diff --git a/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.spec.ts b/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.spec.ts
index b6e8996d..5befdfe8 100644
--- a/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { assert } from "@cosmjs/utils";
 
-import { StargateClient } from "./stargateclient";
+import { PrivateStargateClient, StargateClient } from "./stargateclient";
 import { nonExistentAddress, pendingWithoutSimapp, simapp, unused, validator } from "./testutils.spec";
 
 describe("StargateClient", () => {
@@ -13,6 +13,26 @@ describe("StargateClient", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe("getChainId", () => {
+    it("works", async () => {
+      pendingWithoutSimapp();
+      const client = await StargateClient.connect(simapp.tendermintUrl);
+      expect(await client.getChainId()).toEqual(simapp.chainId);
+    });
+
+    it("caches chain ID", async () => {
+      pendingWithoutSimapp();
+      const client = await StargateClient.connect(simapp.tendermintUrl);
+      const openedClient = (client as unknown) as PrivateStargateClient;
+      const getCodeSpy = spyOn(openedClient.tmClient, "status").and.callThrough();
+
+      expect(await client.getChainId()).toEqual(simapp.chainId); // from network
+      expect(await client.getChainId()).toEqual(simapp.chainId); // from cache
+
+      expect(getCodeSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe("getAccount", () => {
     it("works for unused account", async () => {
       pendingWithoutSimapp();
diff --git a/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.ts b/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.ts
index 7ee31b9f..faae603f 100644
--- a/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.ts
+++ b/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.ts
@@ -49,8 +49,14 @@ function coinFromProto(input: cosmos.ICoin): Coin {
   };
 }
 
+/** Use for testing only */
+export interface PrivateStargateClient {
+  readonly tmClient: TendermintClient;
+}
+
 export class StargateClient {
   private readonly tmClient: TendermintClient;
+  private chainId: string | undefined;
 
   public static async connect(endpoint: string): Promise<StargateClient> {
     const tmClient = await TendermintClient.connect(endpoint);
@@ -61,6 +67,17 @@ export class StargateClient {
     this.tmClient = tmClient;
   }
 
+  public async getChainId(): Promise<string> {
+    if (!this.chainId) {
+      const response = await this.tmClient.status();
+      const chainId = response.nodeInfo.network;
+      if (!chainId) throw new Error("Chain ID must not be empty");
+      this.chainId = chainId;
+    }
+
+    return this.chainId;
+  }
+
   public async getAccount(searchAddress: string): Promise<Account | null> {
     const { prefix, data: binAddress } = Bech32.decode(searchAddress);
     // https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/blob/8cab43c8120fec5200c3459cbf4a92017bb6f287/x/auth/types/keys.go#L29-L32
diff --git a/packages/stargate/types/stargateclient.d.ts b/packages/stargate/types/stargateclient.d.ts
index d0ea02ca..3f745705 100644
--- a/packages/stargate/types/stargateclient.d.ts
+++ b/packages/stargate/types/stargateclient.d.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Coin, PubKey } from "@cosmjs/launchpad";
+import { Client as TendermintClient } from "@cosmjs/tendermint-rpc";
 export interface Account {
   /** Bech32 account address */
   readonly address: string;
@@ -10,10 +11,16 @@ export interface SequenceResponse {
   readonly accountNumber: number;
   readonly sequence: number;
 }
+/** Use for testing only */
+export interface PrivateStargateClient {
+  readonly tmClient: TendermintClient;
+}
 export declare class StargateClient {
   private readonly tmClient;
+  private chainId;
   static connect(endpoint: string): Promise<StargateClient>;
   private constructor();
+  getChainId(): Promise<string>;
   getAccount(searchAddress: string): Promise<Account | null>;
   getSequence(address: string): Promise<SequenceResponse | null>;
   getBalance(address: string, searchDenom: string): Promise<Coin | null>;