diff --git a/src/cli/commands/add.js b/src/cli/commands/add.js
index a76ba3a7f8..3bfe6f9866 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/add.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/add.js
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ module.exports = {
     argv.resolve((async () => {
       const ipfs = await argv.getIpfs()
       const options = {
-        strategy: argv.trickle ? 'trickle' : 'balanced',
+        trickle: argv.trickle,
         shardSplitThreshold: argv.enableShardingExperiment
           ? argv.shardSplitThreshold
           : Infinity,
diff --git a/src/core/components/files-regular/add-async-iterator.js b/src/core/components/files-regular/add-async-iterator.js
index c5ab26bb38..e138a1cd66 100644
--- a/src/core/components/files-regular/add-async-iterator.js
+++ b/src/core/components/files-regular/add-async-iterator.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ module.exports = function (self) {
         ? 1000
         : Infinity
     }, options, {
+      strategy: 'balanced',
       chunker: chunkerOptions.chunker,
       chunkerOptions: chunkerOptions.chunkerOptions
     })
@@ -30,6 +31,12 @@ module.exports = function (self) {
       opts.cidVersion = 1
     }
 
+    if (opts.trickle) {
+      opts.strategy = 'trickle'
+    }
+
+    delete opts.trickle
+
     let total = 0
 
     const prog = opts.progress || noop
diff --git a/src/http/api/resources/files-regular.js b/src/http/api/resources/files-regular.js
index 4aadc8f041..d71842b3ac 100644
--- a/src/http/api/resources/files-regular.js
+++ b/src/http/api/resources/files-regular.js
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ exports.add = {
           wrapWithDirectory: request.query['wrap-with-directory'],
           pin: request.query.pin,
           chunker: request.query.chunker,
-          strategy: request.query.trickle ? 'trickle' : 'balanced',
+          trickle: request.query.trickle,
           preload: request.query.preload
         })
       },