diff --git a/packages/cosmwasm/src/lcdapi/wasm.spec.ts b/packages/cosmwasm/src/lcdapi/wasm.spec.ts
index aa408871..183d086a 100644
--- a/packages/cosmwasm/src/lcdapi/wasm.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/cosmwasm/src/lcdapi/wasm.spec.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import { Sha256 } from "@cosmjs/crypto";
 import { Bech32, fromAscii, fromBase64, fromHex, toAscii, toBase64, toHex } from "@cosmjs/encoding";
 import {
+  AuthModule,
   Coin,
   coin,
   coins,
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   Pen,
   PostTxsResponse,
   Secp256k1Pen,
+  setupAuthModule,
   StdFee,
 } from "@cosmjs/sdk38";
 import { assert } from "@cosmjs/utils";
@@ -37,10 +39,10 @@ import {
 } from "../testutils.spec";
 import { setupWasmModule, WasmModule } from "./wasm";
 
-type WasmClient = LcdClient & WasmModule;
+type WasmClient = LcdClient & AuthModule & WasmModule;
 
 function makeWasmClient(apiUrl: string): WasmClient {
-  return LcdClient.withModules({ apiUrl }, setupWasmModule);
+  return LcdClient.withModules({ apiUrl }, setupAuthModule, setupWasmModule);
 }
 
 async function uploadContract(
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/src/cosmosclient.ts b/packages/sdk38/src/cosmosclient.ts
index 5ab8b2b2..bcdfdc63 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/src/cosmosclient.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/src/cosmosclient.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { fromBase64, fromHex, toHex } from "@cosmjs/encoding";
 import { Uint53 } from "@cosmjs/math";
 
 import { Coin } from "./coins";
-import { BroadcastMode, LcdClient } from "./lcdapi";
+import { AuthModule, BroadcastMode, LcdClient, setupAuthModule } from "./lcdapi";
 import { Log, parseLogs } from "./logs";
 import { decodeBech32Pubkey } from "./pubkey";
 import { CosmosSdkTx, PubKey, StdTx } from "./types";
@@ -130,11 +130,11 @@ export interface Block {
 
 /** Use for testing only */
 export interface PrivateCosmWasmClient {
-  readonly lcdClient: LcdClient;
+  readonly lcdClient: LcdClient & AuthModule;
 }
 
 export class CosmosClient {
-  protected readonly lcdClient: LcdClient;
+  protected readonly lcdClient: LcdClient & AuthModule;
   /** Any address the chain considers valid (valid bech32 with proper prefix) */
   protected anyValidAddress: string | undefined;
 
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export class CosmosClient {
    * @param broadcastMode Defines at which point of the transaction processing the postTx method (i.e. transaction broadcasting) returns
    */
   public constructor(apiUrl: string, broadcastMode = BroadcastMode.Block) {
-    this.lcdClient = new LcdClient(apiUrl, broadcastMode);
+    this.lcdClient = LcdClient.withModules({ apiUrl: apiUrl, broadcastMode: broadcastMode }, setupAuthModule);
   }
 
   public async getChainId(): Promise<string> {
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/src/index.ts b/packages/sdk38/src/index.ts
index d55d2149..55d6360d 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/src/index.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export {
 export { makeSignBytes } from "./encoding";
 export {
   AuthAccountsResponse,
+  AuthModule,
   BlockResponse,
   BroadcastMode,
   EncodeTxResponse,
@@ -32,6 +33,9 @@ export {
   normalizeLcdApiArray,
   PostTxsResponse,
   SearchTxsResponse,
+  setupAuthModule,
+  setupSupplyModule,
+  SupplyModule,
   TxsResponse,
 } from "./lcdapi";
 export { RestClient } from "./restclient";
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/auth.spec.ts b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/auth.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2aabe9c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/auth.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/camelcase */
+import { encodeBech32Pubkey } from "../pubkey";
+import {
+  faucet,
+  makeRandomAddress,
+  nonNegativeIntegerMatcher,
+  pendingWithoutWasmd,
+  unused,
+  wasmd,
+} from "../testutils.spec";
+import { AuthModule, setupAuthModule } from "./auth";
+import { LcdClient } from "./lcdclient";
+
+function makeAuthClient(apiUrl: string): LcdClient & AuthModule {
+  return LcdClient.withModules({ apiUrl }, setupAuthModule);
+}
+
+describe("auth", () => {
+  it("works for unused account without pubkey", async () => {
+    pendingWithoutWasmd();
+    const client = makeAuthClient(wasmd.endpoint);
+    const { height, result } = await client.authAccounts(unused.address);
+    expect(height).toMatch(nonNegativeIntegerMatcher);
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      type: "cosmos-sdk/Account",
+      value: {
+        address: unused.address,
+        public_key: "", // not known to the chain
+        coins: [
+          {
+            amount: "1000000000",
+            denom: "ucosm",
+          },
+          {
+            amount: "1000000000",
+            denom: "ustake",
+          },
+        ],
+        account_number: unused.accountNumber,
+        sequence: 0,
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
+  // This fails in the first test run if you forget to run `./scripts/wasmd/init.sh`
+  it("has correct pubkey for faucet", async () => {
+    pendingWithoutWasmd();
+    const client = makeAuthClient(wasmd.endpoint);
+    const { result } = await client.authAccounts(faucet.address);
+    expect(result.value).toEqual(
+      jasmine.objectContaining({
+        public_key: encodeBech32Pubkey(faucet.pubkey, "cosmospub"),
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  // This property is used by CosmWasmClient.getAccount
+  it("returns empty address for non-existent account", async () => {
+    pendingWithoutWasmd();
+    const client = makeAuthClient(wasmd.endpoint);
+    const nonExistentAccount = makeRandomAddress();
+    const { result } = await client.authAccounts(nonExistentAccount);
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      type: "cosmos-sdk/Account",
+      value: jasmine.objectContaining({ address: "" }),
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/auth.ts b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/auth.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..497f834f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/auth.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import { Coin } from "../coins";
+import { LcdClient, LcdModule } from "./lcdclient";
+
+export interface CosmosSdkAccount {
+  /** Bech32 account address */
+  readonly address: string;
+  readonly coins: readonly Coin[];
+  /** Bech32 encoded pubkey */
+  readonly public_key: string;
+  readonly account_number: number;
+  readonly sequence: number;
+}
+
+export interface AuthAccountsResponse {
+  readonly height: string;
+  readonly result: {
+    readonly type: "cosmos-sdk/Account";
+    readonly value: CosmosSdkAccount;
+  };
+}
+
+export interface AuthModule extends LcdModule {
+  readonly authAccounts: (address: string) => Promise<AuthAccountsResponse>;
+}
+
+export function setupAuthModule(base: LcdClient): AuthModule {
+  return {
+    authAccounts: async (address: string) => {
+      const path = `/auth/accounts/${address}`;
+      const responseData = await base.get(path);
+      if (responseData.result.type !== "cosmos-sdk/Account") {
+        throw new Error("Unexpected response data format");
+      }
+      return responseData as AuthAccountsResponse;
+    },
+  };
+}
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/base.ts b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/base.ts
index bcf457cf..45f46e0f 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/base.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/base.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { Coin } from "../coins";
 import { CosmosSdkTx } from "../types";
 
 /**
@@ -100,24 +99,6 @@ export interface BlockResponse {
   readonly block: Block;
 }
 
-export interface CosmosSdkAccount {
-  /** Bech32 account address */
-  readonly address: string;
-  readonly coins: readonly Coin[];
-  /** Bech32 encoded pubkey */
-  readonly public_key: string;
-  readonly account_number: number;
-  readonly sequence: number;
-}
-
-export interface AuthAccountsResponse {
-  readonly height: string;
-  readonly result: {
-    readonly type: "cosmos-sdk/Account";
-    readonly value: CosmosSdkAccount;
-  };
-}
-
 export interface TxsResponse {
   readonly height: string;
   readonly txhash: string;
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/index.ts b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/index.ts
index 2dfbd914..19876b9d 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/index.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/index.ts
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@
 // Standard modules (see tracking issue https://github.com/CosmWasm/cosmjs/issues/276)
 //
 
-export { SupplyModule, TotalSupplyAllReponse, TotalSupplyReponse } from "./supply";
+export { AuthModule, AuthAccountsResponse, setupAuthModule } from "./auth";
+export { setupSupplyModule, SupplyModule, TotalSupplyAllReponse, TotalSupplyReponse } from "./supply";
 
 //
 // Base types
 //
 
 export {
-  AuthAccountsResponse,
   BlockResponse,
   BroadcastMode,
   EncodeTxResponse,
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/lcdclient.spec.ts b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/lcdclient.spec.ts
index a8e0951d..7ec00c0c 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/lcdclient.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/lcdclient.spec.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   wasmdEnabled,
 } from "../testutils.spec";
 import { StdFee } from "../types";
+import { setupAuthModule } from "./auth";
 import { TxsResponse } from "./base";
 import { LcdApiArray, LcdClient, normalizeLcdApiArray } from "./lcdclient";
 
@@ -523,7 +524,7 @@ describe("LcdClient", () => {
         gas: "890000",
       };
 
-      const client = new LcdClient(wasmd.endpoint);
+      const client = LcdClient.withModules({ apiUrl: wasmd.endpoint }, setupAuthModule);
       const { account_number, sequence } = (await client.authAccounts(faucet.address)).result.value;
 
       const signBytes = makeSignBytes([theMsg], fee, wasmd.chainId, memo, account_number, sequence);
@@ -576,7 +577,7 @@ describe("LcdClient", () => {
         gas: "890000",
       };
 
-      const client = new LcdClient(wasmd.endpoint);
+      const client = LcdClient.withModules({ apiUrl: wasmd.endpoint }, setupAuthModule);
       const { account_number: an1, sequence: sequence1 } = (await client.authAccounts(address1)).result.value;
       const { account_number: an2, sequence: sequence2 } = (await client.authAccounts(address2)).result.value;
       const { account_number: an3, sequence: sequence3 } = (await client.authAccounts(address3)).result.value;
@@ -641,7 +642,7 @@ describe("LcdClient", () => {
         gas: "890000",
       };
 
-      const client = new LcdClient(wasmd.endpoint);
+      const client = LcdClient.withModules({ apiUrl: wasmd.endpoint }, setupAuthModule);
       const { account_number, sequence } = (await client.authAccounts(address1)).result.value;
 
       const signBytes = makeSignBytes([msg1, msg2], fee, wasmd.chainId, memo, account_number, sequence);
@@ -701,7 +702,7 @@ describe("LcdClient", () => {
         gas: "890000",
       };
 
-      const client = new LcdClient(wasmd.endpoint);
+      const client = LcdClient.withModules({ apiUrl: wasmd.endpoint }, setupAuthModule);
       const { account_number: an1, sequence: sequence1 } = (await client.authAccounts(address1)).result.value;
       const { account_number: an2, sequence: sequence2 } = (await client.authAccounts(address2)).result.value;
 
@@ -769,7 +770,7 @@ describe("LcdClient", () => {
         gas: "890000",
       };
 
-      const client = new LcdClient(wasmd.endpoint);
+      const client = LcdClient.withModules({ apiUrl: wasmd.endpoint }, setupAuthModule);
       const { account_number: an1, sequence: sequence1 } = (await client.authAccounts(address1)).result.value;
       const { account_number: an2, sequence: sequence2 } = (await client.authAccounts(address2)).result.value;
 
@@ -832,7 +833,7 @@ describe("LcdClient", () => {
         gas: "890000",
       };
 
-      const client = new LcdClient(wasmd.endpoint);
+      const client = LcdClient.withModules({ apiUrl: wasmd.endpoint }, setupAuthModule);
       const { account_number: an1, sequence: sequence1 } = (await client.authAccounts(address1)).result.value;
       const { account_number: an2, sequence: sequence2 } = (await client.authAccounts(address2)).result.value;
 
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/lcdclient.ts b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/lcdclient.ts
index f0889396..cbe1e4ab 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/lcdclient.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/src/lcdapi/lcdclient.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import axios, { AxiosError, AxiosInstance } from "axios";
 
 import { CosmosSdkTx, StdTx } from "../types";
 import {
-  AuthAccountsResponse,
   BlockResponse,
   BroadcastMode,
   EncodeTxResponse,
@@ -263,17 +262,6 @@ export class LcdClient {
     return data;
   }
 
-  // The /auth endpoints
-
-  public async authAccounts(address: string): Promise<AuthAccountsResponse> {
-    const path = `/auth/accounts/${address}`;
-    const responseData = await this.get(path);
-    if (responseData.result.type !== "cosmos-sdk/Account") {
-      throw new Error("Unexpected response data format");
-    }
-    return responseData as AuthAccountsResponse;
-  }
-
   // The /blocks endpoints
 
   public async blocksLatest(): Promise<BlockResponse> {
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/types/cosmosclient.d.ts b/packages/sdk38/types/cosmosclient.d.ts
index f5f31bc6..3232ba75 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/types/cosmosclient.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/types/cosmosclient.d.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Coin } from "./coins";
-import { BroadcastMode, LcdClient } from "./lcdapi";
+import { AuthModule, BroadcastMode, LcdClient } from "./lcdapi";
 import { Log } from "./logs";
 import { CosmosSdkTx, PubKey, StdTx } from "./types";
 export interface GetNonceResult {
@@ -94,10 +94,10 @@ export interface Block {
 }
 /** Use for testing only */
 export interface PrivateCosmWasmClient {
-  readonly lcdClient: LcdClient;
+  readonly lcdClient: LcdClient & AuthModule;
 }
 export declare class CosmosClient {
-  protected readonly lcdClient: LcdClient;
+  protected readonly lcdClient: LcdClient & AuthModule;
   /** Any address the chain considers valid (valid bech32 with proper prefix) */
   protected anyValidAddress: string | undefined;
   private chainId;
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/types/index.d.ts b/packages/sdk38/types/index.d.ts
index b3fd530d..d94febb4 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/types/index.d.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export {
 export { makeSignBytes } from "./encoding";
 export {
   AuthAccountsResponse,
+  AuthModule,
   BlockResponse,
   BroadcastMode,
   EncodeTxResponse,
@@ -30,6 +31,9 @@ export {
   normalizeLcdApiArray,
   PostTxsResponse,
   SearchTxsResponse,
+  setupAuthModule,
+  setupSupplyModule,
+  SupplyModule,
   TxsResponse,
 } from "./lcdapi";
 export { RestClient } from "./restclient";
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/auth.d.ts b/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/auth.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ecd2020b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/auth.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { Coin } from "../coins";
+import { LcdClient, LcdModule } from "./lcdclient";
+export interface CosmosSdkAccount {
+  /** Bech32 account address */
+  readonly address: string;
+  readonly coins: readonly Coin[];
+  /** Bech32 encoded pubkey */
+  readonly public_key: string;
+  readonly account_number: number;
+  readonly sequence: number;
+}
+export interface AuthAccountsResponse {
+  readonly height: string;
+  readonly result: {
+    readonly type: "cosmos-sdk/Account";
+    readonly value: CosmosSdkAccount;
+  };
+}
+export interface AuthModule extends LcdModule {
+  readonly authAccounts: (address: string) => Promise<AuthAccountsResponse>;
+}
+export declare function setupAuthModule(base: LcdClient): AuthModule;
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/auth.spec.d.ts b/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/auth.spec.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cb0ff5c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/auth.spec.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export {};
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/base.d.ts b/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/base.d.ts
index 3f520738..d7927b0f 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/base.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/base.d.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { Coin } from "../coins";
 import { CosmosSdkTx } from "../types";
 /**
  * The mode used to send transaction
@@ -85,22 +84,6 @@ export interface BlockResponse {
   readonly block_id: BlockId;
   readonly block: Block;
 }
-export interface CosmosSdkAccount {
-  /** Bech32 account address */
-  readonly address: string;
-  readonly coins: readonly Coin[];
-  /** Bech32 encoded pubkey */
-  readonly public_key: string;
-  readonly account_number: number;
-  readonly sequence: number;
-}
-export interface AuthAccountsResponse {
-  readonly height: string;
-  readonly result: {
-    readonly type: "cosmos-sdk/Account";
-    readonly value: CosmosSdkAccount;
-  };
-}
 export interface TxsResponse {
   readonly height: string;
   readonly txhash: string;
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/index.d.ts b/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/index.d.ts
index 5dd4140a..ab6fc2a3 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/index.d.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-export { SupplyModule, TotalSupplyAllReponse, TotalSupplyReponse } from "./supply";
+export { AuthModule, AuthAccountsResponse, setupAuthModule } from "./auth";
+export { setupSupplyModule, SupplyModule, TotalSupplyAllReponse, TotalSupplyReponse } from "./supply";
 export {
-  AuthAccountsResponse,
   BlockResponse,
   BroadcastMode,
   EncodeTxResponse,
diff --git a/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/lcdclient.d.ts b/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/lcdclient.d.ts
index 379051c7..924fc62a 100644
--- a/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/lcdclient.d.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk38/types/lcdapi/lcdclient.d.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { CosmosSdkTx, StdTx } from "../types";
 import {
-  AuthAccountsResponse,
   BlockResponse,
   BroadcastMode,
   EncodeTxResponse,
@@ -147,7 +146,6 @@ export declare class LcdClient {
   constructor(apiUrl: string, broadcastMode?: BroadcastMode);
   get(path: string): Promise<any>;
   post(path: string, params: any): Promise<any>;
-  authAccounts(address: string): Promise<AuthAccountsResponse>;
   blocksLatest(): Promise<BlockResponse>;
   blocks(height: number): Promise<BlockResponse>;
   nodeInfo(): Promise<NodeInfoResponse>;