diff --git a/cmd/jimmctl/cmd/controllerinfo.go b/cmd/jimmctl/cmd/controllerinfo.go
index 5adbe5b9c..706643155 100644
--- a/cmd/jimmctl/cmd/controllerinfo.go
+++ b/cmd/jimmctl/cmd/controllerinfo.go
@@ -99,15 +99,17 @@ func (c *controllerInfoCommand) Run(ctxt *cmd.Context) error {
 		Username:     account.User,
 		Password:     account.Password,
 	}
+
+	info.PublicAddress = c.publicAddress
 	if c.local {
 		info.PublicAddress = controller.APIEndpoints[0]
 		info.CACertificate = controller.CACert
-	} else {
-		if c.publicAddress != "" {
-			info.PublicAddress = c.publicAddress
-		} else {
-			return errors.New("public address must be set")
-		}
+	}
+	if info.PublicAddress == "" {
+		return errors.New("public address must be set")
+	}
+	if c.local && len(c.publicAddress) > 0 {
+		return errors.New("please do not set both the address argument and the local flag")
 	}
 
 	data, err := yaml.Marshal(info)
diff --git a/cmd/jimmctl/cmd/controllerinfo_test.go b/cmd/jimmctl/cmd/controllerinfo_test.go
index 86120d3ef..f9c03744f 100644
--- a/cmd/jimmctl/cmd/controllerinfo_test.go
+++ b/cmd/jimmctl/cmd/controllerinfo_test.go
@@ -199,3 +199,48 @@ func (s *controllerInfoSuite) TestControllerInfoMissingPublicAddressAndNoLocalFl
 	_, err = cmdtesting.RunCommand(c, cmd.NewControllerInfoCommandForTesting(store), "controller-1", fname)
 	c.Assert(err, gc.ErrorMatches, "public address must be set")
 }
+
+func (s *controllerInfoSuite) TestControllerInfoCannotProvideAddrAndLocalFlag(c *gc.C) {
+	store := s.ClientStore()
+	store.Controllers["controller-1"] = jujuclient.ControllerDetails{
+		APIEndpoints:  []string{"127.0.0.1:17070"},
+		PublicDNSName: "controller1.example.com",
+		CACert: `-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
+  MIID/jCCAmagAwIBAgIVANxsMrzsXrdpjjUoxWQm1RCkmWcqMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEB
+  CwUAMCYxDTALBgNVBAoTBEp1anUxFTATBgNVBAMTDGp1anUgdGVzdGluZzAeFw0y
+  MDA0MDgwNTI3NTBaFw0zMDA0MDgwNTMyNTBaMCYxDTALBgNVBAoTBEp1anUxFTAT
+  BgNVBAMTDGp1anUgdGVzdGluZzCCAaIwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADggGPADCCAYoC
+  ggGBAOW4k2bmXXU3tJ8H5AsGkp8ENLJXzU4SCOCB+X0jPQRVpFtywBVD96z+l+qW
+  ndGLIg5zMQTtZm71CaOw+8Sl03XU0f28Xrjf+FZCAPID1c7NBttUShbu84euFoCS
+  C8yobj6JzLz7QswvkshYQ7JEZ88UXtVHqg6MGYFdu+cX/dE1jC7aHg9bus/P6bFH
+  PVFcHVVxNbLy98Id1iB7i0s97H17nu9O7ZKMrAQAX6dfAELAFQVicdN3WpfwNXEj
+  M2KIrqttpM8s6/57mi9UJFYGdAEDNkJr/dI506VdGLpiqTFhQK6ztfDfY08QbWk6
+  iJn8vzWvNW8WthmBtEDpv+DL+a5SJSLSAIZn9sbuBBpiX+csZb66fYhKFFIUrIa5
+  lrjw8yiHJ4kgsEZJSYaAn7guqmOv8clvy1E2JjsOfGycest6+1/mNdMRFgrMxdzD
+  0M2yZ96zrdfF/QXpi7Hk7jFLzimuujNUpKFv7k+XObQFxeXnoFrYVkj3YT8hhYF0
+  mGRkAwIDAQABoyMwITAOBgNVHQ8BAf8EBAMCAqQwDwYDVR0TAQH/BAUwAwEB/zAN
+  BgkqhkiG9w0BAQsFAAOCAYEAd7GrziPRmjoK3HDF10S+5NgoKYvkOuk2jDap2Qaq
+  ZFjDvrDA2tr6U0FGY+Hz+QfvtgT+YpJB5IvABvSXdq37llwKGsiSOZSrpHyTsOB0
+  VcZAF3GMk1nHYMr0o1xRV2gm/ax+vUEStj0k2gTs/p57uhKcCUXR0p3PWXKcRj9a
+  nVf5bdVkt6ghGs7/uEvj303raUFSf5dJ4C9RTgBK2E9/wlBYNyj5vcsshNpz8kt6
+  RuARM6Boq2EwKkpRlbvImDM8ZJJLwtpijYrx3egfOSEA7Wfwgwn+B359XcosOee5
+  n5BC62EjaP85cM9HCtp2DwKjNSosxja723qZPY6Z0Y7IVn3JVjgC2kWP6GViwb+v
+  l9uwx9ASHPz9ilh6gpjgIifOKZYCaBSS9g8VxHpO5Izxj4vi4AX5cebDg3SzDVik
+  hZuWHpuOT120okoutwuUSU9448cXLGZfoCZjjdMKXmOj8EEec1diDP4mhegYGezD
+  LQRNNlaY2ajLt0paowf/Xxb8
+  -----END CERTIFICATE-----`,
+	}
+	store.Accounts["controller-1"] = jujuclient.AccountDetails{
+		User:     "test-user",
+		Password: "super-secret-password",
+	}
+
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "controller-info-test")
+	c.Assert(err, gc.Equals, nil)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	fname := path.Join(dir, "test.yaml")
+
+	_, err = cmdtesting.RunCommand(c, cmd.NewControllerInfoCommandForTesting(store), "controller-1", fname, "myaddress", "--local")
+	c.Assert(err, gc.ErrorMatches, "please do not set both the address argument and the local flag")
+}