diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 25ccf0f57..6689adfcc 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -78,13 +78,14 @@ func (cfg *Config) SetRoot(root string) *Config {
 
 // BaseConfig defines the base configuration for a Tendermint node
 type BaseConfig struct {
+
+	// chainID is unexposed and immutable but here for convenience
+	chainID string
+
 	// The root directory for all data.
 	// This should be set in viper so it can unmarshal into this struct
 	RootDir string `mapstructure:"home"`
 
-	// The ID of the chain to join (should be signed with every transaction and vote)
-	ChainID string `mapstructure:"chain_id"`
-
 	// Path to the JSON file containing the initial validator set and other meta data
 	Genesis string `mapstructure:"genesis_file"`
 
@@ -123,6 +124,10 @@ type BaseConfig struct {
 	DBPath string `mapstructure:"db_dir"`
 }
 
+func (c BaseConfig) ChainID() string {
+	return c.chainID
+}
+
 // DefaultBaseConfig returns a default base configuration for a Tendermint node
 func DefaultBaseConfig() BaseConfig {
 	return BaseConfig{
@@ -143,7 +148,7 @@ func DefaultBaseConfig() BaseConfig {
 // TestBaseConfig returns a base configuration for testing a Tendermint node
 func TestBaseConfig() BaseConfig {
 	conf := DefaultBaseConfig()
-	conf.ChainID = "tendermint_test"
+	conf.chainID = "tendermint_test"
 	conf.ProxyApp = "dummy"
 	conf.FastSync = false
 	conf.DBBackend = "memdb"
diff --git a/config/toml.go b/config/toml.go
index 3522170df..92ceb7de4 100644
--- a/config/toml.go
+++ b/config/toml.go
@@ -76,14 +76,11 @@ db_backend = "{{ .BaseConfig.DBBackend }}"
 # Database directory
 db_path = "{{ .BaseConfig.DBPath }}"
 
-# Output level for logging
+# Output level for logging, including package level options
 log_level = "{{ .BaseConfig.LogLevel }}"
 
 ##### additional base config options #####
 
-# The ID of the chain to join (should be signed with every transaction and vote)
-chain_id = "{{ .BaseConfig.ChainID }}"
-
 # Path to the JSON file containing the initial validator set and other meta data
 genesis_file = "{{ .BaseConfig.Genesis }}"
 
diff --git a/consensus/common_test.go b/consensus/common_test.go
index 6598c15eb..d5514ee18 100644
--- a/consensus/common_test.go
+++ b/consensus/common_test.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (vs *validatorStub) signVote(voteType byte, hash []byte, header types.PartS
 		Type:             voteType,
 		BlockID:          types.BlockID{hash, header},
 	}
-	err := vs.PrivValidator.SignVote(config.ChainID, vote)
+	err := vs.PrivValidator.SignVote(config.ChainID(), vote)
 	return vote, err
 }
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func decideProposal(cs1 *ConsensusState, vs *validatorStub, height int64, round
 	// Make proposal
 	polRound, polBlockID := cs1.Votes.POLInfo()
 	proposal = types.NewProposal(height, round, blockParts.Header(), polRound, polBlockID)
-	if err := vs.SignProposal(config.ChainID, proposal); err != nil {
+	if err := vs.SignProposal(cs1.state.ChainID, proposal); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 	return
@@ -430,9 +430,10 @@ func randGenesisDoc(numValidators int, randPower bool, minPower int64) (*types.G
 		privValidators[i] = privVal
 	}
 	sort.Sort(types.PrivValidatorsByAddress(privValidators))
+
 	return &types.GenesisDoc{
 		GenesisTime: time.Now(),
-		ChainID:     config.ChainID,
+		ChainID:     config.ChainID(),
 		Validators:  validators,
 	}, privValidators
 }
diff --git a/consensus/state_test.go b/consensus/state_test.go
index 6beb7da54..97562febd 100644
--- a/consensus/state_test.go
+++ b/consensus/state_test.go
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ func TestBadProposal(t *testing.T) {
 	propBlock.AppHash = stateHash
 	propBlockParts := propBlock.MakePartSet(partSize)
 	proposal := types.NewProposal(vs2.Height, round, propBlockParts.Header(), -1, types.BlockID{})
-	if err := vs2.SignProposal(config.ChainID, proposal); err != nil {
+	if err := vs2.SignProposal(config.ChainID(), proposal); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("failed to sign bad proposal", err)
 	}
 
@@ -900,7 +900,7 @@ func TestLockPOLSafety2(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// in round 2 we see the polkad block from round 0
 	newProp := types.NewProposal(height, 2, propBlockParts0.Header(), 0, propBlockID1)
-	if err := vs3.SignProposal(config.ChainID, newProp); err != nil {
+	if err := vs3.SignProposal(config.ChainID(), newProp); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	if err := cs1.SetProposalAndBlock(newProp, propBlock0, propBlockParts0, "some peer"); err != nil {
diff --git a/consensus/types/height_vote_set_test.go b/consensus/types/height_vote_set_test.go
index 306592aa2..5719d7eea 100644
--- a/consensus/types/height_vote_set_test.go
+++ b/consensus/types/height_vote_set_test.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func init() {
 func TestPeerCatchupRounds(t *testing.T) {
 	valSet, privVals := types.RandValidatorSet(10, 1)
 
-	hvs := NewHeightVoteSet(config.ChainID, 1, valSet)
+	hvs := NewHeightVoteSet(config.ChainID(), 1, valSet)
 
 	vote999_0 := makeVoteHR(t, 1, 999, privVals, 0)
 	added, err := hvs.AddVote(vote999_0, "peer1")
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func makeVoteHR(t *testing.T, height int64, round int, privVals []*types.PrivVal
 		Type:             types.VoteTypePrecommit,
 		BlockID:          types.BlockID{[]byte("fakehash"), types.PartSetHeader{}},
 	}
-	chainID := config.ChainID
+	chainID := config.ChainID()
 	err := privVal.SignVote(chainID, vote)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(cmn.Fmt("Error signing vote: %v", err))
diff --git a/lite/client/provider_test.go b/lite/client/provider_test.go
index 0bebfced0..91d277fc2 100644
--- a/lite/client/provider_test.go
+++ b/lite/client/provider_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	liteErr "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/lite/errors"
 	rpcclient "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/client"
 	rpctest "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/test"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
 )
 
 func TestProvider(t *testing.T) {
@@ -17,7 +18,8 @@ func TestProvider(t *testing.T) {
 
 	cfg := rpctest.GetConfig()
 	rpcAddr := cfg.RPC.ListenAddress
-	chainID := cfg.ChainID
+	genDoc, _ := types.GenesisDocFromFile(cfg.GenesisFile())
+	chainID := genDoc.ChainID
 	p := NewHTTPProvider(rpcAddr)
 	require.NotNil(t, p)