diff --git a/requirements-swh.txt b/requirements-swh.txt
--- a/requirements-swh.txt
+++ b/requirements-swh.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # Add here internal Software Heritage dependencies, one per line.
 swh.core[http]
-swh.journal >= 0.0.27
+swh.journal >= 0.0.31
 swh.model
diff --git a/swh/search/cli.py b/swh/search/cli.py
--- a/swh/search/cli.py
+++ b/swh/search/cli.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 from swh.core import config
 from swh.core.cli import CONTEXT_SETTINGS
-from swh.journal.cli import get_journal_client
+from swh.journal.client import get_journal_client
 
 from . import get_search
 from .journal_client import process_journal_objects
@@ -55,15 +55,34 @@
     "-m",
     default=None,
     type=int,
-    help="Maximum number of objects to replay. Default is to " "run forever.",
+    help="Maximum number of objects to replay. Default is to run forever.",
 )
 @click.pass_context
 def journal_client_objects(ctx, stop_after_objects):
     """Listens for new objects from the SWH Journal, and schedules tasks
     to run relevant indexers (currently, only origin)
     on these new objects."""
+    config = ctx.obj["config"]
+    # Check configuration is fine
+    journal_cfg = config.get("journal")
+    if not journal_cfg:
+        raise ValueError("Configuration is missing the 'journal' key configuration")
+    missing_keys = []
+    mandatory_keys = ["brokers", "prefix", "group_id"]
+    for key in mandatory_keys:
+        if key not in journal_cfg:
+            missing_keys.append(key)
+
+    if missing_keys:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Configuration is missing the following keys: {','.join(missing_keys)}"
+        )
+
     client = get_journal_client(
-        ctx,
+        cls="kafka",
+        brokers=journal_cfg["brokers"],
+        prefix=journal_cfg["prefix"],
+        group_id=journal_cfg["group_id"],
         object_types=["origin", "origin_visit"],
         stop_after_objects=stop_after_objects,
     )
diff --git a/swh/search/tests/test_cli.py b/swh/search/tests/test_cli.py
--- a/swh/search/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/swh/search/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
+import copy
 import tempfile
-from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
+import yaml
+
+import pytest
 
+from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
 from click.testing import CliRunner
 
 from swh.journal.serializers import value_to_kafka
@@ -123,3 +127,36 @@
             "next_page_token": None,
             "results": [{"url": "http://foobar.baz"}],
         }
+
+    def test__journal_client__missing_main_journal_config_key(self):
+        """Missing configuration on journal should raise"""
+        with pytest.raises(
+            ValueError, match="Configuration is missing the 'journal' key"
+        ):
+            invoke(
+                catch_exceptions=False,
+                args=["journal-client", "objects", "--stop-after-objects", "1",],
+                config="",  # missing config will make it raise
+                elasticsearch_host=self._elasticsearch_host,
+            )
+
+    def test__journal_client__missing_journal_config_keys(self):
+        """Missing configuration on journal should raise"""
+        journal_config = yaml.safe_load(
+            JOURNAL_OBJECTS_CONFIG
+        )  # default configuration which is fine
+
+        for key in journal_config["journal"].keys():
+            cfg = copy.deepcopy(journal_config)
+            del cfg["journal"][key]  # make config incomplete
+            yaml_cfg = yaml.dump(cfg)
+
+            with pytest.raises(
+                ValueError, match=f"Configuration is missing the following keys: {key}"
+            ):
+                invoke(
+                    catch_exceptions=False,
+                    args=["journal-client", "objects", "--stop-after-objects", "1",],
+                    config=yaml_cfg,  # incomplete config will make the cli raise
+                    elasticsearch_host=self._elasticsearch_host,
+                )