diff --git a/api/client.go b/api/client.go
index 3dff47ce3cf5d87584d20fb1c1c0ff4e110126b4..54f13ce94d282978bb9b6a71f1c7d96f4121c25e 100644
--- a/api/client.go
+++ b/api/client.go
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ import (
 	"gitlab.com/elixxir/primitives/ndf"
 	"gitlab.com/elixxir/primitives/switchboard"
 	goio "io"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -162,10 +161,7 @@ func (cl *Client) Connect() error {
 		var gwCreds []byte
 		var err error
 		if gateway.TlsCertificate != "" {
-			gwCreds, err = ioutil.ReadFile(gateway.TlsCertificate)
-			if err != nil {
-				globals.Log.ERROR.Printf("Failed to read certificate at %s: %+v", gateway.TlsCertificate, err)
-			}
+			gwCreds = []byte(gateway.TlsCertificate)
 		}
 		gwID := id.NewNodeFromBytes(cl.ndf.Nodes[i].ID).NewGateway()
 		err = (cl.comm).(*io.Messaging).Comms.ConnectToGateway(gwID, gateway.Address, gwCreds)
@@ -176,16 +172,13 @@ func (cl *Client) Connect() error {
 
 	//connect to the registration server
 	if cl.ndf.Registration.Address != "" {
-		var cert []byte
+		var regCert []byte
 		var err error
 		if cl.ndf.Registration.TlsCertificate != "" {
-			cert, err = ioutil.ReadFile(cl.ndf.Registration.TlsCertificate)
-			if err != nil {
-				globals.Log.ERROR.Printf("failed to read certificate from %s: %+v", cl.ndf.Registration.TlsCertificate, err)
-			}
+			regCert = []byte(cl.ndf.Registration.TlsCertificate)
 		}
 		addr := io.ConnAddr(PermissioningAddrID)
-		err = (cl.comm).(*io.Messaging).Comms.ConnectToRegistration(addr, cl.ndf.Registration.Address, cert)
+		err = (cl.comm).(*io.Messaging).Comms.ConnectToRegistration(addr, cl.ndf.Registration.Address, regCert)
 		if err != nil {
 			globals.Log.ERROR.Printf("Failed connecting to permissioning: %+v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 325bb81025b8c9141235df1736c7c02dabaa6389..a3a0fa9b0c593c0a66ca172e98f9a05fbb7e4864 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -36,14 +36,12 @@ import (
 var verbose bool
 var userId uint64
 var destinationUserId uint64
-var gwAddresses []string
 var message string
 var sessionFile string
 var dummyFrequency float64
 var noBlockingTransmission bool
 var rateLimiting uint32
 var showVer bool
-var gwCertPath string
 var registrationCertPath string
 var registrationCode string
 var userEmail string
@@ -513,11 +511,6 @@ func init() {
 
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Uint64VarP(&userId, "userid", "i", 0,
 		"ID to sign in as")
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceVarP(&gwAddresses, "gwaddresses",
-		"g", make([]string, 0), "Gateway addresses:port for message sending, "+
-			"comma-separated")
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&gwCertPath, "gwcertpath", "c", "",
-		"Path to the certificate file for connecting to gateway using TLS")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&registrationCertPath, "registrationcertpath", "r",
 		"",
 		"Path to the certificate file for connecting to registration server"+