diff --git a/components/cli/command/plugin/inspect.go b/components/cli/command/plugin/inspect.go
index 13c7fa72d8..46ec7b229b 100644
--- a/components/cli/command/plugin/inspect.go
+++ b/components/cli/command/plugin/inspect.go
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 package plugin
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command/inspect"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/reference"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 )
@@ -20,7 +17,7 @@ func newInspectCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
 	var opts inspectOptions
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "inspect [OPTIONS] PLUGIN [PLUGIN...]",
+		Use:   "inspect [OPTIONS] PLUGIN|ID [PLUGIN|ID...]",
 		Short: "Display detailed information on one or more plugins",
 		Args:  cli.RequiresMinArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
@@ -37,20 +34,8 @@ func newInspectCommand(dockerCli *command.DockerCli) *cobra.Command {
 func runInspect(dockerCli *command.DockerCli, opts inspectOptions) error {
 	client := dockerCli.Client()
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	getRef := func(name string) (interface{}, []byte, error) {
-		named, err := reference.ParseNamed(name) // FIXME: validate
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, err
-		}
-		if reference.IsNameOnly(named) {
-			named = reference.WithDefaultTag(named)
-		}
-		ref, ok := named.(reference.NamedTagged)
-		if !ok {
-			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid name: %s", named.String())
-		}
-
-		return client.PluginInspectWithRaw(ctx, ref.String())
+	getRef := func(ref string) (interface{}, []byte, error) {
+		return client.PluginInspectWithRaw(ctx, ref)
 	}
 
 	return inspect.Inspect(dockerCli.Out(), opts.pluginNames, opts.format, getRef)