diff --git a/config/tendermint/config.go b/config/tendermint/config.go
index 779b54403..958fd5a44 100644
--- a/config/tendermint/config.go
+++ b/config/tendermint/config.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ func GetConfig(rootDir string) cfg.Config {
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("proxy_app", "tcp://127.0.0.1:46658")
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("moniker", "anonymous")
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("node_laddr", "0.0.0.0:46656")
+	mapConfig.SetDefault("seeds", "")
 	// mapConfig.SetDefault("seeds", "goldenalchemist.chaintest.net:46656")
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("fast_sync", true)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("skip_upnp", false)
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 1c8371682..d78f2d7b4 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -212,6 +212,10 @@ func (n *Node) ConsensusState() *consensus.ConsensusState {
 	return n.consensusState
 }
 
+func (n *Node) ConsensusReactor() *consensus.ConsensusReactor {
+	return n.consensusReactor
+}
+
 func (n *Node) MempoolReactor() *mempl.MempoolReactor {
 	return n.mempoolReactor
 }
@@ -220,6 +224,11 @@ func (n *Node) EventSwitch() *events.EventSwitch {
 	return n.evsw
 }
 
+// XXX: for convenience
+func (n *Node) PrivValidator() *types.PrivValidator {
+	return n.privValidator
+}
+
 func makeNodeInfo(config cfg.Config, sw *p2p.Switch, privKey crypto.PrivKeyEd25519) *p2p.NodeInfo {
 
 	nodeInfo := &p2p.NodeInfo{
@@ -326,7 +335,6 @@ func RunNode(config cfg.Config) {
 				PanicSanity(Fmt("Genesis doc %v must include non-empty chain_id", genDocFile))
 			}
 			config.Set("chain_id", genDoc.ChainID)
-			config.Set("genesis_doc", genDoc)
 		}
 	}