diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/main.js b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/main.js
index 285779c1ee9..46dad5bc409 100644
--- a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/main.js
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/main.js
@@ -87,6 +87,11 @@ const main = async (progname, rawArgs, powers) => {
       '--import-from <dir>',
       'import the exported configuration from <dir>',
     )
+    .option(
+      '--persistent-peers <addrs>',
+      'set the config.toml p2p.persistent_peers value',
+      '',
+    )
     .action(async (prog, configDir, cmd) => {
       const opts = { ...program.opts(), ...cmd.opts() };
       return subMain(setDefaultsMain, ['set-defaults', prog, configDir], opts);
diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/set-defaults.js b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/set-defaults.js
index 48a95afaf65..86dd1812595 100644
--- a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/set-defaults.js
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/set-defaults.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export default async function setDefaultsMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
 
   const genesisFile = `${configDir}/genesis.json`;
   const configFile = `${configDir}/config.toml`;
-  const { importFrom } = opts;
+  const { importFrom, persistentPeers } = opts;
   const [genesisJson, configToml, exportedGenesisJson] = await Promise.all([
     fs.readFile(genesisFile, 'utf-8'),
     fs.readFile(configFile, 'utf-8'),
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export default async function setDefaultsMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
     genesisJson,
     configToml,
     exportedGenesisJson,
+    persistentPeers,
   });
 
   const create = (fileName, contents) => {