diff --git a/cmd/tendermint/commands/gen_validator.go b/cmd/tendermint/commands/gen_validator.go
index be6508991..ece3c72a6 100644
--- a/cmd/tendermint/commands/gen_validator.go
+++ b/cmd/tendermint/commands/gen_validator.go
@@ -16,8 +16,13 @@ var GenValidatorCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Run:   genValidator,
 }
 
+func init() {
+	GenValidatorCmd.Flags().String("priv_key_type", config.PrivKeyType,
+		"Specify validator's private key type (ed25519 | composite)")
+}
+
 func genValidator(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-	pv, _ := privval.GenFilePV("", "", privval.PrivKeyTypeEd25519)
+	pv, _ := privval.GenFilePV("", "", config.PrivKeyType)
 	jsbz, err := cdc.MarshalJSON(pv)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
diff --git a/cmd/tendermint/commands/reset_priv_validator.go b/cmd/tendermint/commands/reset_priv_validator.go
index db7dbeaf6..5633ff23f 100644
--- a/cmd/tendermint/commands/reset_priv_validator.go
+++ b/cmd/tendermint/commands/reset_priv_validator.go
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ var keepAddrBook bool
 
 func init() {
 	ResetAllCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&keepAddrBook, "keep-addr-book", false, "Keep the address book intact")
+	ResetAllCmd.Flags().String("priv_key_type", config.PrivKeyType,
+		"Specify validator's private key type (ed25519 | composite)")
+	ResetPrivValidatorCmd.Flags().String("priv_key_type", config.PrivKeyType,
+		"Specify validator's private key type (ed25519 | composite)")
 }
 
 // ResetPrivValidatorCmd resets the private validator files.
@@ -35,7 +39,7 @@ var ResetPrivValidatorCmd = &cobra.Command{
 // it's only suitable for testnets.
 func resetAll(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	ResetAll(config.DBDir(), config.P2P.AddrBookFile(), config.PrivValidatorKeyFile(),
-		config.PrivValidatorKeyType(), config.PrivValidatorStateFile(), logger)
+		config.PrivValidatorStateFile(), config.PrivValidatorKeyType(), logger)
 }
 
 // XXX: this is totally unsafe.