diff --git a/cli/command/checkpoint/cmd.go b/cli/command/checkpoint/cmd.go
index bc8224a2ff..7c3950bba8 100644
--- a/cli/command/checkpoint/cmd.go
+++ b/cli/command/checkpoint/cmd.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
-// NewCheckpointCommand appends the `checkpoint` subcommands to rootCmd (only in experimental)
-func NewCheckpointCommand(rootCmd *cobra.Command, dockerCli *command.DockerCli) {
+// NewCheckpointCommand returns the `checkpoint` subcommand (only in experimental)
+func NewCheckpointCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
+	return &cobra.Command{}
 }
diff --git a/cli/command/checkpoint/cmd_experimental.go b/cli/command/checkpoint/cmd_experimental.go
index c05d3ded40..3c89545778 100644
--- a/cli/command/checkpoint/cmd_experimental.go
+++ b/cli/command/checkpoint/cmd_experimental.go
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
 )
 
-// NewCheckpointCommand appends the `checkpoint` subcommands to rootCmd
-func NewCheckpointCommand(rootCmd *cobra.Command, dockerCli *command.DockerCli) {
+// NewCheckpointCommand returns the `checkpoint` subcommand (only in experimental)
+func NewCheckpointCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "checkpoint",
 		Short: "Manage checkpoints",
@@ -26,6 +26,5 @@ func NewCheckpointCommand(rootCmd *cobra.Command, dockerCli *command.DockerCli)
 		newListCommand(dockerCli),
 		newRemoveCommand(dockerCli),
 	)
-
-	rootCmd.AddCommand(cmd)
+	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/cli/command/commands/commands.go b/cli/command/commands/commands.go
index d618233997..3e8aa25af2 100644
--- a/cli/command/commands/commands.go
+++ b/cli/command/commands/commands.go
@@ -71,9 +71,9 @@ func AddCommands(cmd *cobra.Command, dockerCli *command.DockerCli) {
 		hide(image.NewSaveCommand(dockerCli)),
 		hide(image.NewTagCommand(dockerCli)),
 		hide(system.NewInspectCommand(dockerCli)),
+		checkpoint.NewCheckpointCommand(dockerCli),
+		plugin.NewPluginCommand(dockerCli),
 	)
-	checkpoint.NewCheckpointCommand(cmd, dockerCli)
-	plugin.NewPluginCommand(cmd, dockerCli)
 }
 
 func hide(cmd *cobra.Command) *cobra.Command {
diff --git a/cli/command/plugin/cmd.go b/cli/command/plugin/cmd.go
index 67d0d5031c..10074218dd 100644
--- a/cli/command/plugin/cmd.go
+++ b/cli/command/plugin/cmd.go
@@ -8,5 +8,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 // NewPluginCommand returns a cobra command for `plugin` subcommands
-func NewPluginCommand(cmd *cobra.Command, dockerCli *command.DockerCli) {
+func NewPluginCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
+	return &cobra.Command{}
 }
diff --git a/cli/command/plugin/cmd_experimental.go b/cli/command/plugin/cmd_experimental.go
index 33c1c93acb..8bb3416097 100644
--- a/cli/command/plugin/cmd_experimental.go
+++ b/cli/command/plugin/cmd_experimental.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // NewPluginCommand returns a cobra command for `plugin` subcommands
-func NewPluginCommand(rootCmd *cobra.Command, dockerCli *command.DockerCli) {
+func NewPluginCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "plugin",
 		Short: "Manage plugins",
@@ -31,6 +31,5 @@ func NewPluginCommand(rootCmd *cobra.Command, dockerCli *command.DockerCli) {
 		newSetCommand(dockerCli),
 		newPushCommand(dockerCli),
 	)
-
-	rootCmd.AddCommand(cmd)
+	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/cmd.go b/cli/command/stack/cmd.go
index 22a2334419..51cb2d1bcf 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/cmd.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/cmd.go
@@ -1,39 +1,18 @@
-// +build experimental
+// +build !experimental
 
 package stack
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
-	"github.com/docker/docker/cli"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
-// NewStackCommand returns a cobra command for `stack` subcommands
+// NewStackCommand returns no command
 func NewStackCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
-	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "stack",
-		Short: "Manage stacks",
-		Args:  cli.NoArgs,
-		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Err(), "\n"+cmd.UsageString())
-		},
-	}
-	cmd.AddCommand(
-		newConfigCommand(dockerCli),
-		newDeployCommand(dockerCli),
-		newRemoveCommand(dockerCli),
-		newServicesCommand(dockerCli),
-		newPsCommand(dockerCli),
-	)
-	return cmd
+	return &cobra.Command{}
 }
 
-// NewTopLevelDeployCommand returns a command for `docker deploy`
+// NewTopLevelDeployCommand returns no command
 func NewTopLevelDeployCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
-	cmd := *newDeployCommand(dockerCli)
-	// Remove the aliases at the top level
-	cmd.Aliases = []string{}
-	return &cmd
+	return &cobra.Command{}
 }
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/cmd_experimental.go b/cli/command/stack/cmd_experimental.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d459e0a9a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/command/stack/cmd_experimental.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// +build experimental
+
+package stack
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/docker/docker/cli"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+// NewStackCommand returns a cobra command for `stack` subcommands
+func NewStackCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "stack",
+		Short: "Manage Docker stacks",
+		Args:  cli.NoArgs,
+		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+			fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Err(), "\n"+cmd.UsageString())
+		},
+	}
+	cmd.AddCommand(
+		newConfigCommand(dockerCli),
+		newDeployCommand(dockerCli),
+		newRemoveCommand(dockerCli),
+		newServicesCommand(dockerCli),
+		newPsCommand(dockerCli),
+	)
+	return cmd
+}
+
+// NewTopLevelDeployCommand returns a command for `docker deploy`
+func NewTopLevelDeployCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
+	cmd := newDeployCommand(dockerCli)
+	// Remove the aliases at the top level
+	cmd.Aliases = []string{}
+	return cmd
+}
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/cmd_stub.go b/cli/command/stack/cmd_stub.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 51cb2d1bcf..0000000000
--- a/cli/command/stack/cmd_stub.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-// +build !experimental
-
-package stack
-
-import (
-	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
-	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-)
-
-// NewStackCommand returns no command
-func NewStackCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
-	return &cobra.Command{}
-}
-
-// NewTopLevelDeployCommand returns no command
-func NewTopLevelDeployCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
-	return &cobra.Command{}
-}