diff --git a/cmd/tendermint/run_node.go b/cmd/tendermint/run_node.go
index 9f13533a5..a66451541 100644
--- a/cmd/tendermint/run_node.go
+++ b/cmd/tendermint/run_node.go
@@ -34,9 +34,12 @@ func run_node(config cfg.Config) {
 			if err != nil {
 				Exit(Fmt("Couldn't read GenesisDoc file: %v", err))
 			}
-			genDoc := types.GenesisDocFromJSON(jsonBlob)
+			genDoc, err := types.GenesisDocFromJSON(jsonBlob)
+			if err != nil {
+				Exit(Fmt("Error reading GenesisDoc: %v", err))
+			}
 			if genDoc.ChainID == "" {
-				PanicSanity(Fmt("Genesis doc %v must include non-empty chain_id", genDocFile))
+				Exit(Fmt("Genesis doc %v must include non-empty chain_id", genDocFile))
 			}
 			config.Set("chain_id", genDoc.ChainID)
 		}
diff --git a/state/state.go b/state/state.go
index 455ba4093..f4af8ee01 100644
--- a/state/state.go
+++ b/state/state.go
@@ -166,7 +166,10 @@ func MakeGenesisStateFromFile(db dbm.DB, genDocFile string) *State {
 	if err != nil {
 		Exit(Fmt("Couldn't read GenesisDoc file: %v", err))
 	}
-	genDoc := types.GenesisDocFromJSON(genDocJSON)
+	genDoc, err := types.GenesisDocFromJSON(genDocJSON)
+	if err != nil {
+		Exit(Fmt("Error reading GenesisDoc: %v", err))
+	}
 	return MakeGenesisState(db, genDoc)
 }
 
diff --git a/types/genesis.go b/types/genesis.go
index 9c81bc2d2..3a0395488 100644
--- a/types/genesis.go
+++ b/types/genesis.go
@@ -38,11 +38,7 @@ func (genDoc *GenesisDoc) SaveAs(file string) error {
 //------------------------------------------------------------
 // Make genesis state from file
 
-func GenesisDocFromJSON(jsonBlob []byte) (genState *GenesisDoc) {
-	var err error
-	wire.ReadJSONPtr(&genState, jsonBlob, &err)
-	if err != nil {
-		Exit(Fmt("Couldn't read GenesisDoc: %v", err))
-	}
+func GenesisDocFromJSON(jsonBlob []byte) (genDoc *GenesisDoc, err error) {
+	wire.ReadJSONPtr(&genDoc, jsonBlob, &err)
 	return
 }
diff --git a/types/validator_set.go b/types/validator_set.go
index 3f5a17d9a..a3b2838cb 100644
--- a/types/validator_set.go
+++ b/types/validator_set.go
@@ -252,6 +252,32 @@ func (valSet *ValidatorSet) VerifyCommit(chainID string, blockID BlockID, height
 	}
 }
 
+// Verify that +2/3 of this set had signed the given signBytes.
+// Unlike VerifyCommit(), this function can verify commits with differeent sets.
+func (valSet *ValidatorSet) VerifyCommitAny(chainID string, blockID BlockID, height int, commit *Commit) error {
+	panic("Not yet implemented")
+	/*
+			Start like:
+
+		FOR_LOOP:
+			for _, val := range vals {
+				if len(precommits) == 0 {
+					break FOR_LOOP
+				}
+				next := precommits[0]
+				switch bytes.Compare(val.Address(), next.ValidatorAddress) {
+				case -1:
+					continue FOR_LOOP
+				case 0:
+					signBytes := tm.SignBytes(next)
+					...
+				case 1:
+					... // error?
+				}
+			}
+	*/
+}
+
 func (valSet *ValidatorSet) String() string {
 	return valSet.StringIndented("")
 }