diff --git a/clustermesh/clustermesh.go b/clustermesh/clustermesh.go
index d5c7f1b295..cb385c40de 100644
--- a/clustermesh/clustermesh.go
+++ b/clustermesh/clustermesh.go
@@ -1777,7 +1777,7 @@ func EnableWithHelm(ctx context.Context, k8sClient *k8s.Client, params Parameter
 		"clustermesh.useAPIServer=true",
 		fmt.Sprintf("clustermesh.apiserver.service.type=%s", params.ServiceType),
 	}
-	vals, err := helm.ParseVals(helmStrValues)
+	vals, err := helm.ParseStrVals(helmStrValues)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -1796,7 +1796,7 @@ func DisableWithHelm(ctx context.Context, k8sClient *k8s.Client, params Paramete
 	helmStrValues := []string{
 		"clustermesh.useAPIServer=false",
 	}
-	vals, err := helm.ParseVals(helmStrValues)
+	vals, err := helm.ParseStrVals(helmStrValues)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -1810,3 +1810,94 @@ func DisableWithHelm(ctx context.Context, k8sClient *k8s.Client, params Paramete
 	_, err = helm.Upgrade(ctx, k8sClient.RESTClientGetter, upgradeParams)
 	return err
 }
+
+func (k *K8sClusterMesh) ConnectWithHelm(ctx context.Context) error {
+	remoteCluster, err := k8s.NewClient(k.params.DestinationContext, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to create Kubernetes client to access remote cluster %q: %w", k.params.DestinationContext, err)
+	}
+
+	aiRemote, err := k.extractAccessInformation(ctx, remoteCluster, k.params.DestinationEndpoints, true, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		k.Log("❌ Unable to retrieve access information of remote cluster %q: %s", remoteCluster.ClusterName(), err)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if !aiRemote.validate() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("remote cluster has non-unique name (%s) and/or ID (%s)", aiRemote.ClusterName, aiRemote.ClusterID)
+	}
+
+	aiLocal, err := k.extractAccessInformation(ctx, k.client, k.params.SourceEndpoints, true, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		k.Log("❌ Unable to retrieve access information of local cluster %q: %s", k.client.ClusterName(), err)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if !aiLocal.validate() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("local cluster has the default name (cluster name: %s) and/or ID 0 (cluster ID: %s)",
+			aiLocal.ClusterName, aiLocal.ClusterID)
+	}
+
+	cid, err := strconv.Atoi(aiRemote.ClusterID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("remote cluster has non-numeric cluster ID %s. Only numeric values 1-255 are allowed", aiRemote.ClusterID)
+	}
+	if cid < 1 || cid > 255 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("remote cluster has cluster ID %d out of acceptable range (1-255)", cid)
+	}
+
+	if aiRemote.ClusterName == aiLocal.ClusterName {
+		return fmt.Errorf("remote and local cluster have the same, non-unique name: %s", aiLocal.ClusterName)
+	}
+
+	if aiRemote.ClusterID == aiLocal.ClusterID {
+		return fmt.Errorf("remote and local cluster have the same, non-unique ID: %s", aiLocal.ClusterID)
+	}
+
+	// TODO (ajs): Support more than two clusters (dynamically append to config)
+	helmValues := map[string]interface{}{
+		"clustermesh": map[string]interface{}{
+			"config": map[string]interface{}{
+				"enabled": true,
+				"clusters": []map[string]interface{}{
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"name": aiLocal.ClusterName,
+						// TODO (ajs): Support hostname-based endpoints
+						//   include logic from patchConfig
+						"ips":  []string{aiLocal.ServiceIPs[0]},
+						"port": aiLocal.ServicePort,
+					},
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"name": aiRemote.ClusterName,
+						"ips":  []string{aiRemote.ServiceIPs[0]},
+						"port": aiRemote.ServicePort,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	// Enable clustermesh using a Helm Upgrade command
+	upgradeParams := helm.UpgradeParameters{
+		Namespace:   k.params.Namespace,
+		Name:        defaults.HelmReleaseName,
+		Values:      helmValues,
+		ResetValues: false,
+		ReuseValues: true,
+	}
+
+	// TODO (ajs): After classic mode removal, use a k8s.Client for k.client
+	_, err = helm.Upgrade(ctx, k.client.(*k8s.Client).RESTClientGetter, upgradeParams)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// TODO (ajs): After classic mode removal, use a k8s.Client for k.client
+	_, err = helm.Upgrade(ctx, remoteCluster.RESTClientGetter, upgradeParams)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	k.Log("✅ Connected cluster %s and %s!", k.client.ClusterName(), remoteCluster.ClusterName())
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/cli/cmd/clustermesh.go b/internal/cli/cmd/clustermesh.go
index cdd8ce047c..dec2c59d53 100644
--- a/internal/cli/cmd/clustermesh.go
+++ b/internal/cli/cmd/clustermesh.go
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ func newCmdClusterMesh() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	cmd.AddCommand(
-		newCmdClusterMeshConnect(),
 		newCmdClusterMeshDisconnect(),
 		newCmdClusterMeshStatus(),
 		newCmdClusterMeshExternalWorkload(),
@@ -35,11 +34,13 @@ func newCmdClusterMesh() *cobra.Command {
 
 	if utils.IsInHelmMode() {
 		cmd.AddCommand(
+			newCmdClusterMeshConnectWithHelm(),
 			newCmdClusterMeshEnableWithHelm(),
 			newCmdClusterMeshDisableWithHelm(),
 		)
 	} else {
 		cmd.AddCommand(
+			newCmdClusterMeshConnect(),
 			newCmdClusterMeshEnable(),
 			newCmdClusterMeshDisable(),
 		)
@@ -393,3 +394,29 @@ func newCmdClusterMeshDisableWithHelm() *cobra.Command {
 
 	return cmd
 }
+
+func newCmdClusterMeshConnectWithHelm() *cobra.Command {
+	var params = clustermesh.Parameters{
+		Writer: os.Stdout,
+	}
+
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "connect",
+		Short: "Connect to a remote cluster using Helm",
+		Long:  ``,
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			params.Namespace = namespace
+			cm := clustermesh.NewK8sClusterMesh(k8sClient, params)
+			if err := cm.ConnectWithHelm(context.Background()); err != nil {
+				fatalf("Unable to connect cluster: %s", err)
+			}
+			return nil
+		},
+	}
+
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&params.DestinationContext, "destination-context", "", "Kubernetes configuration context of destination cluster")
+	cmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&params.DestinationEndpoints, "destination-endpoint", []string{}, "IP of ClusterMesh service of destination cluster")
+	cmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&params.SourceEndpoints, "source-endpoint", []string{}, "IP of ClusterMesh service of source cluster")
+
+	return cmd
+}
diff --git a/internal/helm/helm.go b/internal/helm/helm.go
index 87eddcb123..15b2ff9d1c 100644
--- a/internal/helm/helm.go
+++ b/internal/helm/helm.go
@@ -374,11 +374,11 @@ func MergeVals(
 	return vals, nil
 }
 
-// ParseVals takes a slice of Helm values of the form
+// ParseStrVals takes a slice of Helm values of the form
 // ["some.chart.value=val1", "some.other.value=val2"]
 // and returns a deeply nested map of Values of the form
 // expected by Helm actions.
-func ParseVals(helmStrValues []string) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+func ParseStrVals(helmStrValues []string) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 	helmValStr := strings.Join(helmStrValues, ",")
 	helmValues := map[string]interface{}{}
 	err := strvals.ParseInto(helmValStr, helmValues)
diff --git a/internal/helm/helm_test.go b/internal/helm/helm_test.go
index 74bf4262f5..4c697897d4 100644
--- a/internal/helm/helm_test.go
+++ b/internal/helm/helm_test.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func TestResolveHelmChartVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestParseVals(t *testing.T) {
+func TestParseStrVals(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name    string
 		input   []string
@@ -124,13 +124,13 @@ func TestParseVals(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			got, err := ParseVals(tt.input)
+			got, err := ParseStrVals(tt.input)
 			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
-				t.Errorf("ParseVals() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				t.Errorf("ParseStrVals() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
 				return
 			}
 			if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tt.want) {
-				t.Errorf("ParseVals() got = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+				t.Errorf("ParseStrVals() got = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
 			}
 		})
 	}