diff --git a/db/creator.go b/db/creator.go
index 3e13a4f919ad..51de15172ed0 100644
--- a/db/creator.go
+++ b/db/creator.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func NewDB(name string, backend BackendType, dir string) (DBConnection, error) {
 		for k := range backends {
 			keys = append(keys, string(k))
 		}
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown db_backend %s, expected one of %v",
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown App DB backend %s, expected one of %v",
 			backend, strings.Join(keys, ","))
 	}
 
diff --git a/server/config/config.go b/server/config/config.go
index 8d4c003eae46..64e3aa22bd0d 100644
--- a/server/config/config.go
+++ b/server/config/config.go
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ func DefaultConfig() *Config {
 			MinRetainBlocks:   0,
 			IndexEvents:       make([]string, 0),
 			IAVLCacheSize:     781250, // 50 MB
-			AppDBBackend:      "",
+			AppDBBackend:      "badgerdb",
 		},
 		Telemetry: telemetry.Config{
 			Enabled:      false,
diff --git a/simapp/config.go b/simapp/config.go
index 48cc053f2533..498c53c4d2b6 100644
--- a/simapp/config.go
+++ b/simapp/config.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ var (
 	FlagCommitValue             bool
 	FlagOnOperationValue        bool // TODO: Remove in favor of binary search for invariant violation
 	FlagAllInvariantsValue      bool
-	FlagDBBackendValue          string
+	FlagTMDBBackendValue        string
 
 	FlagEnabledValue     bool
 	FlagVerboseValue     bool
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func GetSimulatorFlags() {
 	flag.BoolVar(&FlagCommitValue, "Commit", false, "have the simulation commit")
 	flag.BoolVar(&FlagOnOperationValue, "SimulateEveryOperation", false, "run slow invariants every operation")
 	flag.BoolVar(&FlagAllInvariantsValue, "PrintAllInvariants", false, "print all invariants if a broken invariant is found")
-	flag.StringVar(&FlagDBBackendValue, "DBBackend", "goleveldb", "custom db backend type")
+	flag.StringVar(&FlagTMDBBackendValue, "DBBackend", "badgerdb", "custom db backend type")
 
 	// simulation flags
 	flag.BoolVar(&FlagEnabledValue, "Enabled", false, "enable the simulation")
@@ -73,6 +73,6 @@ func NewConfigFromFlags() simulation.Config {
 		Commit:             FlagCommitValue,
 		OnOperation:        FlagOnOperationValue,
 		AllInvariants:      FlagAllInvariantsValue,
-		DBBackend:          FlagDBBackendValue,
+		DBBackend:          FlagTMDBBackendValue,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/types/utils.go b/types/utils.go
index dc13af6f9b21..7295dc1e567b 100644
--- a/types/utils.go
+++ b/types/utils.go
@@ -3,21 +3,20 @@ package types
 import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
-	dbm "github.com/tendermint/tm-db"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/db"
 )
 
 var (
 	// This is set at compile time. Could be cleveldb, defaults is goleveldb.
 	DBBackend = "" // Deprecated: Use tendermint config's DBBackend value instead.
-	backend   = dbm.GoLevelDBBackend
+	backend   = db.BadgerDBBackend
 )
 
 func init() {
 	if len(DBBackend) != 0 {
-		backend = dbm.BackendType(DBBackend)
+		backend = db.BackendType(DBBackend)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -84,19 +83,6 @@ func ParseTimeBytes(bz []byte) (time.Time, error) {
 	return t.UTC().Round(0), nil
 }
 
-// NewLevelDB instantiate a new LevelDB instance according to DBBackend.
-//
-// Deprecated: Use NewDB (from "github.com/tendermint/tm-db") instead. Suggested backendType is tendermint config's DBBackend value.
-func NewLevelDB(name, dir string) (db dbm.DB, err error) {
-	defer func() {
-		if r := recover(); r != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("couldn't create db: %v", r)
-		}
-	}()
-
-	return dbm.NewDB(name, backend, dir)
-}
-
 // copy bytes
 func CopyBytes(bz []byte) (ret []byte) {
 	if bz == nil {