diff --git a/build/Dockerfile b/build/Dockerfile
index d7327142..dc7955e4 100644
--- a/build/Dockerfile
+++ b/build/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # To run (from repo root): docker build -t fission -f ./build/Dockerfile .
 ARG NOBUILD
-ARG GOLANG_VERSION=1.9.4
+ARG GOLANG_VERSION=1.10.0
 FROM golang:$GOLANG_VERSION AS builder
 
 WORKDIR /go/src/github.com/fission/fission-workflows
diff --git a/cmd/wfcli/main.go b/cmd/wfcli/main.go
index 972ca703..2764dc47 100644
--- a/cmd/wfcli/main.go
+++ b/cmd/wfcli/main.go
@@ -14,6 +14,18 @@ import (
 
 // This is a prototype of the CLI (and will be integrated into the Fission CLI eventually).
 func main() {
+	// fetch the FISSION_URL env variable. If not set, port-forward to controller.
+	var value string
+	fissionUrl := os.Getenv("FISSION_URL")
+	if len(fissionUrl) == 0 {
+		fissionNamespace := getFissionNamespace()
+		kubeConfig := getKubeConfigPath()
+		localPort := setupPortForward(kubeConfig, fissionNamespace, "application=fission-api")
+		value = "http://127.0.0.1:" + localPort
+	} else {
+		value = fissionUrl
+	}
+
 	app := cli.NewApp()
 	app.Author = "Erwin van Eyk"
 	app.Email = "erwin@platform9.com"
@@ -24,7 +36,7 @@ func main() {
 	app.Flags = []cli.Flag{
 		cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:   "url, u",
-			Value:  "http://localhost:31313",
+			Value:  value,
 			EnvVar: "FISSION_URL",
 			Usage:  "Url to the Fission apiserver",
 		},
diff --git a/cmd/wfcli/portforward.go b/cmd/wfcli/portforward.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d556f3dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/wfcli/portforward.go
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+
+	meta_v1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
+	_ "k8s.io/client-go/plugin/pkg/client/auth"
+	_ "k8s.io/client-go/plugin/pkg/client/auth/gcp"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/portforward"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/remotecommand"
+)
+
+func getFissionNamespace() string {
+	fissionNamespace := os.Getenv("FISSION_NAMESPACE")
+	return fissionNamespace
+}
+
+func getKubeConfigPath() string {
+	kubeConfig := os.Getenv("KUBECONFIG")
+	if len(kubeConfig) == 0 {
+		home := os.Getenv("HOME")
+		kubeConfig = filepath.Join(home, ".kube", "config")
+
+		if _, err := os.Stat(kubeConfig); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			panic("Couldn't find kubeconfig file. Set the KUBECONFIG environment variable to your kubeconfig's path.")
+		}
+	}
+	return kubeConfig
+}
+
+func findFreePort() (string, error) {
+	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", ":0")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	port := strconv.Itoa(listener.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port)
+	file, err := listener.(*net.TCPListener).File()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", nil
+	}
+
+	err = listener.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	err = file.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return port, nil
+}
+
+// runPortForward creates a local port forward to the specified pod
+func runPortForward(kubeConfig string, labelSelector string, localPort string, fissionNamespace string) error {
+	config, err := clientcmd.BuildConfigFromFlags("", kubeConfig)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to connect to Kubernetes: %s", err))
+	}
+
+	clientset, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to connect to Kubernetes: %s", err))
+	}
+
+	// if fission namespace is unset, try to find a fission pod in any namespace
+	if len(fissionNamespace) == 0 {
+		fissionNamespace = meta_v1.NamespaceAll
+	}
+
+	// get the pod; if there is more than one, ask the user to disambiguate
+	podList, err := clientset.CoreV1().Pods(fissionNamespace).
+		List(meta_v1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: labelSelector})
+	if err != nil || len(podList.Items) == 0 {
+		panic("Error getting controller pod for port-forwarding")
+	}
+
+	// make a useful error message if there is more than one install
+	if len(podList.Items) > 1 {
+		namespaces := make([]string, 0)
+		for _, p := range podList.Items {
+			namespaces = append(namespaces, p.Namespace)
+		}
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Found %v fission installs, set FISSION_NAMESPACE to one of: %v",
+			len(podList.Items), strings.Join(namespaces, " ")))
+	}
+
+	// pick the first pod
+	podName := podList.Items[0].Name
+	podNameSpace := podList.Items[0].Namespace
+
+	// get the service and the target port
+	svcs, err := clientset.CoreV1().Services(podNameSpace).
+		List(meta_v1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: labelSelector})
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Error getting %v service :%v", labelSelector, err.Error()))
+	}
+	if len(svcs.Items) == 0 {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Service %v not found", labelSelector))
+	}
+	service := &svcs.Items[0]
+
+	var targetPort string
+	for _, servicePort := range service.Spec.Ports {
+		targetPort = servicePort.TargetPort.String()
+	}
+
+	stopChannel := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	readyChannel := make(chan struct{})
+
+	// create request URL
+	req := clientset.CoreV1Client.RESTClient().Post().Resource("pods").
+		Namespace(podNameSpace).Name(podName).SubResource("portforward")
+	url := req.URL()
+
+	// create ports slice
+	portCombo := localPort + ":" + targetPort
+	ports := []string{portCombo}
+
+	// actually start the port-forwarding process here
+	dialer, err := remotecommand.NewExecutor(config, "POST", url)
+	if err != nil {
+		msg := fmt.Sprintf("newexecutor errored out :%v", err.Error())
+		panic(msg)
+	}
+
+	fw, err := portforward.New(dialer, ports, stopChannel, readyChannel, nil, os.Stderr)
+	if err != nil {
+		msg := fmt.Sprintf("portforward.new errored out :%v", err.Error())
+		panic(msg)
+	}
+
+	return fw.ForwardPorts()
+}
+
+// Port forward a free local port to a pod on the cluster. The pod is
+// found in the specified namespace by labelSelector. The pod's port
+// is found by looking for a service in the same namespace and using
+// its targetPort. Once the port forward is started, wait for it to
+// start accepting connections before returning.
+func setupPortForward(kubeConfig, namespace, labelSelector string) string {
+	localPort, err := findFreePort()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Error finding unused port :%v", err.Error()))
+	}
+
+	for {
+		conn, _ := net.DialTimeout("tcp",
+			net.JoinHostPort("", localPort), time.Millisecond)
+		if conn != nil {
+			conn.Close()
+		} else {
+			break
+		}
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 50)
+	}
+
+	go func() {
+		err := runPortForward(kubeConfig, labelSelector, localPort, namespace)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("Error forwarding to controller port: %s", err.Error()))
+		}
+	}()
+
+	for {
+		conn, _ := net.DialTimeout("tcp",
+			net.JoinHostPort("", localPort), time.Millisecond)
+		if conn != nil {
+			conn.Close()
+			break
+		}
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 50)
+	}
+
+	return localPort
+}
diff --git a/glide.lock b/glide.lock
index a75ef377..ff7b1974 100644
--- a/glide.lock
+++ b/glide.lock
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-hash: b9ec998ab73dd238a9e49987eee099c27bf8975385fa1ee2379c9fa98e5a0cf4
-updated: 2018-03-16T16:24:48.132614+01:00
+hash: 19ea3b0c11225444d627f1bdce20680adf473e3764bf4613f08ded1978fc4a71
+updated: 2018-03-21T18:46:59.684912+01:00
 imports:
 - name: cloud.google.com/go
   version: 3b1ae45394a234c385be014e9a488f2bb6eef821
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ imports:
   subpackages:
   - digest
   - reference
+- name: github.com/docker/spdystream
+  version: 449fdfce4d962303d702fec724ef0ad181c92528
+  subpackages:
+  - spdy
 - name: github.com/emicklei/go-restful
   version: ff4f55a206334ef123e4f79bbf348980da81ca46
   subpackages:
@@ -288,7 +292,7 @@ imports:
 - name: gopkg.in/yaml.v2
   version: 7f97868eec74b32b0982dd158a51a446d1da7eb5
 - name: k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver
-  version: fe88520b48a5daf72bc874786850afc7ac1f402d
+  version: c17db11fb5a24436cebfbfccaf2f3b4b69be77ec
   subpackages:
   - pkg/apis/apiextensions
   - pkg/apis/apiextensions/v1beta1
@@ -329,10 +333,13 @@ imports:
   - pkg/util/diff
   - pkg/util/errors
   - pkg/util/framer
+  - pkg/util/httpstream
+  - pkg/util/httpstream/spdy
   - pkg/util/intstr
   - pkg/util/json
   - pkg/util/net
   - pkg/util/rand
+  - pkg/util/remotecommand
   - pkg/util/runtime
   - pkg/util/sets
   - pkg/util/validation
@@ -341,6 +348,7 @@ imports:
   - pkg/util/yaml
   - pkg/version
   - pkg/watch
+  - third_party/forked/golang/netutil
   - third_party/forked/golang/reflect
 - name: k8s.io/client-go
   version: d92e8497f71b7b4e0494e5bd204b48d34bd6f254
@@ -422,8 +430,11 @@ imports:
   - tools/clientcmd/api/latest
   - tools/clientcmd/api/v1
   - tools/metrics
+  - tools/portforward
+  - tools/remotecommand
   - transport
   - util/cert
+  - util/exec
   - util/flowcontrol
   - util/homedir
   - util/integer
diff --git a/hack/codegen-swagger-client.sh b/hack/codegen-swagger-client.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index 84ee2ec3..00000000
--- a/hack/codegen-swagger-client.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-set -e
-
-mkdir -p cmd/wfcli/swagger-client/
-swagger generate client -f api/swagger/apiserver.swagger.json -t cmd/wfcli/swagger-client/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/e2e/utils.sh b/test/e2e/utils.sh
index 13a0cb97..c6982040 100644
--- a/test/e2e/utils.sh
+++ b/test/e2e/utils.sh
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ dump_system_info() {
     echo "--- fission ---"
     fission -v
     echo "--- wfcli ---"
-    wfcli -v
+    wfcli version
     echo "--- End System Info ---"
 }