diff --git a/chain/cosmos/cosmos_chain.go b/chain/cosmos/cosmos_chain.go
index 0242a2d76..668750c2d 100644
--- a/chain/cosmos/cosmos_chain.go
+++ b/chain/cosmos/cosmos_chain.go
@@ -817,9 +817,13 @@ type GenesisValidators struct {
 	Power   string                 `json:"power"`
 	PubKey  GenesisValidatorPubKey `json:"pub_key"`
 }
-type GenesisFile struct {
+type GenesisConsensus struct {
 	Validators []GenesisValidators `json:"validators"`
 }
+type GenesisFile struct {
+	V47Validators []GenesisValidators `json:"validators"` // SDK v47 backwards Compatability
+	Consensus     GenesisConsensus    `json:"consensus"`  // v47+
+}
 
 type ValidatorWithIntPower struct {
 	Address      string
diff --git a/chain/cosmos/cosmos_genesis.go b/chain/cosmos/cosmos_genesis.go
index 565dc6901..1ed33d06c 100644
--- a/chain/cosmos/cosmos_genesis.go
+++ b/chain/cosmos/cosmos_genesis.go
@@ -26,21 +26,19 @@ import (
 func (c *CosmosChain) Start(testName string, ctx context.Context, additionalGenesisWallets ...ibc.WalletAmount) error {
 	chainCfg := c.Config()
 
-	// genesisAmount := types.Coin{
-	// 	Amount: types.NewInt(10_000_000_000_000),
-	// 	Denom:  chainCfg.Denom,
-	// }
+	// call StartWithGenesisFile here instead if something is changed
+	overGen := chainCfg.OverrideGenesisStart
+	if overGen.GenesisFilePath != "" {
+		c.log.Info("Starting with genesis file", zap.String("name", c.cfg.Name), zap.String("path", overGen.GenesisFilePath))
 
-	// genesisSelfDelegation := types.Coin{
-	// 	Amount: types.NewInt(5_000_000_000_000),
-	// 	Denom:  chainCfg.Denom,
-	// }
+		if overGen.Client == nil || overGen.NetworkID == "" {
+			panic("BUG: OverrideGenesisStart is nil when using GenesisFilePath")
+		}
 
-	// if chainCfg.ModifyGenesisAmounts != nil {
-	// 	genesisAmount, genesisSelfDelegation = chainCfg.ModifyGenesisAmounts()
-	// }
+		return c.StartWithGenesisFile(ctx, testName, overGen.Client, overGen.NetworkID, overGen.GenesisFilePath)
+	}
 
-	// genesisAmounts := []types.Coin{genesisAmount}
+	c.log.Info("Starting chain", zap.String("name", c.cfg.Name))
 
 	decimalPow := int64(math.Pow10(int(*chainCfg.CoinDecimals)))
 	genesisAmounts := make([][]types.Coin, len(c.Validators))
@@ -60,9 +58,7 @@ func (c *CosmosChain) Start(testName string, ctx context.Context, additionalGene
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// TODO: this was changed to chain, we good?
 	if c.cfg.PreGenesis != nil {
-		// err := c.cfg.PreGenesis(chainCfg)
 		err := c.cfg.PreGenesis(c)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -133,9 +129,14 @@ func (c *CosmosChain) StartWithGenesisFile(
 		return err
 	}
 
-	genesisValidators := genesisFile.Validators
+	// TODO: SDK v47 check here (genesisFile.V47Validators)
+	genesisValidators := genesisFile.Consensus.Validators
 	totalPower := int64(0)
 
+	if len(genesisValidators) == 0 {
+		panic("BUG: genesisValidators is empty with custom genesis file start.")
+	}
+
 	validatorsWithPower := make([]ValidatorWithIntPower, 0)
 
 	for _, genesisValidator := range genesisValidators {
@@ -178,6 +179,9 @@ func (c *CosmosChain) StartWithGenesisFile(
 	}
 
 	c.NumValidators = len(activeVals)
+	if c.NumValidators == 0 {
+		panic("BUG: c.NumValidators is 0 with custom genesis file start.")
+	}
 
 	if err := c.initializeChainNodes(ctx, testName, client, network); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -313,7 +317,7 @@ func (c *CosmosChain) startWithFinalGenesis(ctx context.Context, genbz []byte) e
 	}
 
 	// Wait for blocks before considering the chains "started"
-	return testutil.WaitForBlocks(ctx, 2, c.getFullNode())
+	return testutil.WaitForBlocks(ctx, 2, c.GetNode())
 }
 
 // Bootstraps the chain and starts it from genesis
diff --git a/examples/cosmos/delete_me_test.go b/examples/cosmos/delete_me_test.go
index 6e49b26e6..a70254e04 100644
--- a/examples/cosmos/delete_me_test.go
+++ b/examples/cosmos/delete_me_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@ func TestSingleValBenchmark(t *testing.T) {
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
+	client, network := interchaintest.DockerSetup(t)
+	icOpts := interchaintest.InterchainBuildOptions{
+		TestName:         t.Name(),
+		Client:           client,
+		NetworkID:        network,
+		SkipPathCreation: false,
+	}
+
 	cf := interchaintest.NewBuiltinChainFactory(zaptest.NewLogger(t), []*interchaintest.ChainSpec{
 		{
 			Name:      "ibc-go-simd",
@@ -34,6 +42,11 @@ func TestSingleValBenchmark(t *testing.T) {
 				CoinType:      "118",
 				ModifyGenesis: cosmos.ModifyGenesis(sdk47Genesis),
 				GasAdjustment: 1.5,
+				OverrideGenesisStart: ibc.GenesisFileStart{
+					GenesisFilePath: path.Join(t.Name(), "export.json"), // TODO: if this is not there, do we continue as normal? (or add an option here for PanicOnMissing)
+					Client:          client,
+					NetworkID:       network,
+				},
 			},
 			NumValidators: &numValsOne,
 			NumFullNodes:  &numFullNodesZero,
@@ -45,8 +58,6 @@ func TestSingleValBenchmark(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	chainA := chains[0].(*cosmos.CosmosChain)
 
-	client, network := interchaintest.DockerSetup(t)
-
 	ic := interchaintest.NewInterchain().
 		AddChain(chainA)
 
@@ -54,12 +65,7 @@ func TestSingleValBenchmark(t *testing.T) {
 	eRep := rep.RelayerExecReporter(t)
 
 	now = time.Now()
-	require.NoError(t, ic.Build(ctx, eRep, interchaintest.InterchainBuildOptions{
-		TestName:         t.Name(),
-		Client:           client,
-		NetworkID:        network,
-		SkipPathCreation: false,
-	}))
+	require.NoError(t, ic.Build(ctx, eRep, icOpts))
 
 	_, err = performExport(t, ctx, chainA, "export.json")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/ibc/types.go b/ibc/types.go
index d17415cbd..6bd1650fe 100644
--- a/ibc/types.go
+++ b/ibc/types.go
@@ -80,6 +80,14 @@ type ChainConfig struct {
 	AdditionalStartArgs []string
 	// Environment variables for chain nodes
 	Env []string
+	// Genesis file path and information for the chain to start with.
+	OverrideGenesisStart GenesisFileStart `yaml:"genesis-file-start"`
+}
+
+type GenesisFileStart struct {
+	GenesisFilePath string         `yaml:"genesis-file-path"`
+	Client          *client.Client `yaml:"-" json:"-"`
+	NetworkID       string         `yaml:"network-id"`
 }
 
 func (c ChainConfig) Clone() ChainConfig {
@@ -231,6 +239,10 @@ func (c ChainConfig) MergeChainSpecConfig(other ChainConfig) ChainConfig {
 		c.InterchainSecurityConfig = other.InterchainSecurityConfig
 	}
 
+	if !cmp.Equal(other.OverrideGenesisStart, GenesisFileStart{}) {
+		c.OverrideGenesisStart = other.OverrideGenesisStart
+	}
+
 	return c
 }