diff --git a/ethereum/jsonrpc/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/jsonrpc/RpcApi.java b/ethereum/jsonrpc/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/jsonrpc/RpcApi.java
index 9605b4b2e1..c5de2c7924 100644
--- a/ethereum/jsonrpc/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/jsonrpc/RpcApi.java
+++ b/ethereum/jsonrpc/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/jsonrpc/RpcApi.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
  */
 package tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.jsonrpc;
 
+import com.google.common.base.MoreObjects;
 import com.google.common.base.Objects;
 
 public class RpcApi {
@@ -41,4 +42,9 @@ public class RpcApi {
   public int hashCode() {
     return Objects.hashCode(cliValue);
   }
+
+  @Override
+  public String toString() {
+    return MoreObjects.toStringHelper(this).add("cliValue", cliValue).toString();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/ethereum/jsonrpc/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/jsonrpc/RpcApis.java b/ethereum/jsonrpc/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/jsonrpc/RpcApis.java
index c2c31be7da..38c7bee0e4 100644
--- a/ethereum/jsonrpc/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/jsonrpc/RpcApis.java
+++ b/ethereum/jsonrpc/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/jsonrpc/RpcApis.java
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ public class RpcApis {
 
   public static final Collection<RpcApi> DEFAULT_JSON_RPC_APIS = Arrays.asList(ETH, NET, WEB3);
 
-  public static final Optional<RpcApi> valueOf(final String name) {
+  public static Optional<RpcApi> valueOf(final String name) {
     if (name.equals(ETH.getCliValue())) {
       return Optional.of(ETH);
     } else if (name.equals(DEBUG.getCliValue())) {
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public class RpcApis {
     }
   }
 
-  public static final String getValue(final RpcApi rpcapi) {
+  public static String getValue(final RpcApi rpcapi) {
     return rpcapi.getCliValue();
   }
 }
diff --git a/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java b/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
index f735a1d3a0..2eaa8b569f 100644
--- a/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
+++ b/pantheon/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommand.java
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.InvalidPathException;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.nio.file.Paths;
-import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
@@ -276,10 +275,10 @@ public class PantheonCommand implements Runnable {
     split = ",",
     arity = "1..*",
     converter = RpcApisConverter.class,
-    description = "Comma separated APIs to enable on JSON-RPC channel. default: ${DEFAULT-VALUE}"
+    description = "Comma separated APIs to enable on JSON-RPC channel. default: ${DEFAULT-VALUE}",
+    defaultValue = "ETH,NET,WEB3,CLIQUE,IBFT"
   )
-  private final Collection<RpcApi> rpcApis =
-      Arrays.asList(RpcApis.ETH, RpcApis.NET, RpcApis.WEB3, CliqueRpcApis.CLIQUE, IbftRpcApis.IBFT);
+  private final Collection<RpcApi> rpcApis = null;
 
   @Option(
     names = {"--ws-enabled"},
@@ -303,10 +302,10 @@ public class PantheonCommand implements Runnable {
     split = ",",
     arity = "1..*",
     converter = RpcApisConverter.class,
-    description = "Comma separated APIs to enable on WebSocket channel. default: ${DEFAULT-VALUE}"
+    description = "Comma separated APIs to enable on WebSocket channel. default: ${DEFAULT-VALUE}",
+    defaultValue = "ETH,NET,WEB3,CLIQUE,IBFT"
   )
-  private final Collection<RpcApi> wsApis =
-      Arrays.asList(RpcApis.ETH, RpcApis.NET, RpcApis.WEB3, CliqueRpcApis.CLIQUE, IbftRpcApis.IBFT);
+  private final Collection<RpcApi> wsApis = null;
 
   @Option(
     names = {"--dev-mode"},
@@ -453,7 +452,7 @@ public class PantheonCommand implements Runnable {
     webSocketConfiguration.setEnabled(isWsRpcEnabled);
     webSocketConfiguration.setHost(wsHostAndPort.getHost());
     webSocketConfiguration.setPort(wsHostAndPort.getPort());
-    webSocketConfiguration.setRpcApis(rpcApis);
+    webSocketConfiguration.setRpcApis(wsApis);
     return webSocketConfiguration;
   }
 
diff --git a/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java b/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
index 81f3d2fc2e..35002bbff2 100644
--- a/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
+++ b/pantheon/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/cli/PantheonCommandTest.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.core.MiningParameters;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.core.Wei;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.sync.SyncMode;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.jsonrpc.JsonRpcConfiguration;
+import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.jsonrpc.RpcApis;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.jsonrpc.websocket.WebSocketConfiguration;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.util.bytes.BytesValue;
 
@@ -105,6 +106,13 @@ public class PantheonCommandTest extends CommandTestAbstract {
     assertThat(commandErrorOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void callingHelpDisplaysDefaultRpcApisCorrectly() {
+    parseCommand("--help");
+    assertThat(commandOutput.toString()).contains("default: ETH,NET,WEB3,CLIQUE,IBFT");
+    assertThat(commandErrorOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void callingVersionDisplayPantheonInfoVersion() {
     parseCommand("--version");
@@ -521,6 +529,30 @@ public class PantheonCommandTest extends CommandTestAbstract {
     assertThat(commandErrorOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void rpcApisPropertyMustBeUsed() {
+    parseCommand("--rpc-api", "ETH,NET");
+
+    verify(mockRunnerBuilder)
+        .build(
+            any(),
+            any(),
+            anyBoolean(),
+            any(),
+            anyString(),
+            anyInt(),
+            anyInt(),
+            jsonRpcConfigArgumentCaptor.capture(),
+            any(),
+            any());
+
+    assertThat(jsonRpcConfigArgumentCaptor.getValue().getRpcApis())
+        .containsExactlyInAnyOrder(RpcApis.ETH, RpcApis.NET);
+
+    assertThat(commandOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
+    assertThat(commandErrorOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void jsonRpcHostAndPortOptionMustBeUsed() {
 
@@ -741,6 +773,30 @@ public class PantheonCommandTest extends CommandTestAbstract {
     assertThat(commandErrorOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void wsApiPropertyMustBeUsed() {
+    parseCommand("--ws-api", "ETH, NET");
+
+    verify(mockRunnerBuilder)
+        .build(
+            any(),
+            any(),
+            anyBoolean(),
+            any(),
+            anyString(),
+            anyInt(),
+            anyInt(),
+            any(),
+            wsRpcConfigArgumentCaptor.capture(),
+            any());
+
+    assertThat(wsRpcConfigArgumentCaptor.getValue().getRpcApis())
+        .containsExactlyInAnyOrder(RpcApis.ETH, RpcApis.NET);
+
+    assertThat(commandOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
+    assertThat(commandErrorOutput.toString()).isEmpty();
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void wsRpcHostAndPortOptionMustBeUsed() {
     final String host = "1.2.3.4";