diff --git a/cli/cmd/release_lint.go b/cli/cmd/release_lint.go
index 61bb8aa9b..fc9eced7e 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/release_lint.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/release_lint.go
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	"io/ioutil"
-
 	"github.com/replicatedhq/replicated/cli/print"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -12,53 +10,28 @@ import (
 func (r *runners) InitReleaseLint(parent *cobra.Command) {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "lint",
-		Short: "Lint a YAML",
-		Long:  "Lint a YAML",
+		Short: "Lint a directory of KOTS manifests",
+		Long: "Lint a directory of KOTS manifests",
 		SilenceUsage: true,
 	}
 	parent.AddCommand(cmd)
 
-	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&r.args.lintReleaseYaml, "yaml", "", "The YAML config to lint. Use '-' to read from stdin.  Cannot be used with the `yaml-file` flag.")
-	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&r.args.lintReleaseYamlFile, "yaml-file", "", "The file name with YAML config to lint.  Cannot be used with the `yaml` flag.")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&r.args.lintReleaseYamlDir, "yaml-dir", "", "The directory containing multiple yamls for a Kots release.  Cannot be used with the `yaml` flag.")
 
 	cmd.RunE = r.releaseLint
 }
 
 func (r *runners) releaseLint(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	if r.args.lintReleaseYaml == "" && r.args.lintReleaseYamlFile == "" && r.args.lintReleaseYamlDir == "" {
+	if  r.args.lintReleaseYamlDir == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("yaml is required")
 	}
 
-	if r.args.lintReleaseYaml != "" && r.args.lintReleaseYamlFile != "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("only yaml or yaml-file has to be specified")
-	}
-
-	if r.args.lintReleaseYaml == "-" {
-		bytes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r.stdin)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		r.args.lintReleaseYaml = string(bytes)
-	}
-
-	if r.args.lintReleaseYamlFile != "" {
-		bytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(r.args.lintReleaseYamlFile)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		r.args.lintReleaseYaml = string(bytes)
-	}
-
-	if r.args.lintReleaseYamlDir != "" {
-		var err error
-		r.args.lintReleaseYaml, err = readYAMLDir(r.args.lintReleaseYamlDir)
-		if err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "read yaml dir")
-		}
+	lintReleaseYAML, err := readYAMLDir(r.args.lintReleaseYamlDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "read yaml dir")
 	}
 
-	lintResult, err := r.api.LintRelease(r.appID, r.appType, r.args.lintReleaseYaml)
+	lintResult, err := r.api.LintRelease(r.appID, r.appType, lintReleaseYAML)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/cli/cmd/runner.go b/cli/cmd/runner.go
index 9a2922459..272d35729 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/runner.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/runner.go
@@ -56,8 +56,7 @@ type runnerArgs struct {
 	createReleasePromoteNotes         string
 	createReleasePromoteVersion       string
 	createReleasePromoteEnsureChannel bool
-	lintReleaseYaml                   string
-	lintReleaseYamlFile               string
+	intReleaseYamlFile               string
 	lintReleaseYamlDir                string
 	releaseOptional                   bool
 	releaseNotes                      string