diff --git a/tools/enumerate-devices/rs-enumerate-devices.cpp b/tools/enumerate-devices/rs-enumerate-devices.cpp
index efe8a36789..4d78751f82 100644
--- a/tools/enumerate-devices/rs-enumerate-devices.cpp
+++ b/tools/enumerate-devices/rs-enumerate-devices.cpp
@@ -358,8 +358,11 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) try
     json settings;
 #ifdef BUILD_WITH_DDS
     json dds;
-    dds["domain"] = domain_arg.getValue();
-    settings["dds"] = std::move( dds ); 
+    if( domain_arg.isSet() )
+        dds["domain"] = domain_arg.getValue();
+    if( only_sw_arg.isSet() )
+        dds["enabled"] = true;  // override global dds:false or dds/enabled:false, if any
+    settings["dds"] = std::move( dds );
 #endif
     settings["format-conversion"] = format_arg.getValue();
     context ctx( settings.dump() );
diff --git a/tools/realsense-viewer/realsense-viewer.cpp b/tools/realsense-viewer/realsense-viewer.cpp
index d725ac99b7..c0f1c59756 100644
--- a/tools/realsense-viewer/realsense-viewer.cpp
+++ b/tools/realsense-viewer/realsense-viewer.cpp
@@ -332,9 +332,12 @@ int main(int argc, const char** argv) try
 
     std::shared_ptr<device_models_list> device_models = std::make_shared<device_models_list>();
 
-    nlohmann::json settings;
+    nlohmann::json settings = nlohmann::json::object();
     if( only_sw_arg.getValue() )
+    {
+        settings["dds"]["enabled"] = true;  // override global dds:false or dds/enabled:false, if any
         settings["device-mask"] = RS2_PRODUCT_LINE_SW_ONLY | RS2_PRODUCT_LINE_ANY;
+    }
 
     context ctx( settings.dump() );
     ux_window window("Intel RealSense Viewer", ctx);
diff --git a/tools/terminal/rs-terminal.cpp b/tools/terminal/rs-terminal.cpp
index cc38a50145..3525e6d4dd 100644
--- a/tools/terminal/rs-terminal.cpp
+++ b/tools/terminal/rs-terminal.cpp
@@ -200,7 +200,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     nlohmann::json settings;
 #ifdef BUILD_WITH_DDS
     nlohmann::json dds;
-    dds["domain"] = domain_arg.getValue();
+    if( domain_arg.isSet() )
+        dds["domain"] = domain_arg.getValue();
+    if( only_sw_arg.isSet() )
+        dds["enabled"] = true;  // override global dds:false or dds/enabled:false, if any
     settings["dds"] = std::move( dds );
 #endif
     if( only_sw_arg.getValue() )