argv.url) {
+        if (argv.local) {
+          argv.url = 'http://localhost:8443';
+        } else {
+          argv.url = 'https://db.fauna.com';
+        }
+      }
+      if (!argv.secret && argv.local) {
+        argv.secret = "secret";
+      }
+    })
     .middleware([fixPaths, buildCredentials], false)
     .command(queryCommand)
     .command("shell", "start an interactive shell", shellCommand)
diff --git a/src/lib/auth/accountKeys.mjs b/src/lib/auth/accountKeys.mjs
index 7c8774ce..d933a830 100644
--- a/src/lib/auth/accountKeys.mjs
+++ b/src/lib/auth/accountKeys.mjs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export class AccountKeys {
     // Let users know if the creds they provided are invalid (empty)
     if (!key && keySource !== "credentials-file") {
       throw new Error(
-        `The account key provided by ${keySource} is invalid. Please provide an updated value.`,
+        `The account key provided by '${keySource}' is invalid. Please provide an updated value.`,
       );
     }
   }
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export class AccountKeys {
    */
   promptLogin() {
     throw new Error(
-      `The requested user ${this.user || ""} is not signed in or has expired.\nPlease re-authenticate\n\n
+      `The requested user '${this.user || ""}' is not signed in or has expired.\nPlease re-authenticate\n\n
       To sign in, run:\n\nfauna login\n
       `,
     );
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ export class AccountKeys {
   async onInvalidCreds() {
     if (this.keySource !== "credentials-file") {
       throw new Error(
-        `Account key provided by ${this.keySource} is invalid. Please provide an updated account key.`,
+        `Account key provided by '${this.keySource}' is invalid. Please provide an updated account key.`,
       );
     }
     await this.refreshKey();
diff --git a/src/lib/auth/credentials.mjs b/src/lib/auth/credentials.mjs
index 8ec6cdb5..18895f00 100644
--- a/src/lib/auth/credentials.mjs
+++ b/src/lib/auth/credentials.mjs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const validateCredentialArgs = (argv) => {
     // The '--role' option is not supported when using a secret. Secrets have an
     // implicit role.
     throw new Error(
-      "The '--role' option is not supported when using a secret. It will be ignored.",
+      "The '--role' option is not supported when using a '--secret'. Please specify only one.",
     );
   }
 };
diff --git a/src/lib/auth/databaseKeys.mjs b/src/lib/auth/databaseKeys.mjs
index 3ea59275..efee6515 100644
--- a/src/lib/auth/databaseKeys.mjs
+++ b/src/lib/auth/databaseKeys.mjs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ export class DatabaseKeys {
    */
   static resolveKeySources(argv, storedKey) {
     let key, keySource;
-    // argv.secret come from flag, config, or FAUNA_SECRET
+    // argv.secret comes from flag, config, or FAUNA_SECRET
     if (argv.secret) {
       key = argv.secret;
       keySource = "user";
diff --git a/src/lib/command-helpers.mjs b/src/lib/command-helpers.mjs
index d0260095..eabf2ba1 100644
--- a/src/lib/command-helpers.mjs
+++ b/src/lib/command-helpers.mjs
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ const COMMON_QUERY_OPTIONS = {
  * @param {string} argv.secret - The secret to use
  */
 export const validateDatabaseOrSecret = (argv) => {
-  if (!argv.database && !argv.secret) {
-    throw new Error("No database or secret specified. Pass --database or --secret.");
+  if (!argv.database && !argv.secret && !argv.local) {
+    throw new Error("No database or secret specified. Pass either --database, or --secret, or --local.");
   }
 }
 
@@ -94,16 +94,5 @@ export function yargsWithCommonConfigurableQueryOptions(yargs) {
 
 function yargsWithCommonOptions(yargs, options) {
   return yargs
-    .options({ ...options, })
-    .check((argv) => {
-      // If --local is provided and --url is not, set the default URL for local
-      if (!argv.url) {
-        if (argv.local) {
-          argv.url = 'http://localhost:8443';
-        } else {
-          argv.url = 'https://db.fauna.com';
-        }
-      }
-      return true; // Validation passed
-    });
+    .options({ ...options, });
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/fauna-client.mjs b/src/lib/fauna-client.mjs
index 2dd1d71f..7bd9a35a 100644
--- a/src/lib/fauna-client.mjs
+++ b/src/lib/fauna-client.mjs
@@ -71,7 +71,11 @@ export default class FaunaClient {
   }
 }
 
-export const getSecret = async () => {
+/**
+ * Gets a secret for the current credentials.
+ * @return {Promise<string>} the secret
+ */
+export async function getSecret() {
   const credentials = container.resolve("credentials");
   if (!credentials.databaseKeys.key) {
     return await credentials.databaseKeys.getOrRefreshKey();
diff --git a/test/config.mjs b/test/config.mjs
index 1a96a461..e71e32f0 100644
--- a/test/config.mjs
+++ b/test/config.mjs
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ describe("configuration file", function () {
       });
     });
 
-    it("--local arg sets the url to http://localhost:8443 if no URL is given", async function () {
+    it("--local arg sets the argv.url to http://localhost:8443 if no --url is given", async function () {
       fs.readdirSync.withArgs(process.cwd()).returns([]);
       await runBasicTest({
         cmd: `eval "Database.all()" --secret "no-config" --local`,
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ describe("configuration file", function () {
       });
     });
 
-    it("--url arg takes precedence over --local arg for the URL", async function () {
+    it("--url arg takes precedence over --local arg for the argv.url", async function () {
       fs.readdirSync.withArgs(process.cwd()).returns([]);
       await runBasicTest({
         cmd: `eval "Database.all()" --secret "no-config" --local --url http://localhost:hibob`,
@@ -228,6 +228,36 @@ describe("configuration file", function () {
       });
     });
 
+    it("--local sets the argv.secret to 'secret' if no --secret is given", async function () {
+      fs.readdirSync.withArgs(process.cwd()).returns([]);
+      await runBasicTest({
+        cmd: `eval "Database.all()" --local`,
+        argvMatcher: sinon.match({
+          apiVersion: "10",
+          secret: "secret",
+          url: "http://localhost:8443",
+          timeout: 5000,
+          typecheck: undefined,
+        }),
+        objectToReturn: databaseObject,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("--secret arg takes precedence over --local arg for the argv.secret", async function () {
+      fs.readdirSync.withArgs(process.cwd()).returns([]);
+      await runBasicTest({
+        cmd: `eval "Database.all()" --local --secret "sauce"`,
+        argvMatcher: sinon.match({
+          apiVersion: "10",
+          secret: "sauce",
+          url: "http://localhost:8443",
+          timeout: 5000,
+          typecheck: undefined,
+        }),
+        objectToReturn: databaseObject,
+      });
+    });
+
     it("exits with an error if multiple default files exist", async function () {
       fs.readdirSync
         .withArgs(process.cwd())