diff --git a/server/config/config.go b/server/config/config.go
index abb43a9b11..fc9ead54b4 100644
--- a/server/config/config.go
+++ b/server/config/config.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/store"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 )
 
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ func DefaultConfig() *Config {
 		BaseConfig{
 			MinGasPrices:    defaultMinGasPrices,
 			InterBlockCache: true,
-			Pruning:         "syncable",
+			Pruning:         store.PruningStrategySyncable,
 		},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/server/config/toml.go b/server/config/toml.go
index 45f76ee13a..c0e27c69c8 100644
--- a/server/config/toml.go
+++ b/server/config/toml.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ inter-block-cache = {{ .BaseConfig.InterBlockCache }}
 # syncable: only those states not needed for state syncing will be deleted (keeps last 100 + every 10000th)
 # nothing: all historic states will be saved, nothing will be deleted (i.e. archiving node)
 # everything: all saved states will be deleted, storing only the current state
-pruning = {{ .BaseConfig.Pruning }}
+pruning = "{{ .BaseConfig.Pruning }}"
 `
 
 var configTemplate *template.Template
diff --git a/store/store.go b/store/store.go
index 27a0c74165..ba03117638 100644
--- a/store/store.go
+++ b/store/store.go
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/store/types"
 )
 
+// Pruning strategies that may be provided to a KVStore to enable pruning.
+const (
+	PruningStrategyNothing    = "nothing"
+	PruningStrategyEverything = "everything"
+	PruningStrategySyncable   = "syncable"
+)
+
 func NewCommitMultiStore(db dbm.DB) types.CommitMultiStore {
 	return rootmulti.NewStore(db)
 }
@@ -18,11 +25,11 @@ func NewCommitKVStoreCacheManager() types.MultiStorePersistentCache {
 
 func NewPruningOptionsFromString(strategy string) (opt PruningOptions) {
 	switch strategy {
-	case "nothing":
+	case PruningStrategyNothing:
 		opt = PruneNothing
-	case "everything":
+	case PruningStrategyEverything:
 		opt = PruneEverything
-	case "syncable":
+	case PruningStrategySyncable:
 		opt = PruneSyncable
 	default:
 		opt = PruneSyncable