diff --git a/cmd/gaia/app/app.go b/cmd/gaia/app/app.go
index f79ffb3065..4ce6b2806d 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/app/app.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/app/app.go
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func (app *GaiaApp) initChainer(ctx sdk.Context, req abci.RequestInitChain) abci
 	// load the address to pubkey map
 	slashing.InitGenesis(ctx, app.slashingKeeper, genesisState.StakeData)
 
-	gov.InitGenesis(ctx, app.govKeeper, gov.DefaultGenesisState())
+	gov.InitGenesis(ctx, app.govKeeper, genesisState.GovData)
 
 	return abci.ResponseInitChain{
 		Validators: validators,
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ func (app *GaiaApp) ExportAppStateAndValidators() (appState json.RawMessage, val
 	genState := GenesisState{
 		Accounts:  accounts,
 		StakeData: stake.WriteGenesis(ctx, app.stakeKeeper),
+		GovData:   gov.WriteGenesis(ctx, app.govKeeper),
 	}
 	appState, err = wire.MarshalJSONIndent(app.cdc, genState)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/gaia/app/genesis.go b/cmd/gaia/app/genesis.go
index 0399d66528..24b160a510 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/app/genesis.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/app/genesis.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/wire"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/auth"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/gov"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/stake"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ var (
 type GenesisState struct {
 	Accounts  []GenesisAccount   `json:"accounts"`
 	StakeData stake.GenesisState `json:"stake"`
+	GovData   gov.GenesisState   `json:"gov"`
 }
 
 // GenesisAccount doesn't need pubkey or sequence
@@ -216,6 +218,7 @@ func GaiaAppGenState(cdc *wire.Codec, appGenTxs []json.RawMessage) (genesisState
 	genesisState = GenesisState{
 		Accounts:  genaccs,
 		StakeData: stakeData,
+		GovData:   gov.DefaultGenesisState(),
 	}
 	return
 }