diff --git a/cmd/step-pkcs11-init/main.go b/cmd/step-pkcs11-init/main.go
index 613b8208..5fadf10d 100644
--- a/cmd/step-pkcs11-init/main.go
+++ b/cmd/step-pkcs11-init/main.go
@@ -58,16 +58,25 @@ func (c *Config) Validate() error {
 	switch {
 	case c.KMS == "":
 		return errors.New("flag `--kms` is required")
+	case c.CrtPath == "":
+		return errors.New("flag `--crt-cert-path` is required")
 	case c.RootFile != "" && c.KeyFile == "":
-		return errors.New("flag `--root-cert-file` requires flag `--key`")
+		return errors.New("flag `--root-cert-file` requires flag `--root-key-file`")
 	case c.KeyFile != "" && c.RootFile == "":
-		return errors.New("flag `--key` requires flag `--root-cert-file`")
+		return errors.New("flag `--root-key-file` requires flag `--root-cert-file`")
 	case c.RootFile == "" && c.RootObject == "":
-		return errors.New("one of flag `--root` or `--root-cert` is required")
-	case c.RootFile == "" && c.RootKeyObject == "":
-		return errors.New("one of flag `--root` or `--root-key` is required")
+		return errors.New("one of flag `--root-cert-file` or `--root-cert-obj` is required")
+	case c.KeyFile == "" && c.RootKeyObject == "":
+		return errors.New("one of flag `--root-key-file` or `--root-key-obj` is required")
+	case c.CrtKeyPath == "" && c.CrtKeyObject == "":
+		return errors.New("one of flag `--crt-key-path` or `--crt-key-obj` is required")
+	case c.RootFile == "" && c.GenerateRoot && c.RootKeyObject == "":
+		return errors.New("flag `--root-gen` requires flag `--root-key-obj`")
+	case c.RootFile == "" && c.GenerateRoot && c.RootPath == "":
+		return errors.New("flag `--root-gen` requires `--root-cert-path`")
 	default:
 		if c.RootFile != "" {
+			c.GenerateRoot = false
 			c.RootObject = ""
 			c.RootKeyObject = ""
 		}
@@ -101,23 +110,25 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&c.Pin, "pin", "", "PKCS #11 PIN")
 	// Option 1: Generate new root
 	flag.BoolVar(&c.GenerateRoot, "root-gen", true, "Enable the generation of a root key.")
-	flag.StringVar(&c.RootFile, "root-cert-file", "", "Path to the root certificate to use.")
+	flag.StringVar(&c.RootSubject, "root-name", "PKCS #11 Smallstep Root", "Subject and Issuer of the root certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&c.RootObject, "root-cert-obj", "pkcs11:id=7330;object=root-cert", "PKCS #11 URI with object id and label to store the root certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&c.RootKeyObject, "root-key-obj", "pkcs11:id=7330;object=root-key", "PKCS #11 URI with object id and label to store the root key.")
-	flag.StringVar(&c.RootSubject, "root-name", "PKCS #11 Smallstep Root", "Subject and Issuer of the root certificate.")
 	// Option 2: Read root from disk and sign intermediate
-	flag.StringVar(&c.RootPath, "root-cert-path", "root_ca.crt", "Location to write the root certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&c.RootFile, "root-cert-file", "", "Path to the root certificate to use.")
 	flag.StringVar(&c.KeyFile, "root-key-file", "", "Path to the root key to use.")
 	// Option 3: Generate certificate signing request
-	flag.StringVar(&c.CrtObject, "crt-cert", "pkcs11:id=7331;object=intermediate-cert", "PKCS #11 URI with object id and label to store the intermediate certificate.")
-	flag.StringVar(&c.CrtPath, "crt-cert-path", "intermediate_ca.crt", "Location to write the intermediate certificate.")
-	flag.StringVar(&c.CrtKeyObject, "crt-key", "pkcs11:id=7331;object=intermediate-key", "PKCS #11 URI with object id and label to store the intermediate certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&c.CrtSubject, "crt-name", "PKCS #11 Smallstep Intermediate", "Subject of the intermediate certificate.")
-	flag.StringVar(&c.CrtKeyPath, "crt-key-path", "", "Location to write the intermediate private key.")
+	flag.StringVar(&c.CrtObject, "crt-cert-obj", "pkcs11:id=7331;object=intermediate-cert", "PKCS #11 URI with object id and label to store the intermediate certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&c.CrtKeyObject, "crt-key-obj", "pkcs11:id=7331;object=intermediate-key", "PKCS #11 URI with object id and label to store the intermediate certificate.")
+	// SSH certificates
+	flag.BoolVar(&c.EnableSSH, "ssh", false, "Enable the creation of ssh keys.")
 	flag.StringVar(&c.SSHHostKeyObject, "ssh-host-key", "pkcs11:id=7332;object=ssh-host-key", "PKCS #11 URI with object id and label to store the key used to sign SSH host certificates.")
 	flag.StringVar(&c.SSHUserKeyObject, "ssh-user-key", "pkcs11:id=7333;object=ssh-user-key", "PKCS #11 URI with object id and label to store the key used to sign SSH user certificates.")
-
-	flag.BoolVar(&c.EnableSSH, "ssh", false, "Enable the creation of ssh keys.")
+	// Output files
+	flag.StringVar(&c.RootPath, "root-cert-path", "root_ca.crt", "Location to write the root certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&c.CrtPath, "crt-cert-path", "intermediate_ca.crt", "Location to write the intermediate certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&c.CrtKeyPath, "crt-key-path", "", "Location to write the intermediate private key.")
+	// Others
 	flag.BoolVar(&c.NoCerts, "no-certs", false, "Do not store certificates in the module.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&c.Force, "force", false, "Force the delete of previous keys.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&c.Extractable, "extractable", false, "Allow export of private keys under wrap.")
@@ -319,7 +330,7 @@ func createPKI(k kms.KeyManager, c Config) error {
 			return errors.Wrap(err, "error parsing root certificate")
 		}
 
-		if cm, ok := k.(kms.CertificateManager); ok && !c.NoCerts {
+		if cm, ok := k.(kms.CertificateManager); ok && c.RootObject != "" && !c.NoCerts {
 			if err := cm.StoreCertificate(&apiv1.StoreCertificateRequest{
 				Name:        c.RootObject,
 				Certificate: root,
@@ -327,6 +338,8 @@ func createPKI(k kms.KeyManager, c Config) error {
 			}); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+		} else {
+			c.RootObject = ""
 		}
 
 		if err := fileutil.WriteFile(c.RootPath, pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
@@ -338,6 +351,9 @@ func createPKI(k kms.KeyManager, c Config) error {
 
 		ui.PrintSelected("Root Key", resp.Name)
 		ui.PrintSelected("Root Certificate", c.RootPath)
+		if c.RootObject != "" {
+			ui.PrintSelected("Root Certificate Object", c.RootObject)
+		}
 	case c.RootFile != "" && c.KeyFile != "": // Read Root From File
 		root, err = pemutil.ReadCertificate(c.RootFile)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -421,7 +437,7 @@ func createPKI(k kms.KeyManager, c Config) error {
 			return errors.Wrap(err, "error parsing intermediate certificate")
 		}
 
-		if cm, ok := k.(kms.CertificateManager); ok && !c.NoCerts {
+		if cm, ok := k.(kms.CertificateManager); ok && c.CrtObject != "" && !c.NoCerts {
 			if err := cm.StoreCertificate(&apiv1.StoreCertificateRequest{
 				Name:        c.CrtObject,
 				Certificate: intermediate,
@@ -429,6 +445,8 @@ func createPKI(k kms.KeyManager, c Config) error {
 			}); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+		} else {
+			c.CrtObject = ""
 		}
 
 		if err := fileutil.WriteFile(c.CrtPath, pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
@@ -437,7 +455,8 @@ func createPKI(k kms.KeyManager, c Config) error {
 		}), 0600); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-	} else { // No root available, generate CSR for external root.
+	} else {
+		// No root available, generate CSR for external root.
 		csrTemplate := x509.CertificateRequest{
 			Subject:            pkix.Name{CommonName: c.CrtSubject},
 			SignatureAlgorithm: x509.ECDSAWithSHA256,
@@ -461,7 +480,14 @@ func createPKI(k kms.KeyManager, c Config) error {
 		ui.PrintSelected("Intermediate Key", keyName)
 	}
 
-	ui.PrintSelected("Intermediate Certificate", c.CrtPath)
+	if root != nil {
+		ui.PrintSelected("Intermediate Certificate", c.CrtPath)
+		if c.CrtObject != "" {
+			ui.PrintSelected("Intermediate Certificate Object", c.CrtObject)
+		}
+	} else {
+		ui.PrintSelected("Intermediate Certificate Request", c.CrtPath)
+	}
 
 	if c.SSHHostKeyObject != "" {
 		resp, err := k.CreateKey(&apiv1.CreateKeyRequest{