diff --git a/cmd/environment.go b/cmd/environment.go
index fa4f6172..45b95185 100644
--- a/cmd/environment.go
+++ b/cmd/environment.go
@@ -8,16 +8,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/uselagoon/machinery/api/schema"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"github.com/uselagoon/lagoon-cli/pkg/output"
 	"github.com/uselagoon/machinery/api/lagoon"
 	lclient "github.com/uselagoon/machinery/api/lagoon/client"
 )
 
-// @TODO re-enable this at some point if more environment based commands are made available
-var environmentAutoIdle uint
-var environmentAutoIdleProvided bool
-
 var deleteEnvCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:     "environment",
 	Aliases: []string{"e"},
@@ -105,8 +100,11 @@ var updateEnvironmentCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-
-		cmd.Flags().Visit(checkFlags)
+		autoIdle, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("auto-idle")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		autoIdleProvided := cmd.Flags().Lookup("auto-idle").Changed
 
 		if err := requiredInputCheck("Project name", cmdProjectName, "Environment name", cmdProjectEnvironment); err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -144,8 +142,8 @@ var updateEnvironmentCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			DeployTitle:          nullStrCheck(deployTitle),
 			Openshift:            nullUintCheck(deploytarget),
 		}
-		if environmentAutoIdleProvided {
-			environmentFlags.AutoIdle = &environmentAutoIdle
+		if autoIdleProvided {
+			environmentFlags.AutoIdle = nullBoolToUint(autoIdle)
 		}
 		if environmentType != "" {
 			envType := schema.EnvType(strings.ToUpper(environmentType))
@@ -179,12 +177,6 @@ var updateEnvironmentCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	},
 }
 
-func checkFlags(f *pflag.Flag) {
-	if f.Name == "auto-idle" {
-		environmentAutoIdleProvided = true
-	}
-}
-
 var listBackupsCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:     "backups",
 	Aliases: []string{"b"},
@@ -320,7 +312,7 @@ func init() {
 	updateEnvironmentCmd.Flags().String("namespace", "", "Update the namespace for the selected environment")
 	updateEnvironmentCmd.Flags().String("route", "", "Update the route for the selected environment")
 	updateEnvironmentCmd.Flags().String("routes", "", "Update the routes for the selected environment")
-	updateEnvironmentCmd.Flags().UintVarP(&environmentAutoIdle, "auto-idle", "a", 1, "Auto idle setting of the environment")
+	updateEnvironmentCmd.Flags().BoolP("auto-idle", "a", false, "Auto idle setting of the environment. Set to enable, --auto-idle=false to disable")
 	updateEnvironmentCmd.Flags().UintP("deploytarget", "d", 0, "Reference to Deploytarget(Kubernetes) this Environment should be deployed to")
 	updateEnvironmentCmd.Flags().String("environment-type", "", "Update the environment type - production | development")
 	updateEnvironmentCmd.Flags().String("deploy-type", "", "Update the deploy type - branch | pullrequest | promote")
diff --git a/cmd/get.go b/cmd/get.go
index 0449ee55..b9411898 100644
--- a/cmd/get.go
+++ b/cmd/get.go
@@ -256,6 +256,11 @@ var getEnvironmentCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			}
 		}
 
+		autoIdle, err := strconv.ParseBool(strconv.Itoa(int(*environment.AutoIdle)))
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
 		data := []output.Data{}
 		var envRoute = "none"
 		if environment.Route != "" {
@@ -276,7 +281,7 @@ var getEnvironmentCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			envHeader = append(envHeader, "Created")
 			envData = append(envData, returnNonEmptyString(fmt.Sprintf("%v", environment.Created)))
 			envHeader = append(envHeader, "AutoIdle")
-			envData = append(envData, returnNonEmptyString(fmt.Sprintf("%v", environment.AutoIdle)))
+			envData = append(envData, returnNonEmptyString(fmt.Sprintf("%v", autoIdle)))
 			envHeader = append(envHeader, "DeployTitle")
 			envData = append(envData, returnNonEmptyString(fmt.Sprintf("%v", environment.DeployTitle)))
 			envHeader = append(envHeader, "DeployBaseRef")
diff --git a/docs/commands/lagoon_update_environment.md b/docs/commands/lagoon_update_environment.md
index a2a06ca1..b938f8f6 100644
--- a/docs/commands/lagoon_update_environment.md
+++ b/docs/commands/lagoon_update_environment.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ lagoon update environment [flags]
 ### Options
 
 ```
-  -a, --auto-idle uint            Auto idle setting of the environment (default 1)
+  -a, --auto-idle                 Auto idle setting of the environment. Set to enable, --auto-idle=false to disable
       --deploy-base-ref string    Updates the deploy base ref for the selected environment
       --deploy-head-ref string    Updates the deploy head ref for the selected environment
       --deploy-title string       Updates the deploy title for the selected environment