diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/chain-config.js b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/chain-config.js
index d15b6436ed4..cc7a5bbe199 100644
--- a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/chain-config.js
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/chain-config.js
@@ -7,11 +7,17 @@ export const STAKING_DENOM = 'uagstake';
 export const GOV_DEPOSIT_COINS = [{ amount: '10000000', denom: MINT_DENOM }];
 export const BLOCK_CADENCE_S = 2;
 
+// TODO: When Tendermint non-zero height exports work, we can improve.
+// TODO: When we export Agoric vat state as well, don't blacklist.
+const EXPORTED_APP_STATE_BLACKLIST = ['capability', 'ibc'];
+
 // Rewrite the config.toml and genesis.json.
 export function finishCosmosConfigs({
   genesisJson,
   configToml,
+  exportedGenesisJson,
   portNum = '26657',
+  persistentPeers = '',
 }) {
   const genesis = JSON.parse(genesisJson);
   const config = TOML.parse(configToml);
@@ -28,6 +34,8 @@ export function finishCosmosConfigs({
   const ORIG_BLOCK_CADENCE_S = match ? Number(match[1]) : 5;
   const ORIG_SIGNED_BLOCKS_WINDOW = Number(signed_blocks_window);
 
+  const exported = exportedGenesisJson ? JSON.parse(exportedGenesisJson) : {};
+
   const genesisMergePatch = {
     app_state: {
       staking: {
@@ -78,12 +86,6 @@ export function finishCosmosConfigs({
       capability: null,
       ibc: null,
     },
-    consensus_params: {
-      block: {
-        // This is necessary until https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/issues/6446 is closed.
-        time_iota_ms: '1000',
-      },
-    },
   };
 
   // The JSON merge patch for the config.toml.
@@ -91,18 +93,38 @@ export function finishCosmosConfigs({
   const configMergePatch = {
     proxy_app: 'kvstore',
     consensus: {
-      // Make blocks run faster than normal.
+      // Enforce our inter-block delays for this node.
       timeout_commit: `${BLOCK_CADENCE_S}s`,
     },
     p2p: {
       laddr: `tcp://0.0.0.0:${rpcPort - 1}`,
+      persistent_peers: persistentPeers,
     },
     rpc: {
       laddr: `tcp://127.0.0.1:${rpcPort}`,
     },
+    tx_index: {
+      // Needed for IBC.
+      index_all_keys: true,
+    },
   };
 
   const finishedGenesis = jsonmergepatch.apply(genesis, genesisMergePatch);
+
+  // We upgrade from export data, blacklisting states we don't support.
+  const { app_state: exportedAppState = {} } = exported;
+  for (const state in exportedAppState) {
+    if (!EXPORTED_APP_STATE_BLACKLIST.includes(state)) {
+      finishedGenesis.app_state[state] = exportedAppState[state];
+    }
+  }
+  if ('consensus_params' in exported) {
+    finishedGenesis.consensus_params = exported.consensus_params;
+  }
+
+  // This is necessary until https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/issues/6446 is closed.
+  finishedGenesis.consensus_params.block.time_iota_ms = '1000';
+
   const newGenesisJson = djson.stringify(finishedGenesis);
 
   const finishedConfig = jsonmergepatch.apply(config, configMergePatch);
diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/main.js b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/main.js
index 41b579a2992..285779c1ee9 100644
--- a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/main.js
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/main.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import cosmosMain from './cosmos';
 import deployMain from './deploy';
 import initMain from './init';
 import installMain from './install';
+import setDefaultsMain from './set-defaults';
 import startMain from './start';
 
 const DEFAULT_DAPP_TEMPLATE = 'dapp-encouragement';
@@ -79,6 +80,18 @@ const main = async (progname, rawArgs, powers) => {
       return subMain(initMain, ['init', project], opts);
     });
 
+  program
+    .command('set-defaults <program> <config-dir>')
+    .description('update the configuration files for <program> in <config-dir>')
+    .option(
+      '--import-from <dir>',
+      'import the exported configuration from <dir>',
+    )
+    .action(async (prog, configDir, cmd) => {
+      const opts = { ...program.opts(), ...cmd.opts() };
+      return subMain(setDefaultsMain, ['set-defaults', prog, configDir], opts);
+    });
+
   program
     .command('install')
     .description('install Dapp dependencies')
diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/set-defaults.js b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/set-defaults.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..48a95afaf65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/set-defaults.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import { finishCosmosConfigs } from './chain-config';
+
+export default async function setDefaultsMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
+  const { anylogger, fs } = powers;
+  const log = anylogger('agoric:set-defaults');
+
+  const [prog, configDir] = rawArgs.slice(1);
+
+  if (prog !== 'ag-chain-cosmos') {
+    throw Error(`<prog> must currently be 'ag-chain-cosmos'`);
+  }
+
+  log(`read ${prog} config from ${configDir}`);
+
+  const genesisFile = `${configDir}/genesis.json`;
+  const configFile = `${configDir}/config.toml`;
+  const { importFrom } = opts;
+  const [genesisJson, configToml, exportedGenesisJson] = await Promise.all([
+    fs.readFile(genesisFile, 'utf-8'),
+    fs.readFile(configFile, 'utf-8'),
+    importFrom && fs.readFile(`${importFrom}/exported-genesis.json`, 'utf-8'),
+  ]);
+  const { newGenesisJson, newConfigToml } = finishCosmosConfigs({
+    genesisJson,
+    configToml,
+    exportedGenesisJson,
+  });
+
+  const create = (fileName, contents) => {
+    log('create', fileName);
+    return fs.writeFile(fileName, contents);
+  };
+
+  // Save all the files to disk.
+  return Promise.all([
+    create(configFile, newConfigToml),
+    create(genesisFile, newGenesisJson),
+  ]);
+}
diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/start.js b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/start.js
index 5ff03239eca..9ceb54de9f1 100644
--- a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/start.js
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/start.js
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@ export default async function startMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
     }
 
     // Complete the genesis file and launch the chain.
+    log('read ag-chain-cosmos config');
     const configFile = `${localAgServer}/config/config.toml`;
     const [genesisJson, configToml] = await Promise.all([
       fs.readFile(genesisFile, 'utf-8'),
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ export default async function startMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
     });
 
     const create = (fileName, contents) => {
-      log('creating', fileName);
+      log('create', fileName);
       return fs.writeFile(fileName, contents);
     };