diff --git a/examples/democoin/cmd/democoind/main.go b/examples/democoin/cmd/democoind/main.go
index 0bb84c146..e74b3b700 100644
--- a/examples/democoin/cmd/democoind/main.go
+++ b/examples/democoin/cmd/democoind/main.go
@@ -29,20 +29,24 @@ func CoolAppGenState(cdc *wire.Codec, appGenTxs []json.RawMessage) (appState jso
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
+
 	key := "cool"
 	value := json.RawMessage(`{
         "trend": "ice-cold"
       }`)
-	appState, err = server.AppendJSON(cdc, appState, key, value)
+
+	appState, err = server.InsertKeyJSON(cdc, appState, key, value)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
+
 	key = "pow"
 	value = json.RawMessage(`{
         "difficulty": 1,
         "count": 0
       }`)
-	appState, err = server.AppendJSON(cdc, appState, key, value)
+
+	appState, err = server.InsertKeyJSON(cdc, appState, key, value)
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/server/init.go b/server/init.go
index 0cc99e79f..3c9186fba 100644
--- a/server/init.go
+++ b/server/init.go
@@ -332,32 +332,20 @@ func readOrCreatePrivValidator(tmConfig *cfg.Config) crypto.PubKey {
 	return privValidator.GetPubKey()
 }
 
-// create the genesis file
+// writeGenesisFile creates and writes the genesis configuration to disk. An
+// error is returned if building or writing the configuration to file fails.
 func writeGenesisFile(cdc *wire.Codec, genesisFile, chainID string, validators []tmtypes.GenesisValidator, appState json.RawMessage) error {
 	genDoc := tmtypes.GenesisDoc{
-		ChainID:    chainID,
-		Validators: validators,
+		ChainID:      chainID,
+		Validators:   validators,
+		AppStateJSON: appState,
 	}
+
 	if err := genDoc.ValidateAndComplete(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := genDoc.SaveAs(genesisFile); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return addAppStateToGenesis(cdc, genesisFile, appState)
-}
 
-// Add one line to the genesis file
-func addAppStateToGenesis(cdc *wire.Codec, genesisConfigPath string, appState json.RawMessage) error {
-	bz, err := ioutil.ReadFile(genesisConfigPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	out, err := AppendJSON(cdc, bz, "app_state", appState)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return ioutil.WriteFile(genesisConfigPath, out, 0600)
+	return genDoc.SaveAs(genesisFile)
 }
 
 //_____________________________________________________________________
diff --git a/server/util.go b/server/util.go
index d1ad001c5..0f1816b16 100644
--- a/server/util.go
+++ b/server/util.go
@@ -123,15 +123,21 @@ func AddCommands(
 
 //___________________________________________________________________________________
 
-// append a new json field to existing json message
-func AppendJSON(cdc *wire.Codec, baseJSON []byte, key string, value json.RawMessage) (appended []byte, err error) {
+// InsertKeyJSON inserts a new JSON field/key with a given value to an existing
+// JSON message. An error is returned if any serialization operation fails.
+//
+// NOTE: The ordering of the keys returned as the resulting JSON message is
+// non-deterministic, so the client should not rely on key ordering.
+func InsertKeyJSON(cdc *wire.Codec, baseJSON []byte, key string, value json.RawMessage) ([]byte, error) {
 	var jsonMap map[string]json.RawMessage
-	err = cdc.UnmarshalJSON(baseJSON, &jsonMap)
-	if err != nil {
+
+	if err := cdc.UnmarshalJSON(baseJSON, &jsonMap); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+
 	jsonMap[key] = value
 	bz, err := wire.MarshalJSONIndent(cdc, jsonMap)
+
 	return json.RawMessage(bz), err
 }
 
diff --git a/server/util_test.go b/server/util_test.go
index 8f1ab21db..6082caa2c 100644
--- a/server/util_test.go
+++ b/server/util_test.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
-func TestAppendJSON(t *testing.T) {
+func TestInsertKeyJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	cdc := wire.NewCodec()
 
 	foo := map[string]string{"foo": "foofoo"}
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func TestAppendJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	barRaw := json.RawMessage(bz)
 
 	// make the append
-	appBz, err := AppendJSON(cdc, fooRaw, "barOuter", barRaw)
+	appBz, err := InsertKeyJSON(cdc, fooRaw, "barOuter", barRaw)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// test the append