diff --git a/lib/cluster.js b/lib/cluster.js
index 4f8fb8c45e7..83dd3808594 100644
--- a/lib/cluster.js
+++ b/lib/cluster.js
@@ -214,13 +214,7 @@ function masterInit() {
   cluster.workers = {};
 
   var intercom = new EventEmitter;
-  var settings = {
-    args: process.argv.slice(2),
-    exec: process.argv[1],
-    execArgv: process.execArgv,
-    silent: false
-  };
-  cluster.settings = settings;
+  cluster.settings = {};
 
   // XXX(bnoordhuis) Fold cluster.schedulingPolicy into cluster.settings?
   var schedulingPolicy = {
@@ -247,6 +241,12 @@ function masterInit() {
   cluster.setupMaster = function(options) {
     if (initialized === true) return;
     initialized = true;
+    var settings = {
+      args: process.argv.slice(2),
+      exec: process.argv[1],
+      execArgv: process.execArgv,
+      silent: false
+    };
     settings = util._extend(settings, options || {});
     // Tell V8 to write profile data for each process to a separate file.
     // Without --logfile=v8-%p.log, everything ends up in a single, unusable
@@ -282,10 +282,10 @@ function masterInit() {
     var workerEnv = util._extend({}, process.env);
     workerEnv = util._extend(workerEnv, env);
     workerEnv.NODE_UNIQUE_ID = '' + worker.id;
-    worker.process = fork(settings.exec, settings.args, {
+    worker.process = fork(cluster.settings.exec, cluster.settings.args, {
       env: workerEnv,
-      silent: settings.silent,
-      execArgv: createWorkerExecArgv(settings.execArgv, worker)
+      silent: cluster.settings.silent,
+      execArgv: createWorkerExecArgv(cluster.settings.execArgv, worker)
     });
     worker.process.once('exit', function(exitCode, signalCode) {
       worker.suicide = !!worker.suicide;