diff --git a/xarray/backends/api.py b/xarray/backends/api.py
index a322139ff45..4359868feae 100644
--- a/xarray/backends/api.py
+++ b/xarray/backends/api.py
@@ -313,7 +313,10 @@ def maybe_decode_store(store, lock=False):
     return maybe_decode_store(store)
 
 
-def open_dataarray(*args, **kwargs):
+def open_dataarray(filename_or_obj, group=None, decode_cf=True,
+                   mask_and_scale=True, decode_times=True, autoclose=False,
+                   concat_characters=True, decode_coords=True, engine=None,
+                   chunks=None, lock=None, cache=None, drop_variables=None):
     """Open an DataArray from a netCDF file containing a single data variable.
 
     This is designed to read netCDF files with only one data variable. If
@@ -394,7 +397,13 @@ def open_dataarray(*args, **kwargs):
     --------
     open_dataset
     """
-    dataset = open_dataset(*args, **kwargs)
+    dataset = open_dataset(filename_or_obj, group=group, decode_cf=decode_cf,
+                           mask_and_scale=mask_and_scale,
+                           decode_times=decode_times, autoclose=autoclose,
+                           concat_characters=concat_characters,
+                           decode_coords=decode_coords, engine=engine,
+                           chunks=chunks, lock=lock, cache=cache,
+                           drop_variables=drop_variables)
 
     if len(dataset.data_vars) != 1:
         raise ValueError('Given file dataset contains more than one data '