diff --git a/client/maxctrl/common.js b/client/maxctrl/common.js
index 6844f0f23..606b492d2 100644
--- a/client/maxctrl/common.js
+++ b/client/maxctrl/common.js
@@ -18,45 +18,9 @@ var Table = require('cli-table');
 var assert = require('assert')
 
 module.exports = function() {
-    const maxctrl_version = '1.0.0';
 
     // Common options for all commands
     this.program = require('yargs');
-    this.program
-        .group(['u', 'p', 'h', 'p', 'P', 's'], 'Global Options:')
-        .option('u', {
-            alias:'user',
-            global: true,
-            default: 'mariadb',
-            describe: 'Username to use',
-            type: 'string'
-        })
-        .option('p', {
-            alias: 'password',
-            describe: 'Password for the user',
-            default: 'admin',
-            type: 'string'
-        })
-        .option('h', {
-            alias: 'host',
-            describe: 'The hostname or address where MaxScale is located',
-            default: 'localhost',
-            type: 'string'
-        })
-        .option('P', {
-            alias: 'port',
-            describe: 'The port where MaxScale REST API listens on',
-            default: 8989,
-            type: 'number'
-        })
-        .option('s', {
-            alias: 'secure',
-            describe: 'Enable TLS encryption of connections',
-            default: 'false',
-            type: 'boolean'
-        })
-        .version(maxctrl_version)
-        .help()
 
     // Request a resource collection and format it as a table
     this.getCollection = function (resource, fields) {
@@ -130,16 +94,18 @@ module.exports = function() {
     }
 
     // Helper for executing requests and handling their responses
-    this.doRequest = function(resource, cb) {
-        request({
-            uri: getUri(resource),
-            json: true
-        }, function(err, resp, res) {
+    this.doRequest = function(resource, cb, obj) {
+
+        args = obj || {}
+        args.uri = getUri(resource),
+        args.json = true
+
+        request(args, function(err, resp, res) {
             if (err) {
                 // Failed to request
                 console.log("Error:", JSON.stringify(err, null, 4))
-            } else if (resp.statusCode == 200) {
-                // Reuqest OK, returns data
+            } else if (resp.statusCode == 200 && cb) {
+                // Request OK, returns data
                 cb(res)
             } else if (resp.statusCode == 204) {
                 // Request OK, no data
diff --git a/client/maxctrl/lib/list.js b/client/maxctrl/lib/list.js
index fe0a4fc7c..36f80fa6b 100644
--- a/client/maxctrl/lib/list.js
+++ b/client/maxctrl/lib/list.js
@@ -65,5 +65,8 @@ exports.builder = function(yargs) {
                 {'Version': 'attributes.version'}
             ])
         })
+        .command('*', 'the default command', {}, () => {
+            console.log("Unknown command. See output of 'help list' for a list of commands.")
+        })
     .help()
 }
diff --git a/client/maxctrl/lib/show.js b/client/maxctrl/lib/show.js
index eb845c618..1c953c1ef 100644
--- a/client/maxctrl/lib/show.js
+++ b/client/maxctrl/lib/show.js
@@ -83,5 +83,8 @@ exports.builder = function(yargs) {
                 {'Commands': 'attributes.commands'}
             ])
         })
+        .command('*', 'the default command', {}, () => {
+            console.log("Unknown command. See output of 'help show' for a list of commands.")
+        })
     .help()
 }
diff --git a/client/maxctrl/maxctrl.js b/client/maxctrl/maxctrl.js
index 67068f9b6..cd0185f32 100644
--- a/client/maxctrl/maxctrl.js
+++ b/client/maxctrl/maxctrl.js
@@ -14,8 +14,48 @@ require('./common.js')()
 
 'use strict';
 
+const maxctrl_version = '1.0.0';
+
 program
+    .version(maxctrl_version)
+    .group(['u', 'p', 'h', 'p', 'P', 's'], 'Global Options:')
+    .option('u', {
+        alias:'user',
+        global: true,
+        default: 'mariadb',
+        describe: 'Username to use',
+        type: 'string'
+    })
+    .option('p', {
+        alias: 'password',
+        describe: 'Password for the user',
+        default: 'admin',
+        type: 'string'
+    })
+    .option('h', {
+        alias: 'host',
+        describe: 'The hostname or address where MaxScale is located',
+        default: 'localhost',
+        type: 'string'
+    })
+    .option('P', {
+        alias: 'port',
+        describe: 'The port where MaxScale REST API listens on',
+        default: 8989,
+        type: 'number'
+    })
+    .option('s', {
+        alias: 'secure',
+        describe: 'Enable TLS encryption of connections',
+        default: 'false',
+        type: 'boolean'
+    })
     .command(require('./lib/list.js'))
     .command(require('./lib/show.js'))
+    .recommendCommands()
+    .help()
     .demandCommand(1, 'At least one command is required')
+    .command('*', 'the default command', {}, () => {
+        console.log("Unknown command. See output of 'help' for a list of commands.")
+    })
     .argv