diff --git a/PENDING.md b/PENDING.md
index 97815a3692..21223bd7a1 100644
--- a/PENDING.md
+++ b/PENDING.md
@@ -52,3 +52,4 @@ BUG FIXES
 *  \#1797 Fix off-by-one error in slashing for downtime
 *  \#1787 Fixed bug where Tally fails due to revoked/unbonding validator
 *  \#1766 Fixes bad example for keybase identity
+*  \#1799 Fix `gaiad export`
diff --git a/baseapp/baseapp.go b/baseapp/baseapp.go
index 0487237555..7416f8089d 100644
--- a/baseapp/baseapp.go
+++ b/baseapp/baseapp.go
@@ -190,7 +190,8 @@ func (app *BaseApp) initFromStore(mainKey sdk.StoreKey) error {
 	if main == nil {
 		return errors.New("baseapp expects MultiStore with 'main' KVStore")
 	}
-
+	// Needed for `gaiad export`, which inits from store but never calls initchain
+	app.setCheckState(abci.Header{})
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/gaia/app/app_test.go b/cmd/gaia/app/app_test.go
index 759fc55a6c..63d650cef6 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/app/app_test.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/app/app_test.go
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
 package app
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/wire"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/auth"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/stake"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/db"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/log"
 
 	abci "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
 )
@@ -31,3 +37,14 @@ func setGenesis(gapp *GaiaApp, accs ...*auth.BaseAccount) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func TestGaiadExport(t *testing.T) {
+	db := db.NewMemDB()
+	gapp := NewGaiaApp(log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout)), db, nil)
+	setGenesis(gapp)
+
+	// Making a new app object with the db, so that initchain hasn't been called
+	newGapp := NewGaiaApp(log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout)), db, nil)
+	_, _, err := newGapp.ExportAppStateAndValidators()
+	require.NoError(t, err, "ExportAppStateAndValidators should not have an error")
+}