diff --git a/rpc/core/net.go b/rpc/core/net.go
index f74510e7..caa6b922 100644
--- a/rpc/core/net.go
+++ b/rpc/core/net.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package core
 import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/binary"
 	dbm "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/db"
 	ctypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/core/types"
 	sm "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/state"
@@ -62,12 +63,19 @@ func NetInfo() (*ctypes.ResponseNetInfo, error) {
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-// returns pointer because the rpc-gen code returns nil (TODO!)
-func Genesis() (*string, error) {
-	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(config.GetString("genesis_file"))
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+// cache the genesis structure
+var genDoc *sm.GenesisDoc
+
+func Genesis() (*sm.GenesisDoc, error) {
+	if genDoc == nil {
+		b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(config.GetString("genesis_file"))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		binary.ReadJSON(&genDoc, b, &err)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
-	ret := string(b)
-	return &ret, nil
+	return genDoc, nil
 }
diff --git a/rpc/core_client/client_methods.go b/rpc/core_client/client_methods.go
index 9ac66984..a880c29e 100644
--- a/rpc/core_client/client_methods.go
+++ b/rpc/core_client/client_methods.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/binary"
 	ctypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/core/types"
 	rpctypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/types"
+	sm "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/state"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ type Client interface {
 	DumpConsensusState() (*ctypes.ResponseDumpConsensusState, error)
 	DumpStorage(address []byte) (*ctypes.ResponseDumpStorage, error)
 	GenPrivAccount() (*acm.PrivAccount, error)
-	Genesis() (*string, error)
+	Genesis() (*sm.GenesisDoc, error)
 	GetAccount(address []byte) (*acm.Account, error)
 	GetBlock(height uint) (*ctypes.ResponseGetBlock, error)
 	GetName(name string) (*types.NameRegEntry, error)
@@ -246,7 +247,7 @@ func (c *ClientHTTP) GenPrivAccount() (*acm.PrivAccount, error) {
 	return response.Result, nil
 }
 
-func (c *ClientHTTP) Genesis() (*string, error) {
+func (c *ClientHTTP) Genesis() (*sm.GenesisDoc, error) {
 	values, err := argsToURLValues(nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -261,10 +262,10 @@ func (c *ClientHTTP) Genesis() (*string, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	var response struct {
-		Result  *string `json:"result"`
-		Error   string  `json:"error"`
-		Id      string  `json:"id"`
-		JSONRPC string  `json:"jsonrpc"`
+		Result  *sm.GenesisDoc `json:"result"`
+		Error   string         `json:"error"`
+		Id      string         `json:"id"`
+		JSONRPC string         `json:"jsonrpc"`
 	}
 	binary.ReadJSON(&response, body, &err)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -795,7 +796,7 @@ func (c *ClientJSON) GenPrivAccount() (*acm.PrivAccount, error) {
 	return response.Result, nil
 }
 
-func (c *ClientJSON) Genesis() (*string, error) {
+func (c *ClientJSON) Genesis() (*sm.GenesisDoc, error) {
 	request := rpctypes.RPCRequest{
 		JSONRPC: "2.0",
 		Method:  reverseFuncMap["Genesis"],
@@ -807,10 +808,10 @@ func (c *ClientJSON) Genesis() (*string, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	var response struct {
-		Result  *string `json:"result"`
-		Error   string  `json:"error"`
-		Id      string  `json:"id"`
-		JSONRPC string  `json:"jsonrpc"`
+		Result  *sm.GenesisDoc `json:"result"`
+		Error   string         `json:"error"`
+		Id      string         `json:"id"`
+		JSONRPC string         `json:"jsonrpc"`
 	}
 	binary.ReadJSON(&response, body, &err)
 	if err != nil {