diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index d206f9595a..2774408cde 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
     "@iov/encoding": "^2.1.0",
     "@iov/utils": "^2.0.2",
     "argparse": "^1.0.10",
+    "axios": "^0.19.2",
     "babylon": "^6.18.0",
     "colors": "^1.3.3",
     "diff": "^4",
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/cli.ts b/packages/cli/src/cli.ts
index 9c653c3182..f8dd80956e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/cli.ts
@@ -111,8 +111,7 @@ export function main(originalArgs: readonly string[]): void {
 
   console.info(colors.green("Initializing session for you. Have fun!"));
   console.info(colors.yellow("Available imports:"));
-  console.info(colors.yellow("  * http"));
-  console.info(colors.yellow("  * https"));
+  console.info(colors.yellow("  * axios"));
   console.info(colors.yellow("  * fs"));
   for (const [moduleName, symbols] of imports.entries()) {
     console.info(colors.yellow(`  * from ${moduleName}: ${symbols.join(", ")}`));
@@ -130,8 +129,7 @@ export function main(originalArgs: readonly string[]): void {
   console.info(colors.yellow(`  * helper functions: ${encodingHelpers.join(", ")}`));
 
   let init = `
-    import * as http from 'http';
-    import * as https from 'https';
+    import axios from "axios";
     import * as fs from "fs";
   `;
   for (const [moduleName, symbols] of imports.entries()) {
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index c988b04d67..5d8fe983c3 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1747,7 +1747,7 @@ aws4@^1.8.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/aws4/-/aws4-1.9.1.tgz#7e33d8f7d449b3f673cd72deb9abdc552dbe528e"
   integrity sha512-wMHVg2EOHaMRxbzgFJ9gtjOOCrI80OHLG14rxi28XwOW8ux6IiEbRCGGGqCtdAIg4FQCbW20k9RsT4y3gJlFug==
 
-axios@^0.19.0:
+axios@^0.19.0, axios@^0.19.2:
   version "0.19.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/axios/-/axios-0.19.2.tgz#3ea36c5d8818d0d5f8a8a97a6d36b86cdc00cb27"
   integrity sha512-fjgm5MvRHLhx+osE2xoekY70AhARk3a6hkN+3Io1jc00jtquGvxYlKlsFUhmUET0V5te6CcZI7lcv2Ym61mjHA==