diff --git a/cmd/start/flags.go b/cmd/start/flags.go
index 9ef6a0f42..91d5b3c82 100644
--- a/cmd/start/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/start/flags.go
@@ -2,34 +2,31 @@ package start
 
 import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 
+	"github.com/zitadel/logging"
+
 	"github.com/zitadel/zitadel/cmd/key"
 	"github.com/zitadel/zitadel/cmd/tls"
 )
 
-var tlsMode *string
+var (
+	startFlagSet = &pflag.FlagSet{}
+)
+
+func init() {
+	startFlagSet.Uint16("port", 0, "port to run ZITADEL on")
+	startFlagSet.String("externalDomain", "", "domain ZITADEL will be exposed on")
+	startFlagSet.String("externalPort", "", "port ZITADEL will be exposed on")
+}
 
 func startFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
-	bindUint16Flag(cmd, "port", "port to run ZITADEL on")
-	bindStringFlag(cmd, "externalDomain", "domain ZITADEL will be exposed on")
-	bindStringFlag(cmd, "externalPort", "port ZITADEL will be exposed on")
+	cmd.Flags().AddFlagSet(startFlagSet)
+	logging.OnError(
+		viper.BindPFlags(startFlagSet),
+	).Fatal("start flags")
 
 	tls.AddTLSModeFlag(cmd)
 	key.AddMasterKeyFlag(cmd)
 }
-
-func bindStringFlag(cmd *cobra.Command, name, description string) {
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().String(name, viper.GetString(name), description)
-	viper.BindPFlag(name, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(name))
-}
-
-func bindUint16Flag(cmd *cobra.Command, name, description string) {
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().Uint16(name, uint16(viper.GetUint(name)), description)
-	viper.BindPFlag(name, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(name))
-}
-
-func bindBoolFlag(cmd *cobra.Command, name, description string) {
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().Bool(name, viper.GetBool(name), description)
-	viper.BindPFlag(name, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(name))
-}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index bd0a9c082..ba90d777d 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.9.3
 	github.com/spf13/afero v1.11.0 // indirect
 	github.com/spf13/cast v1.6.0 // indirect
-	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5 // indirect
+	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5
 	github.com/subosito/gotenv v1.6.0 // indirect
 	github.com/ttacon/builder v0.0.0-20170518171403-c099f663e1c2 // indirect
 	github.com/x448/float16 v0.8.4 // indirect