diff --git a/cmd/basecoin/main.go b/cmd/basecoin/main.go
index fec7c7947..30510223b 100644
--- a/cmd/basecoin/main.go
+++ b/cmd/basecoin/main.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func loadGenesis(filePath string) (kvz []KeyValue) {
 	if len(kvz_)%2 != 0 {
 		Exit("genesis cannot have an odd number of items.  Format = [key1, value1, key2, value2, ...]")
 	}
-	for i := 0; i < len(kvz_)/2; i++ {
+	for i := 0; i < len(kvz_); i += 2 {
 		keyIfc := kvz_[i]
 		valueIfc := kvz_[i+1]
 		var key, value string
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func loadGenesis(filePath string) (kvz []KeyValue) {
 		if value_, ok := valueIfc.(string); ok {
 			value = value_
 		} else {
-			valueBytes, err := json.Marshal(value_)
+			valueBytes, err := json.Marshal(valueIfc)
 			if err != nil {
 				Exit(Fmt("genesis had invalid value %v: %v", value_, err.Error()))
 			}