diff --git a/cmd/commands/relay.go b/cmd/commands/relay.go
index 5a2cacfc9..137e2c9a8 100644
--- a/cmd/commands/relay.go
+++ b/cmd/commands/relay.go
@@ -24,8 +24,19 @@ import (
 
 var RelayCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "relay",
+	Short: "Relay ibc packets between two chains",
+}
+
+var RelayStartCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "start",
 	Short: "Start basecoin relayer to relay IBC packets between chains",
-	RunE:  relayCmd,
+	RunE:  relayStartCmd,
+}
+
+var RelayInitCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "init",
+	Short: "Register both chains with each other, to prepare the relayer to run",
+	RunE:  relayInitCmd,
 }
 
 //flags
@@ -37,10 +48,12 @@ var (
 	chain2IDFlag string
 
 	fromFileFlag string
+
+	genesisFile1Flag string
+	genesisFile2Flag string
 )
 
 func init() {
-
 	flags := []Flag2Register{
 		{&chain1AddrFlag, "chain1-addr", "tcp://localhost:46657", "Node address for chain1"},
 		{&chain2AddrFlag, "chain2-addr", "tcp://localhost:36657", "Node address for chain2"},
@@ -48,7 +61,33 @@ func init() {
 		{&chain2IDFlag, "chain2-id", "test_chain_2", "ChainID for chain2"},
 		{&fromFileFlag, "from", "key.json", "Path to a private key to sign the transaction"},
 	}
-	RegisterFlags(RelayCmd, flags)
+	RegisterPersistentFlags(RelayCmd, flags)
+
+	initFlags := []Flag2Register{
+		{&genesisFile1Flag, "genesis1", "", "Path to genesis file for chain1"},
+		{&genesisFile2Flag, "genesis2", "", "Path to genesis file for chain2"},
+	}
+	RegisterFlags(RelayInitCmd, initFlags)
+
+	RelayCmd.AddCommand(RelayStartCmd)
+	RelayCmd.AddCommand(RelayInitCmd)
+}
+
+func relayInitCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	fmt.Println("not implemented")
+	return nil
+}
+
+func relayStartCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+
+	go loop(chain1AddrFlag, chain2AddrFlag, chain1IDFlag, chain2IDFlag)
+	go loop(chain2AddrFlag, chain1AddrFlag, chain2IDFlag, chain1IDFlag)
+
+	cmn.TrapSignal(func() {
+		// TODO: Cleanup
+	})
+	return nil
+
 }
 
 func loop(addr1, addr2, id1, id2 string) {
@@ -233,15 +272,3 @@ func broadcastTxWithClient(httpClient *client.HTTP, tx tmtypes.Tx) ([]byte, stri
 
 	return res.DeliverTx.Data, res.DeliverTx.Log, nil
 }
-
-func relayCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-
-	go loop(chain1AddrFlag, chain2AddrFlag, chain1IDFlag, chain2IDFlag)
-	go loop(chain2AddrFlag, chain1AddrFlag, chain2IDFlag, chain1IDFlag)
-
-	cmn.TrapSignal(func() {
-		// TODO: Cleanup
-	})
-	return nil
-
-}
diff --git a/tests/cli/ibc.sh b/tests/cli/ibc.sh
index bc9d76cd9..69ccb2856 100755
--- a/tests/cli/ibc.sh
+++ b/tests/cli/ibc.sh
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ test01SendIBCTx() {
   BC_HOME=${CLIENT_2} checkAccount $RECV "0" "20002"
 
   # stop relay
+  echo "stoping relay"
+  echo
   kill -9 $PID_RELAY
 }
 
@@ -163,7 +165,7 @@ startRelay() {
   # now start the relay! (this remains a server command)
   # TODO: bucky, why does this die if I don't provide home???
   # It doesn't use the --from flag????
-  ${SERVER_EXE} relay --chain1-id=$CHAIN_ID_1 --chain2-id=$CHAIN_ID_2 \
+  ${SERVER_EXE} relay start --chain1-id=$CHAIN_ID_1 --chain2-id=$CHAIN_ID_2 \
     --chain1-addr=tcp://localhost:${PORT_1} --chain2-addr=tcp://localhost:${PORT_2} \
     --home=${BASE_DIR_1}/server --from=$RELAY_KEY > ${BASE_DIR_1}/../relay.log &
   PID_RELAY=$!