diff --git a/swh/indexer/cli.py b/swh/indexer/cli.py
--- a/swh/indexer/cli.py
+++ b/swh/indexer/cli.py
@@ -249,7 +249,21 @@
     from swh.journal.client import get_journal_client
     from swh.scheduler import get_scheduler
 
-    scheduler = _get_api(get_scheduler, ctx.obj["config"], "scheduler", scheduler_url)
+    cfg = ctx.obj["config"]
+    journal_cfg = cfg.get("journal")
+
+    if not journal_cfg:
+        raise ValueError("Configuration is missing the 'journal' key")
+
+    scheduler = _get_api(get_scheduler, cfg, "scheduler", scheduler_url)
+
+    brokers = brokers or journal_cfg.get("brokers")
+    prefix = prefix or journal_cfg.get("prefix")
+    group_id = group_id or journal_cfg.get("group_id")
+    origin_metadata_task_type = origin_metadata_task_type or journal_cfg.get(
+        "origin_metadata_task_type"
+    )
+    stop_after_objects = stop_after_objects or journal_cfg.get("stop_after_objects")
 
     client = get_journal_client(
         cls="kafka",