diff --git a/eosc/cmd/common.go b/eosc/cmd/common.go
index 68773877..395883e1 100644
--- a/eosc/cmd/common.go
+++ b/eosc/cmd/common.go
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	"go.uber.org/zap"
-
 	yaml2json "github.com/bronze1man/go-yaml2json"
 	"github.com/eoscanada/eos-go"
 	"github.com/eoscanada/eos-go/ecc"
@@ -20,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/eoscanada/eosc/cli"
 	eosvault "github.com/eoscanada/eosc/vault"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
-	"github.com/tidwall/gjson"
 	"github.com/tidwall/sjson"
 )
 
@@ -88,56 +85,14 @@ func getAPI() *eos.API {
 	return api
 }
 
-var coreSymbolIsCached bool
-var coreSymbol eos.Symbol
+var sym string
+var dec uint8
 
 func getCoreSymbol() eos.Symbol {
-	if coreSymbolIsCached {
-		return coreSymbol
-	}
-
-	// In the event of a failure, we do not want to re-perform an API call,
-	// so let's record the fact that getCoreSymbol is cached right here.
-	// The init core symbol will take care of setting an approriate core
-	// symbol from global flag and reporting the error.
-	coreSymbolIsCached = true
-	if err := initCoreSymbol(); err != nil {
-		coreSymbol = eos.EOSSymbol
-		zlog.Debug(
-			"unable to retrieve core symbol from API, falling back to default",
-			zap.Error(err),
-			zap.Stringer("default", coreSymbol),
-		)
-	}
-
-	return coreSymbol
-}
-
-func initCoreSymbol() error {
-	resp, err := getAPI().GetTableRows(eos.GetTableRowsRequest{
-		Code:  "eosio",
-		Scope: "eosio",
-		Table: "rammarket",
-		JSON:  true,
-	})
-
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to fetch table: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	result := gjson.GetBytes(resp.Rows, "0.quote.balance")
-	if !result.Exists() {
-		return errors.New("table has not expected format")
-	}
-
-	asset, err := eos.NewAsset(result.String())
-	if !result.Exists() {
-		return fmt.Errorf("quote balance asset %q is not valid: %s", result.String(), err)
-	}
+	sym = viper.GetString("global-core-symbol")
+	dec = uint8(viper.GetInt("global-core-decimals"))
 
-	zlog.Debug("Retrieved core symbol from API, using it as default core symbol", zap.Stringer("symbol", asset.Symbol))
-	coreSymbol = asset.Symbol
-	return nil
+	return eos.Symbol{Precision: dec, Symbol: sym}
 }
 
 func sanitizeAPIURL(input string) string {
diff --git a/eosc/cmd/root.go b/eosc/cmd/root.go
index f28b2978..2fbad8db 100644
--- a/eosc/cmd/root.go
+++ b/eosc/cmd/root.go
@@ -43,22 +43,23 @@ func Execute() {
 func init() {
 	cobra.OnInitialize(initConfig)
 
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("core-symbol", "c", "", "Core symbol to use for all commands (default inferred from API if possible, 4,EOS otherwise)")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("debug", "", false, "Enables verbose API debug messages")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("vault-file", "", "./eosc-vault.json", "Wallet file that contains encrypted key material")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceP("wallet-url", "", []string{}, "Base URL to wallet endpoint. You can pass this multiple times to use the multi-signer (will use each wallet to sign multi-sig transactions).")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("core-symbol", "S", "EOS", "Core symbol to use for all commands")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().IntP("core-decimals", "D", 4, "Core symbol decimals")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("debug", "v", false, "Enables verbose API debug messages")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("vault-file", "W", "./eosc-vault.json", "Wallet file that contains encrypted key material")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceP("wallet-url", "", []string{"http://127.0.0.1:6666"}, "Base URL to wallet endpoint")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("api-url", "u", "https://mainnet.eoscanada.com", "API endpoint of eos.io blockchain node")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceP("permission", "p", []string{}, "Permission to sign transactions with. Optionally specify more than one, or separate by comma")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceP("http-header", "H", []string{}, "HTTP header to add to a request. Optionally repeat this option to specify multiple headers")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("kms-gcp-keypath", "", "", "Path to the cryptoKeys within a keyRing on GCP")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("write-transaction", "", "", "Do not broadcast the transaction produced, but write it in json to the given filename instead.")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("offline-head-block", "", "", "Provide a recent block ID (long-form hex) for TaPoS. Use all --offline options to sign transactions offline.")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("offline-chain-id", "", "", "Chain ID to sign transaction with. Use all --offline- options to sign transactions offline.")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceP("offline-sign-key", "", []string{}, "Public key to use to sign transaction. Must be in your vault or wallet. Use all --offline- options to sign transactions offline.")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("skip-sign", "", false, "Do not sign the transaction. Use with --write-transaction.")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().IntP("expiration", "", 30, "Set time before transaction expires, in seconds. Defaults to 30 seconds.")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().IntP("delay-sec", "", 0, "Set time to wait before transaction is executed, in seconds. Defaults to 0 second.")
-	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("sudo-wrap", "", false, "Wrap the transaction in a eosio.sudo exec. Useful to BPs, with --write-transaction and --skip-sign to then submit as a multisig proposition.")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("write-transaction", "", "", "Do not broadcast the transaction produced, but write it in json to the given filename instead")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("offline-head-block", "B", "", "Provide a recent block ID (long-form hex) for TaPoS. Use all --offline options to sign transactions offline")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("offline-chain-id", "C", "", "Chain ID to sign transaction with. Use all --offline- options to sign transactions offline")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceP("offline-sign-key", "K", []string{}, "Public key to use to sign transaction. Must be in your vault or wallet")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("skip-sign", "", false, "Do not sign the transaction. Use with --write-transaction")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().IntP("expiration", "", 30, "Set time before transaction expires, in seconds")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().IntP("delay-sec", "", 0, "Set time to wait before transaction is executed, in seconds. Default 0")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("sudo-wrap", "", false, "Wrap the transaction in a eosio.sudo exec")
 }
 
 func initConfig() {