diff --git a/client/commands/proofs/get.go b/client/commands/proofs/get.go
index 645aba47d..b200c92c6 100644
--- a/client/commands/proofs/get.go
+++ b/client/commands/proofs/get.go
@@ -18,13 +18,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tendermint/basecoin/client/commands"
 )
 
-// Get does most of the work of the query commands, but is quite
-// opinionated, so if you want more control, set up the items and call Get
-// directly.  Notably, it always uses go-wire.ReadBinaryBytes to deserialize,
-// and Height and Node from standard flags.
+// GetParsed does most of the work of the query commands, but is quite
+// opinionated, so if you want more control about parsing, call Get
+// directly.
 //
 // It will try to get the proof for the given key.  If it is successful,
-// it will return the proof and also unserialize proof.Data into the data
+// it will return the height and also unserialize proof.Data into the data
 // argument (so pass in a pointer to the appropriate struct)
 func GetParsed(key []byte, data interface{}, prove bool) (uint64, error) {
 	bs, h, err := Get(key, prove)
@@ -38,6 +37,14 @@ func GetParsed(key []byte, data interface{}, prove bool) (uint64, error) {
 	return h, nil
 }
 
+// Get queries the given key and returns the value stored there and the
+// height we checked at.
+//
+// If prove is true (and why shouldn't it be?),
+// the data is fully verified before returning.  If prove is false,
+// we just repeat whatever any (potentially malicious) node gives us.
+// Only use that if you are running the full node yourself,
+// and it is localhost or you have a secure connection (not HTTP)
 func Get(key []byte, prove bool) (data.Bytes, uint64, error) {
 	if !prove {
 		node := commands.GetNode()
@@ -48,6 +55,9 @@ func Get(key []byte, prove bool) (data.Bytes, uint64, error) {
 	return val, h, err
 }
 
+// GetWithProof returns the values stored under a given key at the named
+// height as in Get.  Additionally, it will return a validated merkle
+// proof for the key-value pair if it exists, and all checks pass.
 func GetWithProof(key []byte) (data.Bytes, uint64, *iavl.KeyExistsProof, error) {
 	node := commands.GetNode()
 
@@ -92,14 +102,14 @@ func GetWithProof(key []byte) (data.Bytes, uint64, *iavl.KeyExistsProof, error)
 // GetCertifiedCheckpoint gets the signed header for a given height
 // and certifies it.  Returns error if unable to get a proven header.
 func GetCertifiedCheckpoint(h int) (empty lc.Checkpoint, err error) {
-	// here is the certifier, root of all knowledge
+	// here is the certifier, root of all trust
 	node := commands.GetNode()
 	cert, err := commands.GetCertifier()
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// get and validate a signed header for this proof
+	// get the checkpoint for this height
 
 	// FIXME: cannot use cert.GetByHeight for now, as it also requires
 	// Validators and will fail on querying tendermint for non-current height.
@@ -113,12 +123,11 @@ func GetCertifiedCheckpoint(h int) (empty lc.Checkpoint, err error) {
 		Header: commit.Header,
 		Commit: commit.Commit,
 	}
-	// double check we got the same height
+
+	// validate downloaded checkpoint with our request and trust store.
 	if check.Height() != h {
 		return empty, lc.ErrHeightMismatch(h, check.Height())
 	}
-
-	// and now verify it matches our validators
 	err = cert.Certify(check)
 	return check, nil
 }
@@ -140,6 +149,7 @@ func ParseHexKey(args []string, argname string) ([]byte, error) {
 	return proofs.ParseHexKey(rawkey)
 }
 
+// GetHeight reads the viper config for the query height
 func GetHeight() int {
 	return viper.GetInt(FlagHeight)
 }
diff --git a/client/commands/proofs/tx.go b/client/commands/proofs/tx.go
index c5a80c1fa..1aa0e11f9 100644
--- a/client/commands/proofs/tx.go
+++ b/client/commands/proofs/tx.go
@@ -4,15 +4,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 
-	"github.com/tendermint/light-client/proofs"
+	"github.com/tendermint/basecoin"
+	wire "github.com/tendermint/go-wire"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
 
 	"github.com/tendermint/basecoin/client/commands"
 )
 
-//nolint TODO add description
-var TxPresenters = proofs.NewPresenters()
-
 // TxQueryCmd - CLI command to query a transaction with proof
 var TxQueryCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "tx [txhash]",
@@ -26,21 +24,6 @@ data to other peers as needed.
 	RunE: commands.RequireInit(txQueryCmd),
 }
 
-// type ResultTx struct {
-//   Height   int           `json:"height"`
-//   Index    int           `json:"index"`
-//   TxResult abci.Result   `json:"tx_result"`
-//   Tx       types.Tx      `json:"tx"`
-//   Proof    types.TxProof `json:"proof,omitempty"`
-// }
-
-// type TxProof struct {
-//   Index, Total int
-//   RootHash     data.Bytes
-//   Data         Tx
-//   Proof        merkle.SimpleProof
-// }
-
 func txQueryCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// parse cli
 	// TODO: when querying historical heights is allowed... pass it
@@ -58,6 +41,7 @@ func txQueryCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// no checks if we don't get a proof
 	if !prove {
 		return showTx(res.Height, res.Tx)
 	}
@@ -71,17 +55,17 @@ func txQueryCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// note that we return res.Proof.Data, not res.Tx,
+	// as res.Proof.Validate only verifies res.Proof.Data
 	return showTx(res.Height, res.Proof.Data)
 }
 
+// showTx parses anything that was previously registered as basecoin.Tx
 func showTx(h int, tx types.Tx) error {
-	// auto-determine which tx it was, over all registered tx types
-	info, err := TxPresenters.BruteForce(tx)
+	var info basecoin.Tx
+	err := wire.ReadBinaryBytes(tx, &info)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
-	// we can reuse this output for other commands for text/json
-	// unless they do something special like store a file to disk
 	return OutputProof(info, uint64(h))
 }
diff --git a/client/commands/txs/presenter.go b/client/commands/txs/presenter.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 2886e7bd2..000000000
--- a/client/commands/txs/presenter.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-package txs
-
-import (
-	wire "github.com/tendermint/go-wire"
-	"github.com/tendermint/light-client/proofs"
-
-	"github.com/tendermint/basecoin"
-)
-
-// BaseTxPresenter this decodes all basecoin tx
-type BaseTxPresenter struct {
-	proofs.RawPresenter // this handles MakeKey as hex bytes
-}
-
-// ParseData - unmarshal raw bytes to a basecoin tx
-func (BaseTxPresenter) ParseData(raw []byte) (interface{}, error) {
-	var tx basecoin.Tx
-	err := wire.ReadBinaryBytes(raw, &tx)
-	return tx, err
-}
diff --git a/cmd/basecli/main.go b/cmd/basecli/main.go
index 6813dd916..06aaedf38 100644
--- a/cmd/basecli/main.go
+++ b/cmd/basecli/main.go
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ func main() {
 		rolecmd.RoleQueryCmd,
 		ibccmd.IBCQueryCmd,
 	)
-	proofs.TxPresenters.Register("base", txcmd.BaseTxPresenter{})
 
 	// set up the middleware
 	txcmd.Middleware = txcmd.Wrappers{
diff --git a/docs/guide/counter/cmd/countercli/main.go b/docs/guide/counter/cmd/countercli/main.go
index 6e930cd7d..5d7f1df38 100644
--- a/docs/guide/counter/cmd/countercli/main.go
+++ b/docs/guide/counter/cmd/countercli/main.go
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ func main() {
 	txcmd.Middleware.Register(txcmd.RootCmd.PersistentFlags())
 
 	// Prepare transactions
-	proofs.TxPresenters.Register("base", txcmd.BaseTxPresenter{})
 	txcmd.RootCmd.AddCommand(
 		// This is the default transaction, optional in your app
 		coincmd.SendTxCmd,