diff --git a/cmd/restore.go b/cmd/restore.go
index f22ebfbc0..88e70d98d 100644
--- a/cmd/restore.go
+++ b/cmd/restore.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"io"
 
 	"github.com/pilosa/pilosa/v2/ctl"
@@ -24,36 +23,28 @@ import (
 )
 
 func newRestoreCommand(stdin io.Reader, stdout, stderr io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
-	c := ctl.NewRestoreCommand(stdin, stdout, stderr)
+	cmd := ctl.NewRestoreCommand(stdin, stdout, stderr)
 	restoreCmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "restore [flags] PATH ",
-		Short: "restore a backup",
+		Use:   "restore",
+		Short: "Restore from a backup",
 		Long: `
-		The restore command will take a backup archive and restore it to a new, clean cluster.
+The Restore command will take a backup archive and restore it to a new, clean cluster.
 `,
-		Args: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			if len(args) == 0 {
-				return fmt.Errorf("data directory path required")
-			} else if len(args) > 1 {
-				return fmt.Errorf("too many command line arguments")
-			}
-			c.Path = args[0]
-			return nil
-		},
-		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			return c.Run(context.Background())
+		RunE: func(c *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return cmd.Run(context.Background())
 		},
 	}
 	flags := restoreCmd.Flags()
-	flags.StringVarP(&c.Host, "host", "", "localhost:10101", "host:port of Pilosa.")
-	flags.StringVarP(&c.Path, "source", "s", "", "pilosa backup file")
+	flags.StringVarP(&cmd.Path, "source", "s", "", "pilosa backup file; specify '-' to restore from stdin tar stream")
+	flags.StringVar(&cmd.Host, "host", "localhost:10101", "host:port of Pilosa.")
 	ctl.SetTLSConfig(
 		flags, "",
-		&c.TLS.CertificatePath,
-		&c.TLS.CertificateKeyPath,
-		&c.TLS.CACertPath,
-		&c.TLS.SkipVerify,
-		&c.TLS.EnableClientVerification)
+		&cmd.TLS.CertificatePath,
+		&cmd.TLS.CertificateKeyPath,
+		&cmd.TLS.CACertPath,
+		&cmd.TLS.SkipVerify,
+		&cmd.TLS.EnableClientVerification,
+	)
 
 	return restoreCmd
 }
diff --git a/ctl/restore.go b/ctl/restore.go
index 50c43ca56..ae223fe1b 100644
--- a/ctl/restore.go
+++ b/ctl/restore.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"archive/tar"
 	"compress/gzip"
 	"context"
+	"crypto/tls"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -33,8 +34,8 @@ import (
 
 // RestoreCommand represents a command for restoring a backup to
 type RestoreCommand struct {
-	TLS  server.TLSConfig
-	Host string
+	tlsConfig *tls.Config
+	Host      string
 
 	// Filepath to the backup file.
 	Path string
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ type RestoreCommand struct {
 
 	// Standard input/output
 	*pilosa.CmdIO
+	TLS server.TLSConfig
 }
 
 // NewRestoreCommand returns a new instance of RestoreCommand.
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ func NewRestoreCommand(stdin io.Reader, stdout, stderr io.Writer) *RestoreComman
 }
 
 // Run executes the restore.
-func (cmd *RestoreCommand) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (cmd *RestoreCommand) Run(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 	logger := cmd.Logger()
 
 	// Validate arguments.
@@ -67,12 +69,18 @@ func (cmd *RestoreCommand) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if useStdin {
 		f = os.Stdin
 	} else {
-		f, err := os.Open(cmd.Path)
+		f, err = os.Open(cmd.Path)
 		if err != nil {
 			return (err)
 		}
 		defer f.Close()
 	}
+
+	// Parse TLS configuration for node-specific clients.
+	tls := cmd.TLSConfiguration()
+	if cmd.tlsConfig, err = server.GetTLSConfig(&tls, logger); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("parsing tls config: %w", err)
+	}
 	// Create a client to the server.
 	client, err := commandClient(cmd)
 	if err != nil {