diff --git a/config/tendermint_test/config.go b/config/tendermint_test/config.go
index 3ded9b1eb..21dbe9332 100644
--- a/config/tendermint_test/config.go
+++ b/config/tendermint_test/config.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func GetConfig(rootDir string) cfg.Config {
 	}
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("chain_id", "tendermint_test")
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("genesis_file", rootDir+"/genesis.json")
-	mapConfig.SetDefault("proxy_app", "local")
+	mapConfig.SetDefault("proxy_app", "dummy")
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("moniker", "anonymous")
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("node_laddr", "0.0.0.0:36656")
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("fast_sync", false)
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func GetConfig(rootDir string) cfg.Config {
 var defaultConfigTmpl = `# This is a TOML config file.
 # For more information, see https://github.com/toml-lang/toml
 
-proxy_app = "local"
+proxy_app = "dummy"
 moniker = "__MONIKER__"
 node_laddr = "0.0.0.0:36656"
 seeds = ""
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index e7fe095d5..53805e211 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	sm "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/state"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/version"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tmsp/example/dummy"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tmsp/example/nil"
 )
 
@@ -238,11 +239,16 @@ func makeNodeInfo(sw *p2p.Switch, privKey crypto.PrivKeyEd25519) *p2p.NodeInfo {
 // Check the current hash, and panic if it doesn't match.
 func getProxyApp(addr string, hash []byte) (proxyAppConn proxy.AppConn) {
 	// use local app (for testing)
-	if addr == "local" {
+	switch addr {
+	case "nilapp":
 		app := nilapp.NewNilApplication()
 		mtx := new(sync.Mutex)
 		proxyAppConn = proxy.NewLocalAppConn(mtx, app)
-	} else {
+	case "dummy":
+		app := dummy.NewDummyApplication()
+		mtx := new(sync.Mutex)
+		proxyAppConn = proxy.NewLocalAppConn(mtx, app)
+	default:
 		remoteApp, err := proxy.NewRemoteAppConn(addr)
 		if err != nil {
 			Exit(Fmt("Failed to connect to proxy for mempool: %v", err))