diff --git a/clitest/common.sh b/clitest/common.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3294548a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clitest/common.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# this is not executable, but helper functions for the other scripts
+
+prepareClient() {
+  echo "Preparing client keys..."
+  basecli reset_all
+  assertTrue $?
+
+  for i in "${!ACCOUNTS[@]}"; do
+      newKey ${ACCOUNTS[$i]}
+  done
+}
+
+# initServer takes two args - (root dir, chain_id)
+# and optionally port prefix as a third arg (default is 4665{6,7,8})
+# it grabs the first account to give it the money
+initServer() {
+  echo "Setting up genesis..."
+  SERVE_DIR=$1/server
+  assertNotNull "no chain" $2
+  CHAIN=$2
+  SERVER_LOG=$1/basecoin.log
+  basecoin init --home=$SERVE_DIR >>$SERVER_LOG
+
+  #change the genesis to the first account
+  GENKEY=$(basecli keys get ${ACCOUNTS[0]} -o json | jq .pubkey.data)
+  GENJSON=$(cat $SERVE_DIR/genesis.json)
+  echo $GENJSON | jq '.app_options.accounts[0].pub_key.data='$GENKEY \
+    | jq ".chain_id=\"$2\"" > $SERVE_DIR/genesis.json
+
+  # optionally set the port
+  if [ -n "$3" ]; then
+    echo "setting port $3"
+    sed -ie "s/4665/$3/" $SERVE_DIR/config.toml
+  fi
+
+  echo "Starting server..."
+  basecoin start --home=$SERVE_DIR >>$SERVER_LOG 2>&1 &
+  sleep 5
+  PID_SERVER=$!
+}
+
+# initClient requires chain_id arg, port is optional (default 4665{5,6,7})
+initClient() {
+  echo "Attaching client..."
+  PORT=${2:-4665}
+  # hard-code the expected validator hash
+  basecli init --chain-id=$1 --node=tcp://localhost:${PORT}7 --valhash=EB168E17E45BAEB194D4C79067FFECF345C64DE6
+  assertTrue "initialized light-client" $?
+}
+
+# newKeys makes a key for a given username, second arg optional password
+newKey(){
+  assertNotNull "keyname required" "$1"
+  KEYPASS=${2:-qwertyuiop}
+  (echo $KEYPASS; echo $KEYPASS) | basecli keys new $1 >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+  assertTrue "created $1" $?
+  assertTrue "$1 doesn't exist" "basecli keys get $1"
+}
+
+# getAddr gets the address for a key name
+getAddr() {
+  assertNotNull "keyname required" "$1"
+  RAW=$(basecli keys get $1)
+  assertTrue "no key for $1" $?
+  # print the addr
+  echo $RAW | cut -d' ' -f2
+}
diff --git a/tests/cli/basictx.sh b/tests/cli/basictx.sh
index cbb15b434..8584535e5 100755
--- a/tests/cli/basictx.sh
+++ b/tests/cli/basictx.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+
 oneTimeSetUp() {
   BASE_DIR=$HOME/.basecoin_test_basictx
-  LOG=$BASE_DIR/test.log
-  SERVER_LOG=$BASE_DIR/basecoin.log
+  CHAIN_ID=my-test-chain
 
-  rm -rf $BASE_DIR
+  rm -rf $BASE_DIR 2>/dev/null
   mkdir -p $BASE_DIR
 
   ACCOUNTS=(jae ethan bucky rigel igor)
@@ -13,13 +13,14 @@ oneTimeSetUp() {
   POOR=${ACCOUNTS[1]}
 
   # set up client
+  export BC_HOME=${BASE_DIR}/client
   prepareClient
 
   # start basecoin server (with counter)
-  initServer
+  initServer $BASE_DIR $CHAIN_ID 3456
   echo pid $PID_SERVER
 
-  initClient
+  initClient $CHAIN_ID 3456
 
   echo "...Testing may begin!"
   echo
@@ -35,59 +36,6 @@ oneTimeTearDown() {
   sleep 1
 }
 
-prepareClient() {
-  echo "Preparing client keys..."
-  export BC_HOME=$BASE_DIR/client
-  basecli reset_all
-  assertTrue $?
-
-  for i in "${!ACCOUNTS[@]}"; do
-      newKey ${ACCOUNTS[$i]}
-  done
-}
-
-initServer() {
-  echo "Setting up genesis..."
-  SERVE_DIR=$BASE_DIR/server
-  rm -rf $SERVE_DIR 2>/dev/null
-  basecoin init --home=$SERVE_DIR >>$SERVER_LOG
-
-  #change the genesis to the first account
-  GENKEY=$(basecli keys get ${RICH} -o json | jq .pubkey.data)
-  GENJSON=$(cat $SERVE_DIR/genesis.json)
-  echo $GENJSON | jq '.app_options.accounts[0].pub_key.data='$GENKEY > $SERVE_DIR/genesis.json
-
-  echo "Starting server..."
-  basecoin start --home=$SERVE_DIR >>$SERVER_LOG 2>&1 &
-  sleep 5
-  PID_SERVER=$!
-}
-
-initClient() {
-  echo "Attaching client..."
-  # hard-code the expected validator hash
-  basecli init --chain-id=test_chain_id --node=tcp://localhost:46657 --valhash=EB168E17E45BAEB194D4C79067FFECF345C64DE6
-  assertTrue "initialized light-client" $?
-}
-
-# newKeys makes a key for a given username, second arg optional password
-newKey(){
-  assertNotNull "keyname required" "$1"
-  KEYPASS=${2:-qwertyuiop}
-  (echo $KEYPASS; echo $KEYPASS) | basecli keys new $1 >>$LOG 2>/dev/null
-  assertTrue "created $1" $?
-  assertTrue "$1 doesn't exist" "basecli keys get $1"
-}
-
-# getAddr gets the address for a key name
-getAddr() {
-  assertNotNull "keyname required" "$1"
-  RAW=$(basecli keys get $1)
-  assertTrue "no key for $1" $?
-  # print the addr
-  echo $RAW | cut -d' ' -f2
-}
-
 test00GetAccount() {
   SENDER=$(getAddr $RICH)
   RECV=$(getAddr $POOR)
@@ -140,4 +88,8 @@ test01SendTx() {
 
 # load and run these tests with shunit2!
 DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )" #get this files directory
+
+# load common helpers
+. $DIR/common.sh
+
 . $DIR/shunit2