diff --git a/docker/daemon.go b/docker/daemon.go
index dee31a7dbd..bd31447c64 100644
--- a/docker/daemon.go
+++ b/docker/daemon.go
@@ -56,12 +56,6 @@ func handleGlobalDaemonFlag() {
 	}
 
 	if *flDaemon {
-		if *flHelp {
-			// We do not show the help output here, instead, we tell the user about the new daemon command,
-			// because the help output is so long they would not see the warning anyway.
-			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "Please use 'docker daemon --help' instead.")
-			os.Exit(0)
-		}
 		daemonCli.(*DaemonCli).CmdDaemon(flag.Args()...)
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
diff --git a/docker/docker.go b/docker/docker.go
index 8ad0d13c05..f727fb1f69 100644
--- a/docker/docker.go
+++ b/docker/docker.go
@@ -50,10 +50,6 @@ func main() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	clientCli := client.NewDockerCli(stdin, stdout, stderr, clientFlags)
-	// TODO: remove once `-d` is retired
-	handleGlobalDaemonFlag()
-
 	if *flHelp {
 		// if global flag --help is present, regardless of what other options and commands there are,
 		// just print the usage.
@@ -61,6 +57,10 @@ func main() {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// TODO: remove once `-d` is retired
+	handleGlobalDaemonFlag()
+	clientCli := client.NewDockerCli(stdin, stdout, stderr, clientFlags)
+
 	c := cli.New(clientCli, daemonCli)
 	if err := c.Run(flag.Args()...); err != nil {
 		if sterr, ok := err.(cli.StatusError); ok {