diff --git a/src/tools/pw-dump.c b/src/tools/pw-dump.c
index 3adfddf09..f2b7b3ba5 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-dump.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-dump.c
@@ -1608,7 +1608,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote ? opt_remote :
+					("[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]"),
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-mon.c b/src/tools/pw-mon.c
index 64a8642c9..9fa9e6c13 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-mon.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-mon.c
@@ -860,7 +860,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote ? opt_remote :
+					("[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]"),
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-top.c b/src/tools/pw-top.c
index 6b83dcf36..50a0a5a98 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-top.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-top.c
@@ -836,7 +836,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote ? opt_remote :
+					("[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]"),
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {