diff --git a/pdc_client/plugins/component.py b/pdc_client/plugins/component.py
index 9d7c1bf7..54e80dfe 100644
--- a/pdc_client/plugins/component.py
+++ b/pdc_client/plugins/component.py
@@ -32,12 +32,12 @@ def register(self):
 
         subcmd = self.add_admin_command('global-component-create',
                                         help='create new global component')
-        self.add_global_component_arguments(subcmd)
+        self.add_global_component_arguments(subcmd, required=True)
         subcmd.set_defaults(func=self.global_component_create)
 
-    def add_global_component_arguments(self, parser):
+    def add_global_component_arguments(self, parser, required=False):
         add_parser_arguments(parser, {
-            'name': {},
+            'name': {'required': required},
             'dist_git_path': {}}
         )
         add_parser_arguments(parser, {
@@ -135,21 +135,21 @@ def register(self):
 
         subcmd = self.add_admin_command('release-component-create',
                                         help='create new release')
-        self.add_release_component_arguments(subcmd)
-        subcmd.add_argument('--release', dest='release')
-        subcmd.add_argument('--global-component', dest='global_component')
+        self.add_release_component_arguments(subcmd, required=True)
+        subcmd.add_argument('--release', dest='release', required=True)
+        subcmd.add_argument('--global-component', dest='global_component', required=True)
         subcmd.set_defaults(func=self.release_component_create)
 
     def add_include_inactive_release_argument(self, parser):
         parser.add_argument('--include-inactive-release', action='store_true',
                             help='show component(s) in both active and inactive releases')
 
-    def add_release_component_arguments(self, parser):
+    def add_release_component_arguments(self, parser, required=False):
         group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
         group.add_argument('--activate', action='store_const', const=True, dest='active')
         group.add_argument('--deactivate', action='store_const', const=False, dest='active')
         add_parser_arguments(parser, {
-            'name': {},
+            'name': {'required': required},
             'dist_git_branch': {},
             'bugzilla_component': {},
             'brew_package': {},
diff --git a/pdc_client/plugins/release.py b/pdc_client/plugins/release.py
index f37a2e15..5296a74f 100644
--- a/pdc_client/plugins/release.py
+++ b/pdc_client/plugins/release.py
@@ -31,19 +31,19 @@ def register(self):
 
         subcmd = self.add_admin_command('release-create',
                                         help='create new release')
-        self.add_release_arguments(subcmd)
+        self.add_release_arguments(subcmd, required=True)
         subcmd.set_defaults(func=self.release_create)
 
-    def add_release_arguments(self, parser):
+    def add_release_arguments(self, parser, required=False):
         group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
         group.add_argument('--activate', action='store_const', const=True, dest='active')
         group.add_argument('--deactivate', action='store_const', const=False, dest='active')
         add_parser_arguments(parser, {
-            'version': {},
-            'short': {},
-            'release_type': {},
+            'version': {'required': required},
+            'short': {'required': required},
+            'release_type': {'required': required},
             'product_version': {},
-            'name': {},
+            'name': {'required': required},
             'base_product': {},
             'bugzilla__product': {'arg': 'bugzilla-product'},
             'dist_git__branch': {'arg': 'dist-git-branch'}})
diff --git a/pdc_client/plugins/rpm.py b/pdc_client/plugins/rpm.py
index 212e8f2a..fb9331c5 100644
--- a/pdc_client/plugins/rpm.py
+++ b/pdc_client/plugins/rpm.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def register(self):
 
         subcmd = self.add_admin_command('rpm-create',
                                         help='create new RPM')
-        self.add_rpm_arguments(subcmd)
+        self.add_rpm_arguments(subcmd, required=True)
         subcmd.set_defaults(func=self.rpm_create)
 
         subcmd = self.add_admin_command('rpm-update',
@@ -35,16 +35,16 @@ def register(self):
         self.add_rpm_arguments(subcmd)
         subcmd.set_defaults(func=self.rpm_update)
 
-    def add_rpm_arguments(self, parser):
+    def add_rpm_arguments(self, parser, required=False):
         add_parser_arguments(parser, {
-            'arch': {},
-            'epoch': {'type': int},
+            'arch': {'required': required},
+            'epoch': {'type': int, 'required': required},
             'filename': {},
-            'name': {},
-            'release': {},
-            'srpm_name': {},
+            'name': {'required': required},
+            'release': {'required': required},
+            'srpm_name': {'required': required},
             'srpm_nevra': {},
-            'version': {},
+            'version': {'required': required},
             'linked_releases': {'nargs': '*', 'metavar': 'RELEASE_ID'}})
         add_parser_arguments(parser, {
             'dependencies__requires': {'nargs': '*', 'metavar': 'DEPENDENCY', 'arg': 'requires'},
diff --git a/pdc_client/tests/rpm/tests.py b/pdc_client/tests/rpm/tests.py
index a93b001a..d2547c95 100644
--- a/pdc_client/tests/rpm/tests.py
+++ b/pdc_client/tests/rpm/tests.py
@@ -90,9 +90,10 @@ def test_create(self, api):
                              '--srpm-name', 'bash',
                              '--epoch', '0',
                              '--version', '4.3.42',
+                             '--arch', 'x86_64',
                              '--release', '1'])
         self.assertEqual(api.calls['rpms'],
-                         [('POST', {'name': 'bash', 'srpm_name': 'bash',
+                         [('POST', {'name': 'bash', 'srpm_name': 'bash', 'arch': 'x86_64',
                                     'epoch': 0, 'version': '4.3.42', 'release': '1'})])
         self.assertEqual(api.calls['rpms/1'],
                          [('GET', {})])