diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 29c06126..e1648ccc 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     "@iov/crypto": "^2.0.0-alpha.7",
     "@iov/encoding": "^2.0.0-alpha.7",
     "@iov/keycontrol": "^2.0.0-alpha.7",
+    "@iov/utils": "^2.0.0-alpha.7",
     "argparse": "^1.0.10",
     "babylon": "^6.18.0",
     "colors": "^1.3.3",
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/cli.ts b/packages/cli/src/cli.ts
index 9782a670..5aba2625 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/cli.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ export function main(originalArgs: readonly string[]): void {
         "WalletSerializationString",
       ],
     ],
+    ["@iov/utils", ["sleep"]],
   ]);
 
   console.info(colors.green("Initializing session for you. Have fun!"));
@@ -109,11 +110,15 @@ export function main(originalArgs: readonly string[]): void {
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-non-null-assertion
     init += `import { ${imports.get(moduleName)!.join(", ")} } from "${moduleName}";\n`;
   }
-  init += `const { toAscii, fromHex, toHex } = Encoding;\n`;
+  // helper functions
+  init += `
+    const { toAscii, fromHex, toHex } = Encoding;
+  `;
 
   if (args.selftest) {
     // execute some trival stuff and exit
     init += `
+      await sleep(123);
       const hash = new Sha512(new Uint8Array([])).digest();
       const hexHash = toHex(hash);
       export class NewDummyClass {};
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 12ca8412..b93ac1be 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@
   dependencies:
     xstream "^11.10.0"
 
+"@iov/utils@^2.0.0-alpha.7":
+  version "2.0.0-alpha.7"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@iov/utils/-/utils-2.0.0-alpha.7.tgz#af9aebcb9e221e53cf62c5511f007c65d95f5c0c"
+  integrity sha512-myWATqmlCFZ/jSrsBQlyn+6D2ViAscZVAqBAw38kbIfv3TiKTjWb2RqhlNDnlVgt3uD0ZtQFyY9hkRMCwfIk+w==
+
 "@koa/cors@^3.0.0":
   version "3.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@koa/cors/-/cors-3.0.0.tgz#df021b4df2dadf1e2b04d7c8ddf93ba2d42519cb"