diff --git a/example/block_aware/block_aware_app.go b/example/block_aware/block_aware_app.go
index 90a7a440..454c3560 100644
--- a/example/block_aware/block_aware_app.go
+++ b/example/block_aware/block_aware_app.go
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ func main() {
 }
 
 type ChainAwareApplication struct {
+	types.BaseApplication
+
 	beginCount int
 	endCount   int
 }
@@ -38,26 +40,6 @@ func NewChainAwareApplication() *ChainAwareApplication {
 	return &ChainAwareApplication{}
 }
 
-func (app *ChainAwareApplication) Info() types.ResponseInfo {
-	return types.ResponseInfo{}
-}
-
-func (app *ChainAwareApplication) SetOption(key string, value string) (log string) {
-	return ""
-}
-
-func (app *ChainAwareApplication) DeliverTx(tx []byte) types.Result {
-	return types.NewResultOK(nil, "")
-}
-
-func (app *ChainAwareApplication) CheckTx(tx []byte) types.Result {
-	return types.NewResultOK(nil, "")
-}
-
-func (app *ChainAwareApplication) Commit() types.Result {
-	return types.NewResultOK([]byte("nil"), "")
-}
-
 func (app *ChainAwareApplication) Query(reqQuery types.RequestQuery) (resQuery types.ResponseQuery) {
 	return types.ResponseQuery{
 		Value: []byte(cmn.Fmt("%d,%d", app.beginCount, app.endCount)),
@@ -73,7 +55,3 @@ func (app *ChainAwareApplication) EndBlock(height uint64) (resEndBlock types.Res
 	app.endCount++
 	return
 }
-
-func (app *ChainAwareApplication) InitChain(vals []*types.Validator) {
-	return
-}
diff --git a/example/counter/counter.go b/example/counter/counter.go
index 8fce72e2..fa0bab58 100644
--- a/example/counter/counter.go
+++ b/example/counter/counter.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 type CounterApplication struct {
+	types.BaseApplication
+
 	hashCount int
 	txCount   int
 	serial    bool
@@ -80,13 +82,3 @@ func (app *CounterApplication) Query(reqQuery types.RequestQuery) types.Response
 		return types.ResponseQuery{Log: Fmt("Invalid query path. Expected hash or tx, got %v", reqQuery.Path)}
 	}
 }
-
-func (app *CounterApplication) InitChain(validators []*types.Validator) {
-}
-
-func (app *CounterApplication) BeginBlock(hash []byte, header *types.Header) {
-}
-
-func (app *CounterApplication) EndBlock(height uint64) types.ResponseEndBlock {
-	return types.ResponseEndBlock{}
-}
diff --git a/example/dummy/dummy.go b/example/dummy/dummy.go
index 73c938e7..fd66250b 100644
--- a/example/dummy/dummy.go
+++ b/example/dummy/dummy.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 type DummyApplication struct {
+	types.BaseApplication
+
 	state merkle.Tree
 }
 
@@ -21,10 +23,6 @@ func (app *DummyApplication) Info() (resInfo types.ResponseInfo) {
 	return types.ResponseInfo{Data: fmt.Sprintf("{\"size\":%v}", app.state.Size())}
 }
 
-func (app *DummyApplication) SetOption(key string, value string) (log string) {
-	return ""
-}
-
 // tx is either "key=value" or just arbitrary bytes
 func (app *DummyApplication) DeliverTx(tx []byte) types.Result {
 	parts := strings.Split(string(tx), "=")
@@ -70,13 +68,3 @@ func (app *DummyApplication) Query(reqQuery types.RequestQuery) (resQuery types.
 		return
 	}
 }
-
-func (app *DummyApplication) InitChain(validators []*types.Validator) {
-}
-
-func (app *DummyApplication) BeginBlock(hash []byte, header *types.Header) {
-}
-
-func (app *DummyApplication) EndBlock(height uint64) types.ResponseEndBlock {
-	return types.ResponseEndBlock{}
-}
diff --git a/example/example_test.go b/example/example_test.go
index 26921083..9f18c421 100644
--- a/example/example_test.go
+++ b/example/example_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/tendermint/abci/client"
 	"github.com/tendermint/abci/example/dummy"
-	nilapp "github.com/tendermint/abci/example/nil"
 	"github.com/tendermint/abci/server"
 	"github.com/tendermint/abci/types"
 	cmn "github.com/tendermint/go-common"
@@ -25,14 +24,14 @@ func TestDummy(t *testing.T) {
 	testStream(t, dummy.NewDummyApplication())
 }
 
-func TestNilApp(t *testing.T) {
-	fmt.Println("### Testing NilApp")
-	testStream(t, nilapp.NewNilApplication())
+func TestBaseApp(t *testing.T) {
+	fmt.Println("### Testing BaseApp")
+	testStream(t, types.NewBaseApplication())
 }
 
 func TestGRPC(t *testing.T) {
 	fmt.Println("### Testing GRPC")
-	testGRPCSync(t, types.NewGRPCApplication(nilapp.NewNilApplication()))
+	testGRPCSync(t, types.NewGRPCApplication(types.NewBaseApplication()))
 }
 
 func testStream(t *testing.T, app types.Application) {
diff --git a/example/nil/nil_app.go b/example/nil/nil_app.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 5285cc39..00000000
--- a/example/nil/nil_app.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-package nilapp
-
-import (
-	"github.com/tendermint/abci/types"
-)
-
-type NilApplication struct {
-}
-
-func NewNilApplication() *NilApplication {
-	return &NilApplication{}
-}
-
-func (app *NilApplication) Info() (resInfo types.ResponseInfo) {
-	return
-}
-
-func (app *NilApplication) SetOption(key string, value string) (log string) {
-	return ""
-}
-
-func (app *NilApplication) DeliverTx(tx []byte) types.Result {
-	return types.NewResultOK(nil, "")
-}
-
-func (app *NilApplication) CheckTx(tx []byte) types.Result {
-	return types.NewResultOK(nil, "")
-}
-
-func (app *NilApplication) Commit() types.Result {
-	return types.NewResultOK([]byte("nil"), "")
-}
-
-func (app *NilApplication) Query(reqQuery types.RequestQuery) (resQuery types.ResponseQuery) {
-	return resQuery
-}
-
-func (app *NilApplication) InitChain(validators []*types.Validator) {
-}
-
-func (app *NilApplication) BeginBlock(hash []byte, header *types.Header) {
-}
-
-func (app *NilApplication) EndBlock(height uint64) types.ResponseEndBlock {
-	return types.ResponseEndBlock{}
-}
diff --git a/types/base_app.go b/types/base_app.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d4f84b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/types/base_app.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package types
+
+type BaseApplication struct {
+}
+
+func NewBaseApplication() *BaseApplication {
+	return &BaseApplication{}
+}
+
+func (app *BaseApplication) Info() (resInfo ResponseInfo) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (app *BaseApplication) SetOption(key string, value string) (log string) {
+	return ""
+}
+
+func (app *BaseApplication) DeliverTx(tx []byte) Result {
+	return NewResultOK(nil, "")
+}
+
+func (app *BaseApplication) CheckTx(tx []byte) Result {
+	return NewResultOK(nil, "")
+}
+
+func (app *BaseApplication) Commit() Result {
+	return NewResultOK([]byte("nil"), "")
+}
+
+func (app *BaseApplication) Query(reqQuery RequestQuery) (resQuery ResponseQuery) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (app *BaseApplication) InitChain(validators []*Validator) {
+}
+
+func (app *BaseApplication) BeginBlock(hash []byte, header *Header) {
+}
+
+func (app *BaseApplication) EndBlock(height uint64) (resEndBlock ResponseEndBlock) {
+	return
+}