diff --git a/clitest/common.sh b/clitest/common.sh
index 3294548a0d..07fe1a54b1 100644
--- a/clitest/common.sh
+++ b/clitest/common.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 # this is not executable, but helper functions for the other scripts
 
+# these are general accounts to be prepared
+ACCOUNTS=(jae ethan bucky rigel igor)
+RICH=${ACCOUNTS[0]}
+POOR=${ACCOUNTS[4]}
+
 prepareClient() {
   echo "Preparing client keys..."
-  basecli reset_all
+  ${CLIENT_EXE} reset_all
   assertTrue $?
 
   for i in "${!ACCOUNTS[@]}"; do
@@ -18,11 +23,11 @@ initServer() {
   SERVE_DIR=$1/server
   assertNotNull "no chain" $2
   CHAIN=$2
-  SERVER_LOG=$1/basecoin.log
-  basecoin init --home=$SERVE_DIR >>$SERVER_LOG
+  SERVER_LOG=$1/${SERVER_EXE}.log
+  ${SERVER_EXE} init --home=$SERVE_DIR >>$SERVER_LOG
 
   #change the genesis to the first account
-  GENKEY=$(basecli keys get ${ACCOUNTS[0]} -o json | jq .pubkey.data)
+  GENKEY=$(${CLIENT_EXE} keys get ${RICH} -o json | jq .pubkey.data)
   GENJSON=$(cat $SERVE_DIR/genesis.json)
   echo $GENJSON | jq '.app_options.accounts[0].pub_key.data='$GENKEY \
     | jq ".chain_id=\"$2\"" > $SERVE_DIR/genesis.json
@@ -33,18 +38,18 @@ initServer() {
     sed -ie "s/4665/$3/" $SERVE_DIR/config.toml
   fi
 
-  echo "Starting server..."
-  basecoin start --home=$SERVE_DIR >>$SERVER_LOG 2>&1 &
+  echo "Starting ${SERVER_EXE} server..."
+  ${SERVER_EXE} start --home=$SERVE_DIR >>$SERVER_LOG 2>&1 &
   sleep 5
   PID_SERVER=$!
 }
 
 # initClient requires chain_id arg, port is optional (default 4665{5,6,7})
 initClient() {
-  echo "Attaching client..."
+  echo "Attaching ${CLIENT_EXE} client..."
   PORT=${2:-4665}
   # hard-code the expected validator hash
-  basecli init --chain-id=$1 --node=tcp://localhost:${PORT}7 --valhash=EB168E17E45BAEB194D4C79067FFECF345C64DE6
+  ${CLIENT_EXE} init --chain-id=$1 --node=tcp://localhost:${PORT}7 --valhash=EB168E17E45BAEB194D4C79067FFECF345C64DE6
   assertTrue "initialized light-client" $?
 }
 
@@ -52,15 +57,15 @@ initClient() {
 newKey(){
   assertNotNull "keyname required" "$1"
   KEYPASS=${2:-qwertyuiop}
-  (echo $KEYPASS; echo $KEYPASS) | basecli keys new $1 >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+  (echo $KEYPASS; echo $KEYPASS) | ${CLIENT_EXE} keys new $1 >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
   assertTrue "created $1" $?
-  assertTrue "$1 doesn't exist" "basecli keys get $1"
+  assertTrue "$1 doesn't exist" "${CLIENT_EXE} keys get $1"
 }
 
 # getAddr gets the address for a key name
 getAddr() {
   assertNotNull "keyname required" "$1"
-  RAW=$(basecli keys get $1)
+  RAW=$(${CLIENT_EXE} keys get $1)
   assertTrue "no key for $1" $?
   # print the addr
   echo $RAW | cut -d' ' -f2
diff --git a/tests/cli/basictx.sh b/tests/cli/basictx.sh
index 8584535e56..e9a6b0e5fb 100755
--- a/tests/cli/basictx.sh
+++ b/tests/cli/basictx.sh
@@ -1,18 +1,20 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+# these are two globals to control all scripts (can use eg. counter instead)
+SERVER_EXE=basecoin
+CLIENT_EXE=basecli
 
 oneTimeSetUp() {
+  # these are passed in as args
   BASE_DIR=$HOME/.basecoin_test_basictx
   CHAIN_ID=my-test-chain
 
   rm -rf $BASE_DIR 2>/dev/null
   mkdir -p $BASE_DIR
 
-  ACCOUNTS=(jae ethan bucky rigel igor)
-  RICH=${ACCOUNTS[0]}
-  POOR=${ACCOUNTS[1]}
 
-  # set up client
+  # set up client - make sure you use the proper prefix if you set
+  # a custom CLIENT_EXE
   export BC_HOME=${BASE_DIR}/client
   prepareClient
 
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ oneTimeSetUp() {
 oneTimeTearDown() {
   echo
   echo
-  echo "stopping basecoin test server..."
+  echo "stopping $SERVER_EXE test server..."
   kill -9 $PID_SERVER >/dev/null 2>&1
   sleep 1
 }
@@ -40,13 +42,13 @@ test00GetAccount() {
   SENDER=$(getAddr $RICH)
   RECV=$(getAddr $POOR)
 
-  assertFalse "requires arg" "basecli query account"
-  ACCT=$(basecli query account $SENDER)
+  assertFalse "requires arg" "${CLIENT_EXE} query account"
+  ACCT=$(${CLIENT_EXE} query account $SENDER)
   assertTrue "must have proper genesis account" $?
   assertEquals "no tx" "0" $(echo $ACCT | jq .data.sequence)
   assertEquals "has money" "9007199254740992" $(echo $ACCT | jq .data.coins[0].amount)
 
-  ACCT2=$(basecli query account $RECV)
+  ACCT2=$(${CLIENT_EXE} query account $RECV)
   assertFalse "has no genesis account" $?
 }
 
@@ -54,10 +56,10 @@ test01SendTx() {
   SENDER=$(getAddr $RICH)
   RECV=$(getAddr $POOR)
 
-  assertFalse "missing dest" "basecli tx send --amount=992mycoin --sequence=1 2>/dev/null"
-  assertFalse "bad password" "echo foo | basecli tx send --amount=992mycoin --sequence=1 --to=$RECV --name=$RICH 2>/dev/null"
+  assertFalse "missing dest" "${CLIENT_EXE} tx send --amount=992mycoin --sequence=1 2>/dev/null"
+  assertFalse "bad password" "echo foo | ${CLIENT_EXE} tx send --amount=992mycoin --sequence=1 --to=$RECV --name=$RICH 2>/dev/null"
   # we have to remove the password request from stdout, to just get the json
-  RES=$(echo qwertyuiop | basecli tx send --amount=992mycoin --sequence=1 --to=$RECV --name=$RICH 2>/dev/null | tail -n +2)
+  RES=$(echo qwertyuiop | ${CLIENT_EXE} tx send --amount=992mycoin --sequence=1 --to=$RECV --name=$RICH 2>/dev/null | tail -n +2)
   assertTrue "sent tx" $?
   HASH=$(echo $RES | jq .hash | tr -d \")
   TX_HEIGHT=$(echo $RES | jq .height)
@@ -65,19 +67,19 @@ test01SendTx() {
   assertEquals "good deliver" "0" $(echo $RES | jq .deliver_tx.code)
 
   # make sure sender goes down
-  ACCT=$(basecli query account $SENDER)
+  ACCT=$(${CLIENT_EXE} query account $SENDER)
   assertTrue "must have genesis account" $?
   assertEquals "one tx" "1" $(echo $ACCT | jq .data.sequence)
   assertEquals "has money" "9007199254740000" $(echo $ACCT | jq .data.coins[0].amount)
 
   # make sure recipient goes up
-  ACCT2=$(basecli query account $RECV)
+  ACCT2=$(${CLIENT_EXE} query account $RECV)
   assertTrue "must have new account" $?
   assertEquals "no tx" "0" $(echo $ACCT2 | jq .data.sequence)
   assertEquals "has money" "992" $(echo $ACCT2 | jq .data.coins[0].amount)
 
   # make sure tx is indexed
-  TX=$(basecli query tx $HASH)
+  TX=$(${CLIENT_EXE} query tx $HASH)
   assertTrue "found tx" $?
   assertEquals "proper height" $TX_HEIGHT $(echo $TX | jq .height)
   assertEquals "type=send" '"send"' $(echo $TX | jq .data.type)