diff --git a/server/api/server.go b/server/api/server.go
index 2ca63509bb..4fdff55e49 100644
--- a/server/api/server.go
+++ b/server/api/server.go
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ func (s *Server) Start(cfg config.Config) error {
 		return tmrpcserver.Serve(s.listener, allowAllCORS(h), s.logger, tmCfg)
 	}
 
+	s.logger.Info("starting API server...")
 	return tmrpcserver.Serve(s.listener, s.Router, s.logger, tmCfg)
 }
 
diff --git a/server/start.go b/server/start.go
index 59d3261fa0..6259cede97 100644
--- a/server/start.go
+++ b/server/start.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/flags"
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/api"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/config"
 	servergrpc "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/grpc"
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ which accepts a path for the resulting pprof file.
 			serverCtx.Logger.Info("starting ABCI with Tendermint")
 
 			// amino is needed here for backwards compatibility of REST routes
-			err := startInProcess(serverCtx, clientCtx.LegacyAmino, appCreator)
+			err := startInProcess(serverCtx, clientCtx, appCreator)
 			return err
 		},
 	}
@@ -180,7 +179,7 @@ func startStandAlone(ctx *Context, appCreator types.AppCreator) error {
 }
 
 // legacyAminoCdc is used for the legacy REST API
-func startInProcess(ctx *Context, legacyAminoCdc *codec.LegacyAmino, appCreator types.AppCreator) error {
+func startInProcess(ctx *Context, clientCtx client.Context, appCreator types.AppCreator) error {
 	cfg := ctx.Config
 	home := cfg.RootDir
 
@@ -230,11 +229,9 @@ func startInProcess(ctx *Context, legacyAminoCdc *codec.LegacyAmino, appCreator
 			return err
 		}
 
-		clientCtx := client.Context{}.
+		clientCtx := clientCtx.
 			WithHomeDir(home).
 			WithChainID(genDoc.ChainID).
-			// amino is needed here for backwards compatibility of REST routes
-			WithLegacyAmino(legacyAminoCdc).
 			WithClient(local.New(tmNode))
 
 		apiSrv = api.New(clientCtx, ctx.Logger.With("module", "api-server"))