diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fbf50087e3..100b0cae2f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 *.swp
 vendor
+merkleeyes.db
diff --git a/cmd/basecoin/commands/start.go b/cmd/basecoin/commands/start.go
index 90e701afd8..225619399f 100644
--- a/cmd/basecoin/commands/start.go
+++ b/cmd/basecoin/commands/start.go
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ var StartCmd = cli.Command{
 		InProcTMFlag,
 		ChainIDFlag,
 		IbcPluginFlag,
-		// CounterPluginFlag,
 	},
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/basecoin/commands/tx.go b/cmd/basecoin/commands/tx.go
index 43d36c81d7..2e7d3028dc 100644
--- a/cmd/basecoin/commands/tx.go
+++ b/cmd/basecoin/commands/tx.go
@@ -183,6 +183,11 @@ func broadcastTx(c *cli.Context, tx types.Tx) ([]byte, error) {
 		return nil, errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Error on broadcast tx: %v", err))
 	}
 	res := (*tmResult).(*ctypes.ResultBroadcastTxCommit)
+	// if it fails check, we don't even get a delivertx back!
+	if !res.CheckTx.Code.IsOK() {
+		r := res.CheckTx
+		return nil, errors.New(cmn.Fmt("BroadcastTxCommit got non-zero exit code: %v. %X; %s", r.Code, r.Data, r.Log))
+	}
 	if !res.DeliverTx.Code.IsOK() {
 		r := res.DeliverTx
 		return nil, errors.New(cmn.Fmt("BroadcastTxCommit got non-zero exit code: %v. %X; %s", r.Code, r.Data, r.Log))