diff --git a/cmd/gateway_sync.go b/cmd/gateway_sync.go
index 11e236ca6..f207756bd 100644
--- a/cmd/gateway_sync.go
+++ b/cmd/gateway_sync.go
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ func newSyncCmd(deprecated bool) *cobra.Command {
 	execute := executeSync
 	argsValidator := cobra.MinimumNArgs(0)
 	preRun := func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-		diffCmdKongStateFile = args
-		if len(diffCmdKongStateFile) == 0 {
-			diffCmdKongStateFile = []string{"-"}
+		syncCmdKongStateFile = args
+		if len(syncCmdKongStateFile) == 0 {
+			syncCmdKongStateFile = []string{"-"}
 		}
 		return preRunSilenceEventsFlag()
 	}
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func newSyncCmd(deprecated bool) *cobra.Command {
 		}
 		argsValidator = validateNoArgs
 		preRun = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			if len(diffCmdKongStateFile) == 0 {
+			if len(syncCmdKongStateFile) == 0 {
 				return fmt.Errorf("a state file with Kong's configuration " +
 					"must be specified using `-s`/`--state` flag")
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/gateway_validate.go b/cmd/gateway_validate.go
index 8903171a7..30e478570 100644
--- a/cmd/gateway_validate.go
+++ b/cmd/gateway_validate.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ and alerts if there are broken relationships, or missing links present.
 
 	if deprecated {
 		use = "validate"
-		short = "[deprecated] use 'gateway validate' instead"
+		short = "[deprecated] use 'gateway validate' or 'file validate' instead"
 		long = `The validate command reads the state file and ensures validity.
 It reads all the specified state files and reports YAML/JSON
 parsing issues. It also checks for foreign relationships