diff --git a/server/start.go b/server/start.go
index 5a9cd0500..7d7b40e46 100644
--- a/server/start.go
+++ b/server/start.go
@@ -20,18 +20,23 @@ import (
 
 // Tendermint full-node start flags
 const (
-	flagWithTendermint     = "with-tendermint"
-	flagAddress            = "address"
-	flagTraceStore         = "trace-store"
-	flagPruning            = "pruning"
-	flagCPUProfile         = "cpu-profile"
-	FlagMinGasPrices       = "minimum-gas-prices"
-	FlagHaltHeight         = "halt-height"
-	FlagHaltTime           = "halt-time"
-	FlagInterBlockCache    = "inter-block-cache"
-	FlagUnsafeSkipUpgrades = "unsafe-skip-upgrades"
+	flagWithTendermint       = "with-tendermint"
+	flagAddress              = "address"
+	flagTraceStore           = "trace-store"
+	flagPruning              = "pruning"
+	flagPruningKeepEvery     = "pruning-keep-every"
+	flagPruningSnapshotEvery = "pruning-snapshot-every"
+	flagCPUProfile           = "cpu-profile"
+	FlagMinGasPrices         = "minimum-gas-prices"
+	FlagHaltHeight           = "halt-height"
+	FlagHaltTime             = "halt-time"
+	FlagInterBlockCache      = "inter-block-cache"
+	FlagUnsafeSkipUpgrades   = "unsafe-skip-upgrades"
 )
 
+var errPruningWithGranularOptions = fmt.Errorf("%s flag is not compatible with granular options as %s or %s", flagPruning, flagPruningKeepEvery, flagPruningSnapshotEvery)
+var errPruningGranularOptions = fmt.Errorf("%s and %s must be set together", flagPruningSnapshotEvery, flagPruningKeepEvery)
+
 // StartCmd runs the service passed in, either stand-alone or in-process with
 // Tendermint.
 func StartCmd(ctx *Context, appCreator AppCreator) *cobra.Command {
@@ -56,6 +61,21 @@ will not be able to commit subsequent blocks.
 For profiling and benchmarking purposes, CPU profiling can be enabled via the '--cpu-profile' flag
 which accepts a path for the resulting pprof file.
 `,
+		PreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			if viper.IsSet(flagPruning) {
+				if viper.IsSet(flagPruningKeepEvery) || viper.IsSet(flagPruningSnapshotEvery) {
+					return errPruningWithGranularOptions
+				}
+
+				return nil
+			}
+
+			if !(viper.IsSet(flagPruningKeepEvery) && viper.IsSet(flagPruningSnapshotEvery)) {
+				return errPruningGranularOptions
+			}
+
+			return nil
+		},
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			if !viper.GetBool(flagWithTendermint) {
 				ctx.Logger.Info("starting ABCI without Tendermint")
diff --git a/server/start_test.go b/server/start_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd7c6b6ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/start_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestPruningOptions(t *testing.T) {
+	startCommand := StartCmd(nil, nil)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		paramInit   func()
+		returnsErr  bool
+		expectedErr error
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "only keep-every provided",
+			paramInit: func() {
+				viper.Set(flagPruningKeepEvery, 12345)
+			},
+			returnsErr:  true,
+			expectedErr: errPruningGranularOptions,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "only snapshot-every provided",
+			paramInit: func() {
+				viper.Set(flagPruningSnapshotEvery, 12345)
+			},
+			returnsErr:  true,
+			expectedErr: errPruningGranularOptions,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "pruning flag with other granular options 1",
+			paramInit: func() {
+				viper.Set(flagPruning, "set")
+				viper.Set(flagPruningSnapshotEvery, 1234)
+			},
+			returnsErr:  true,
+			expectedErr: errPruningWithGranularOptions,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "pruning flag with other granular options 2",
+			paramInit: func() {
+				viper.Set(flagPruning, "set")
+				viper.Set(flagPruningKeepEvery, 1234)
+			},
+			returnsErr:  true,
+			expectedErr: errPruningWithGranularOptions,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "pruning flag with other granular options 3",
+			paramInit: func() {
+				viper.Set(flagPruning, "set")
+				viper.Set(flagPruningKeepEvery, 1234)
+				viper.Set(flagPruningSnapshotEvery, 1234)
+			},
+			returnsErr:  true,
+			expectedErr: errPruningWithGranularOptions,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "only prunning set",
+			paramInit: func() {
+				viper.Set(flagPruning, "set")
+			},
+			returnsErr:  false,
+			expectedErr: nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "only granular set",
+			paramInit: func() {
+				viper.Set(flagPruningSnapshotEvery, 12345)
+				viper.Set(flagPruningKeepEvery, 12345)
+			},
+			returnsErr:  false,
+			expectedErr: nil,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		viper.Reset()
+		tt.paramInit()
+
+		err := startCommand.PreRunE(nil, nil)
+
+		if tt.returnsErr {
+			require.EqualError(t, err, tt.expectedErr.Error())
+		} else {
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+		}
+	}
+}