diff --git a/cmd/gaiacli/main.go b/cmd/gaiacli/main.go
index dce125acb..0eb29c19c 100644
--- a/cmd/gaiacli/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gaiacli/main.go
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ const (
 	flagFee    = "fee"
 )
 
-// gaiacliCmd is the entry point for this binary
+// rootCmd is the entry point for this binary
 var (
-	gaiacliCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "gaiacli",
 		Short: "Gaia light-client",
 	}
@@ -54,16 +54,16 @@ func main() {
 	cobra.EnableCommandSorting = false
 
 	// generic client commands
-	AddClientCommands(gaiacliCmd)
+	AddClientCommands(rootCmd)
 	// query commands (custom to binary)
-	gaiacliCmd.AddCommand(
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(
 		GetCommands(getAccountCmd)...)
 	// post tx commands (custom to binary)
-	gaiacliCmd.AddCommand(
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(
 		PostCommands(postSendCommand())...)
 
 	// add proxy, version and key info
-	gaiacliCmd.AddCommand(
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(
 		lineBreak,
 		serveCommand(),
 		KeyCommands(),
@@ -72,6 +72,6 @@ func main() {
 	)
 
 	// prepare and add flags
-	executor := cli.PrepareBaseCmd(gaiacliCmd, "GA", os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.gaiacli"))
+	executor := cli.PrepareBaseCmd(rootCmd, "GA", os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.gaiacli"))
 	executor.Execute()
 }
diff --git a/cmd/gaiad/main.go b/cmd/gaiad/main.go
index f42452135..d5f2311e4 100644
--- a/cmd/gaiad/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gaiad/main.go
@@ -1,95 +1,63 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 
 	abci "github.com/tendermint/abci/types"
-	tcmd "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/cmd/tendermint/commands"
-	cfg "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/config"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/cli"
-	tmflags "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/cli/flags"
-	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
+	dbm "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/db"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
 
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/baseapp"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/examples/basecoin/app"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server"
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/version"
 )
 
-// gaiadCmd is the entry point for this binary
+// rootCmd is the entry point for this binary
 var (
-	context  = server.NewContext(nil, nil)
-	gaiadCmd = &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "gaiad",
-		Short: "Gaia Daemon (server)",
-		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			if cmd.Name() == version.VersionCmd.Name() {
-				return nil
-			}
-			config, err := tcmd.ParseConfig()
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			logger := log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout))
-			logger, err = tmflags.ParseLogLevel(config.LogLevel, logger, cfg.DefaultLogLevel())
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			if viper.GetBool(cli.TraceFlag) {
-				logger = log.NewTracingLogger(logger)
-			}
-			logger = logger.With("module", "main")
-			context.Config = config
-			context.Logger = logger
-			return nil
-		},
+	context = server.NewContext(nil, nil)
+	rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
+		Use:               "gaiad",
+		Short:             "Gaia Daemon (server)",
+		PersistentPreRunE: server.PersistentPreRunEFn(context),
 	}
 )
 
-// defaultOptions sets up the app_options for the
-// default genesis file
-func defaultOptions(args []string) (json.RawMessage, string, cmn.HexBytes, error) {
-	addr, secret, err := server.GenerateCoinKey()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, "", nil, err
-	}
-	fmt.Println("Secret phrase to access coins:")
-	fmt.Println(secret)
-
-	opts := fmt.Sprintf(`{
-      "accounts": [{
-        "address": "%s",
-        "coins": [
-          {
-            "denom": "mycoin",
-            "amount": 9007199254740992
-          }
-        ]
-      }]
-    }`, addr)
-	return json.RawMessage(opts), secret, addr, nil
-}
-
+// TODO: distinguish from basecoin
 func generateApp(rootDir string, logger log.Logger) (abci.Application, error) {
-	// TODO: set this to something real
-	app := new(baseapp.BaseApp)
-	return app, nil
+	dataDir := filepath.Join(rootDir, "data")
+	dbMain, err := dbm.NewGoLevelDB("gaia", dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	dbAcc, err := dbm.NewGoLevelDB("gaia-acc", dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	dbIBC, err := dbm.NewGoLevelDB("gaia-ibc", dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	dbStaking, err := dbm.NewGoLevelDB("gaia-staking", dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	dbs := map[string]dbm.DB{
+		"main":    dbMain,
+		"acc":     dbAcc,
+		"ibc":     dbIBC,
+		"staking": dbStaking,
+	}
+	bapp := app.NewBasecoinApp(logger, dbs)
+	return bapp, nil
 }
 
 func main() {
-	gaiadCmd.AddCommand(
-		server.InitCmd(defaultOptions, context),
-		server.StartCmd(generateApp, context),
-		server.UnsafeResetAllCmd(context),
-		version.VersionCmd,
-	)
+	server.AddCommands(rootCmd, server.DefaultGenAppState, generateApp, context)
 
 	// prepare and add flags
-	executor := cli.PrepareBaseCmd(gaiadCmd, "GA", os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.gaiad"))
+	executor := cli.PrepareBaseCmd(rootCmd, "GA", os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.gaiad"))
 	executor.Execute()
 }