diff --git a/superset/bin/superset b/superset/bin/superset
index 9374e14b596d..95ec5327724f 100755
--- a/superset/bin/superset
+++ b/superset/bin/superset
@@ -34,31 +34,52 @@ class GunicornSupersetApplication(gunicorn.app.base.BaseApplication):
         return app
 
 
-def run_gunicorn():
+def run_server():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Run gunicorn for superset')
     subparsers = parser.add_subparsers()
-    gunicorn_parser = subparsers.add_parser('runserver_gunicorn')
-
-    gunicorn_parser.add_argument('-a', '--address', type=str, default='127.0.0.1')
-    gunicorn_parser.add_argument('-p', '--port', type=int, default=8088)
-    gunicorn_parser.add_argument('-w', '--workers', type=int, default=4)
-    gunicorn_parser.add_argument('-t', '--timeout', type=int, default=30)
+    gunicorn_parser = subparsers.add_parser('runserver')
+
+    gunicorn_parser.add_argument(
+        '-d', '--debug', action='store_true',
+        help='Start the web server in debug mode')
+    gunicorn_parser.add_argument(
+        '-a', '--address', type=str, default='127.0.0.1',
+        help='Specify the address to which to bind the web server')
+    gunicorn_parser.add_argument(
+        '-p', '--port', type=int, default=8088,
+        help='Specify the port on which to run the web server')
+    gunicorn_parser.add_argument(
+        '-w', '--workers', type=int, default=4,
+        help='Number of gunicorn web server workers to fire up')
+    gunicorn_parser.add_argument(
+        '-t', '--timeout', type=int, default=30,
+        help='Specify the timeout (seconds) for the gunicorn web server')
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
-    gunicorn_app_obj = GunicornSupersetApplication(
-        args.address, args.port, args.workers, args.timeout)
-    gunicorn_app_obj.run()
+    if args.debug:
+        from superset import app
 
+        app.run(
+            host='0.0.0.0',
+            port=int(args.port),
+            threaded=True,
+            debug=True)
+    else:
+        gunicorn_app_obj = GunicornSupersetApplication(
+            args.address, args.port, args.workers, args.timeout)
+        gunicorn_app_obj.run()
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == 'runserver_gunicorn':
-        # In the gunicorn case, don't go through manager so that superset
-        # import is deferred until GunicornSupersetApplication.load is called;
-        # this allows for the app to be cleanly forked without running the
-        # gunicorn command-line.
-        run_gunicorn()
+    if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == 'runserver':
+        # In the runserver case, don't go through the manager so that superset
+        # import is deferred until the app is loaded; this allows for the app to be run via pex
+        # and cleanly forked in the gunicorn case.
+        #
+        # TODO: Refactor cli so that gunicorn can be started without first importing superset;
+        # this will allow us to move the runserver logic back into cli module.
+        run_server()
     else:
         from superset.cli import manager
         manager.run()
diff --git a/superset/cli.py b/superset/cli.py
index 8daefb7f8f36..bd99ee66efc3 100755
--- a/superset/cli.py
+++ b/superset/cli.py
@@ -21,48 +21,6 @@
 manager.add_command('db', MigrateCommand)
 
 
-@manager.option(
-    '-d', '--debug', action='store_true',
-    help="Start the web server in debug mode")
-@manager.option(
-    '-a', '--address', default=config.get("SUPERSET_WEBSERVER_ADDRESS"),
-    help="Specify the address to which to bind the web server")
-@manager.option(
-    '-p', '--port', default=config.get("SUPERSET_WEBSERVER_PORT"),
-    help="Specify the port on which to run the web server")
-@manager.option(
-    '-w', '--workers', default=config.get("SUPERSET_WORKERS", 2),
-    help="Number of gunicorn web server workers to fire up")
-@manager.option(
-    '-t', '--timeout', default=config.get("SUPERSET_WEBSERVER_TIMEOUT"),
-    help="Specify the timeout (seconds) for the gunicorn web server")
-def runserver(debug, address, port, timeout, workers):
-    """Starts a Superset web server"""
-    debug = debug or config.get("DEBUG")
-    if debug:
-        app.run(
-            host='0.0.0.0',
-            port=int(port),
-            threaded=True,
-            debug=True)
-    else:
-        print(
-            "DEPRECATED: Please run gunicorn via the "
-            "'runserver_gunicorn' command")
-
-        # TODO(byolken): Remove this and associated manager options.
-        cmd = (
-            "gunicorn "
-            "-w {workers} "
-            "--timeout {timeout} "
-            "-b {address}:{port} "
-            "--limit-request-line 0 "
-            "--limit-request-field_size 0 "
-            "superset:app").format(**locals())
-        print("Starting server with command: " + cmd)
-        Popen(cmd, shell=True).wait()
-
-
 @manager.command
 def init():
     """Inits the Superset application"""