diff --git a/HACKING.md b/HACKING.md
index 7c702ea6..053d8ee2 100644
--- a/HACKING.md
+++ b/HACKING.md
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ work on CosmJS, i.e. modify it. It is not intended for users of CosmJS.
 - Node.js 12+, Docker and yarn
 - `sha256sum`, which you
   [can get on macOS as well](https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/426837/no-sha256sum-in-macos)
+- `gsed`, which you
+  [can get on macOS as well](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/gnu-sed)
 
 ## Checking out code
 
diff --git a/scripts/simapp/generate_template.sh b/scripts/simapp/generate_template.sh
index aed23d74..0ef73908 100755
--- a/scripts/simapp/generate_template.sh
+++ b/scripts/simapp/generate_template.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 set -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
 command -v shellcheck >/dev/null && shellcheck "$0"
 
+gnused="$(command -v gsed || echo sed)"
+
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(realpath "$(dirname "$0")")"
 # shellcheck source=./env
 # shellcheck disable=SC1091
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ function inline_jq() {
   inline_jq "template/.simapp/config/genesis.json" -S
 
   # Custom settings in config.toml
-  sed -i "" \
+  "$gnused" -i \
     -e 's/^cors_allowed_origins =.*$/cors_allowed_origins = ["*"]/' \
     -e 's/^timeout_propose =.*$/timeout_propose = "300ms"/' \
     -e 's/^timeout_propose_delta =.*$/timeout_propose_delta = "100ms"/' \
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ function inline_jq() {
     "template/.simapp/config/config.toml"
 
   # Custom settings app.toml
-  sed -i "" \
+  "$gnused" -i \
     -e 's/^enable =.*$/enable = true/' \
     -e 's/^enabled-unsafe-cors =.*$/enabled-unsafe-cors = true/' \
     "template/.simapp/config/app.toml"
diff --git a/scripts/simapp/generate_template_slow.sh b/scripts/simapp/generate_template_slow.sh
index 72f9cf42..d28227f3 100755
--- a/scripts/simapp/generate_template_slow.sh
+++ b/scripts/simapp/generate_template_slow.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 set -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
 command -v shellcheck >/dev/null && shellcheck "$0"
 
+gnused="$(command -v gsed || echo sed)"
+
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(realpath "$(dirname "$0")")"
 
 # Create template for slow simapp
@@ -12,7 +14,7 @@ SCRIPT_DIR="$(realpath "$(dirname "$0")")"
   chmod +x "$SCRIPT_DIR/template_slow/run_simd.sh"
 
   # Slow settings in config.toml
-  sed -i "" \
+  "$gnused" -i \
     -e 's/^timeout_broadcast_tx_commit =.*$/timeout_broadcast_tx_commit = "1s"/' \
     -e 's/^timeout_commit =.*$/timeout_commit = "10s"/' \
     "template_slow/.simapp/config/config.toml"
diff --git a/scripts/simapp/setup.sh b/scripts/simapp/setup.sh
index 1fd82742..18741399 100644
--- a/scripts/simapp/setup.sh
+++ b/scripts/simapp/setup.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 set -o errexit -o nounset
 command -v shellcheck >/dev/null && shellcheck "$0"
 
+gnused="$(command -v gsed || echo sed)"
+
 PASSWORD=${PASSWORD:-1234567890}
 CHAIN_ID=${CHAIN_ID:-simd-testing}
 MONIKER=${MONIKER:-simd-moniker}
@@ -15,7 +17,7 @@ START_BALANCE="10000000$STAKE,1000000000$FEE"
 
 echo "Creating genesis ..."
 simd init --chain-id "$CHAIN_ID" "$MONIKER"
-sed -i "s/\"stake\"/\"$STAKE\"/" "$HOME"/.simapp/config/genesis.json # staking/governance token is hardcoded in config, change this
+"$gnused" -i "s/\"stake\"/\"$STAKE\"/" "$HOME"/.simapp/config/genesis.json # staking/governance token is hardcoded in config, change this
 
 echo "Setting up validator ..."
 if ! simd keys show validator 2>/dev/null; then
diff --git a/scripts/simapp/template/setup.sh b/scripts/simapp/template/setup.sh
index 1fd82742..18741399 100755
--- a/scripts/simapp/template/setup.sh
+++ b/scripts/simapp/template/setup.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 set -o errexit -o nounset
 command -v shellcheck >/dev/null && shellcheck "$0"
 
+gnused="$(command -v gsed || echo sed)"
+
 PASSWORD=${PASSWORD:-1234567890}
 CHAIN_ID=${CHAIN_ID:-simd-testing}
 MONIKER=${MONIKER:-simd-moniker}
@@ -15,7 +17,7 @@ START_BALANCE="10000000$STAKE,1000000000$FEE"
 
 echo "Creating genesis ..."
 simd init --chain-id "$CHAIN_ID" "$MONIKER"
-sed -i "s/\"stake\"/\"$STAKE\"/" "$HOME"/.simapp/config/genesis.json # staking/governance token is hardcoded in config, change this
+"$gnused" -i "s/\"stake\"/\"$STAKE\"/" "$HOME"/.simapp/config/genesis.json # staking/governance token is hardcoded in config, change this
 
 echo "Setting up validator ..."
 if ! simd keys show validator 2>/dev/null; then
diff --git a/scripts/simapp/template_slow/setup.sh b/scripts/simapp/template_slow/setup.sh
index 1fd82742..18741399 100755
--- a/scripts/simapp/template_slow/setup.sh
+++ b/scripts/simapp/template_slow/setup.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 set -o errexit -o nounset
 command -v shellcheck >/dev/null && shellcheck "$0"
 
+gnused="$(command -v gsed || echo sed)"
+
 PASSWORD=${PASSWORD:-1234567890}
 CHAIN_ID=${CHAIN_ID:-simd-testing}
 MONIKER=${MONIKER:-simd-moniker}
@@ -15,7 +17,7 @@ START_BALANCE="10000000$STAKE,1000000000$FEE"
 
 echo "Creating genesis ..."
 simd init --chain-id "$CHAIN_ID" "$MONIKER"
-sed -i "s/\"stake\"/\"$STAKE\"/" "$HOME"/.simapp/config/genesis.json # staking/governance token is hardcoded in config, change this
+"$gnused" -i "s/\"stake\"/\"$STAKE\"/" "$HOME"/.simapp/config/genesis.json # staking/governance token is hardcoded in config, change this
 
 echo "Setting up validator ..."
 if ! simd keys show validator 2>/dev/null; then
diff --git a/scripts/tendermint/start.sh b/scripts/tendermint/start.sh
index e5d3b65b..20c4b3d2 100755
--- a/scripts/tendermint/start.sh
+++ b/scripts/tendermint/start.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 set -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
 command -v shellcheck >/dev/null && shellcheck "$0"
 
+gnused="$(command -v gsed || echo sed)"
+
 # Tendermint settings must be specified
 # Choose version from https://hub.docker.com/r/tendermint/tendermint/tags/
 for SETTING in "TENDERMINT_VERSION" "TENDERMINT_PORT" "TENDERMINT_NAME"; do
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@ docker run --rm \
 
 # make sure we allow cors origins, only possible by modifying the config file
 # https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint/issues/3216
-sed -ie 's/^cors_allowed_origins =.*$/cors_allowed_origins = ["*"]/' "${TMP_DIR}/config/config.toml"
+"$gnused" -i -e 's/^cors_allowed_origins =.*$/cors_allowed_origins = ["*"]/' "${TMP_DIR}/config/config.toml"
 
 # must enable tx index for search and subscribe
 docker run --rm \
diff --git a/scripts/wasmd/generate_template.sh b/scripts/wasmd/generate_template.sh
index a3888f7f..8d08e13c 100755
--- a/scripts/wasmd/generate_template.sh
+++ b/scripts/wasmd/generate_template.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 set -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
 command -v shellcheck >/dev/null && shellcheck "$0"
 
+gnused="$(command -v gsed || echo sed)"
+
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(realpath "$(dirname "$0")")"
 # shellcheck source=./env
 # shellcheck disable=SC1091
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ function inline_jq() {
   inline_jq "template/.wasmd/config/genesis.json" -S
 
   # Custom settings in config.toml
-  sed -i "" \
+  "$gnused" -i \
     -e 's/^cors_allowed_origins =.*$/cors_allowed_origins = ["*"]/' \
     -e 's/^timeout_propose =.*$/timeout_propose = "300ms"/' \
     -e 's/^timeout_propose_delta =.*$/timeout_propose_delta = "100ms"/' \
@@ -59,7 +61,7 @@ function inline_jq() {
     "template/.wasmd/config/config.toml"
 
   # Custom settings app.toml
-  sed -i "" \
+  "$gnused" -i \
     -e 's/^enable =.*$/enable = true/' \
     -e 's/^enabled-unsafe-cors =.*$/enabled-unsafe-cors = true/' \
     "template/.wasmd/config/app.toml"