diff --git a/client/commands/init.go b/client/commands/init.go
index fe0109372..a54dbb699 100644
--- a/client/commands/init.go
+++ b/client/commands/init.go
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ var (
 
 //nolint
 const (
-	SeedFlag    = "seed"
-	HashFlag    = "valhash"
-	GenesisFlag = "genesis"
+	SeedFlag      = "seed"
+	HashFlag      = "valhash"
+	GenesisFlag   = "genesis"
+	FlagTrustNode = "trust-node"
 
 	ConfigFile = "config.toml"
 )
@@ -125,6 +126,11 @@ type Runable func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error
 // and the root command sets up viper, which is needed to find the home dir.
 func RequireInit(run Runable) Runable {
 	return func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+		// otherwise, run the wrappped command
+		if viper.GetBool(FlagTrustNode) {
+			return run(cmd, args)
+		}
+
 		// first check if we were Init'ed and if not, return an error
 		root := viper.GetString(cli.HomeFlag)
 		init, err := WasInited(root)
diff --git a/client/commands/proofs/get.go b/client/commands/proofs/get.go
index 34638698c..c3e510b3b 100644
--- a/client/commands/proofs/get.go
+++ b/client/commands/proofs/get.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 func GetAndParseAppProof(key []byte, data interface{}) (lc.Proof, error) {
 	height := GetHeight()
 	node := commands.GetNode()
+
 	prover := proofs.NewAppProver(node)
 
 	proof, err := GetProof(node, prover, key, height)
@@ -43,7 +44,12 @@ func GetProof(node client.Client, prover lc.Prover, key []byte, height int) (pro
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
-	ph := int(proof.BlockHeight())
+
+	// short-circuit with no proofs
+	if viper.GetBool(commands.FlagTrustNode) {
+		return proof, err
+	}
+
 	// here is the certifier, root of all knowledge
 	cert, err := commands.GetCertifier()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -55,6 +61,7 @@ func GetProof(node client.Client, prover lc.Prover, key []byte, height int) (pro
 	// FIXME: cannot use cert.GetByHeight for now, as it also requires
 	// Validators and will fail on querying tendermint for non-current height.
 	// When this is supported, we should use it instead...
+	ph := int(proof.BlockHeight())
 	client.WaitForHeight(node, ph, nil)
 	commit, err := node.Commit(ph)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -96,7 +103,7 @@ func ParseHexKey(args []string, argname string) ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 func GetHeight() int {
-	return viper.GetInt(heightFlag)
+	return viper.GetInt(FlagHeight)
 }
 
 type proof struct {
diff --git a/client/commands/proofs/root.go b/client/commands/proofs/root.go
index 15b49b8c9..b833f3da4 100644
--- a/client/commands/proofs/root.go
+++ b/client/commands/proofs/root.go
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 package proofs
 
-import "github.com/spf13/cobra"
+import (
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/tendermint/basecoin/client/commands"
+)
 
+// nolint
 const (
-	heightFlag = "height"
+	FlagHeight = "height"
 )
 
 // RootCmd represents the base command when called without any subcommands
@@ -19,5 +23,8 @@ data to other peers as needed.
 }
 
 func init() {
-	RootCmd.Flags().Int(heightFlag, 0, "Height to query (skip to use latest block)")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().Int(FlagHeight, 0, "Height to query (skip to use latest block)")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().Bool(commands.FlagTrustNode, false,
+		"DANGEROUS: blindly trust all results from the server")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().MarkHidden(commands.FlagTrustNode)
 }
diff --git a/tests/cli/basictx.sh b/tests/cli/basictx.sh
index dadc833c7..1831f76f7 100755
--- a/tests/cli/basictx.sh
+++ b/tests/cli/basictx.sh
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ test02SendTxWithFee() {
     # assert replay protection
     TX=$(echo qwertyuiop | ${CLIENT_EXE} tx send --amount=90mycoin --fee=10mycoin --sequence=2 --to=$RECV --name=$RICH 2>/dev/null)
     assertFalse "line=${LINENO}, replay: $TX" $?
+
+    # checking normally
     checkAccount $SENDER "9007199254739900"
     checkAccount $RECV "1082"
 
@@ -80,6 +82,18 @@ test02SendTxWithFee() {
     if assertTrue "line=${LINENO}, no nonce query" $?; then
         assertEquals "line=${LINENO}, proper nonce" "2" $(echo $NONCE | jq .data)
     fi
+
+    # make sure this works without trust also
+    OLD_BC_HOME=$BC_HOME
+    export BC_HOME=/foo
+    export BC_TRUST_NODE=1
+    export BC_NODE=localhost:46657
+    checkSendFeeTx $HASH $TX_HEIGHT $SENDER "90" "10"
+    checkAccount $SENDER "9007199254739900"
+    checkAccount $RECV "1082"
+    unset BC_TRUST_NODE
+    unset BC_NODE
+    export BC_HOME=$OLD_BC_HOME
 }