diff --git a/cmd/drop.go b/cmd/drop.go
index 2b33750..658cb7c 100644
--- a/cmd/drop.go
+++ b/cmd/drop.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ var dropCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			return err
 		}
 
-		form, err := formatters.New("plain")
+		form, err := formatters.Preferred()
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 954a3a7..7e7bbbd 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func init() {
 	// will be global for your application.
 
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&config.ConfigPath, "config", "c", config.ConfigPath, "config file")
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringToStringVarP(&config.Overrides, "config-value", "v", config.Overrides, "Override config values. Use dot syntax to specify key. E.g. -v output.stdout.config.json=true")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringToStringVarP(&config.Overrides, "config-value", "v", config.Overrides, "Override config values. Use dot syntax to specify key. E.g. -v output.stdout.config.formatter=json")
 
 	// Cobra also supports local flags, which will only run
 	// when this action is called directly.
diff --git a/formatters/new.go b/formatters/new.go
index 33084e3..d88a9d0 100644
--- a/formatters/new.go
+++ b/formatters/new.go
@@ -12,6 +12,16 @@ var formatterMap = map[string]formatMaker{
 	"plain": newPlain,
 }
 
+func Preferred() (f Formatter, err error) {
+	conf, err := config.Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	std, _ := conf.Outputs.Stdout()
+	kind := std.Formatter
+	return New(kind)
+}
+
 func New(kind string) (f Formatter, err error) {
 	conf, err := config.Load()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/formatters/new_test.go b/formatters/new_test.go
index bf91000..04b40fb 100644
--- a/formatters/new_test.go
+++ b/formatters/new_test.go
@@ -32,4 +32,14 @@ func TestNewCantGetConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	form, err := New("plain")
 	assert.Nil(t, form)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
+
+	form, err = Preferred()
+	assert.Nil(t, form)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestPreferred(t *testing.T) {
+	form, err := Preferred()
+	assert.NotNil(t, form)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 }