diff --git a/cmd/swarm/main.go b/cmd/swarm/main.go
index f4ff0bb731..8ca1388447 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/main.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/main.go
@@ -141,6 +141,10 @@ var (
 		Name:  "mime",
 		Usage: "force mime type",
 	}
+	SwarmEncryptedFlag = cli.BoolFlag{
+		Name:  "encrypted",
+		Usage: "use encrypted upload",
+	}
 	SwarmPssEnabledFlag = cli.BoolFlag{
 		Name:  "pss",
 		Usage: "Enable pss (message passing over swarm)",
@@ -218,19 +222,11 @@ The output of this command is supposed to be machine-readable.
 `,
 		},
 		{
-			Action:    nonEncryptedUpload,
+			Action:    upload,
 			Name:      "up",
 			Usage:     "upload a file or directory to swarm using the HTTP API",
 			ArgsUsage: " <file>",
-			Description: `
-"upload a file or directory to swarm using the HTTP API and prints the root hash",
-`,
-		},
-		{
-			Action:    encryptedUpload,
-			Name:      "encrypted-up",
-			Usage:     "Upload a file or directory with encryption to swarm using the HTTP API. NOTE: Currently the reference for the uploaded content is non-deterministic, so you will receive different references if you upload it twice.",
-			ArgsUsage: " <file>",
+			Flags:     []cli.Flag{SwarmEncryptedFlag},
 			Description: `
 "upload a file or directory to swarm using the HTTP API and prints the root hash",
 `,
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/upload.go b/cmd/swarm/upload.go
index bdcbc96581..38207ddccb 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/upload.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/upload.go
@@ -35,15 +35,7 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v1"
 )
 
-func encryptedUpload(ctx *cli.Context) {
-	upload(ctx, true)
-}
-
-func nonEncryptedUpload(ctx *cli.Context) {
-	upload(ctx, false)
-}
-
-func upload(ctx *cli.Context, toEncrypt bool) {
+func upload(ctx *cli.Context) {
 
 	args := ctx.Args()
 	var (
@@ -54,6 +46,7 @@ func upload(ctx *cli.Context, toEncrypt bool) {
 		fromStdin    = ctx.GlobalBool(SwarmUpFromStdinFlag.Name)
 		mimeType     = ctx.GlobalString(SwarmUploadMimeType.Name)
 		client       = swarm.NewClient(bzzapi)
+		toEncrypt    = ctx.Bool(SwarmEncryptedFlag.Name)
 		file         string
 	)
 
diff --git a/cmd/swarm/upload_test.go b/cmd/swarm/upload_test.go
index f2ee999198..a868a5540c 100644
--- a/cmd/swarm/upload_test.go
+++ b/cmd/swarm/upload_test.go
@@ -59,15 +59,22 @@ func testCLISwarmUp(toEncrypt bool, t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	cmd := "up"
 	hashRegexp := `[a-f\d]{64}`
+	flags := []string{
+		"--bzzapi", cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+		"up",
+		tmp.Name()}
 	if toEncrypt {
-		cmd = "encrypted-up"
 		hashRegexp = `[a-f\d]{128}`
+		flags = []string{
+			"--bzzapi", cluster.Nodes[0].URL,
+			"up",
+			"--encrypted",
+			tmp.Name()}
 	}
-	// upload the file with 'swarm up' or 'swarm encrypted-up' and expect a hash
-	log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("uploading file with '%s'", cmd))
-	up := runSwarm(t, "--bzzapi", cluster.Nodes[0].URL, cmd, tmp.Name())
+	// upload the file with 'swarm up' and expect a hash
+	log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("uploading file with 'swarm up'"))
+	up := runSwarm(t, flags...)
 	_, matches := up.ExpectRegexp(hashRegexp)
 	up.ExpectExit()
 	hash := matches[0]