diff --git a/swh/journal/cli.py b/swh/journal/cli.py
--- a/swh/journal/cli.py
+++ b/swh/journal/cli.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 from swh.storage import get_storage
 from swh.objstorage import get_objstorage
 
-from swh.journal.client import JournalClient
+from swh.journal.client import get_journal_client as get_client
 from swh.journal.replay import is_hash_in_bytearray
 from swh.journal.replay import process_replay_objects
 from swh.journal.replay import process_replay_objects_content
@@ -60,13 +60,10 @@
 
 
 def get_journal_client(ctx, **kwargs):
-    conf = ctx.obj["config"].get("journal", {})
-    conf.update({k: v for (k, v) in kwargs.items() if v not in (None, ())})
-    if not conf.get("brokers"):
-        ctx.fail("You must specify at least one kafka broker.")
-    if not isinstance(conf["brokers"], (list, tuple)):
-        conf["brokers"] = [conf["brokers"]]
-    return JournalClient(**conf)
+    try:
+        return get_client(ctx.obj["config"], **kwargs)
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        ctx.fail(exc)
 
 
 @cli.command()
diff --git a/swh/journal/client.py b/swh/journal/client.py
--- a/swh/journal/client.py
+++ b/swh/journal/client.py
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@
 ]
 
 
+def get_journal_client(cfg, **kwargs):
+    conf = cfg.get("journal", {})
+    conf.update({k: v for (k, v) in kwargs.items() if v not in (None, ())})
+    if not conf.get("brokers"):
+        raise ValueError("You must specify at least one kafka broker.")
+    if not isinstance(conf["brokers"], (list, tuple)):
+        conf["brokers"] = [conf["brokers"]]
+    return JournalClient(**conf)
+
+
 def _error_cb(error):
     if error.fatal():
         raise KafkaException(error)