diff --git a/x/ibc/commands/helpers.go b/x/ibc/commands/helpers.go
index c69bc556d6..590fb8b5d5 100644
--- a/x/ibc/commands/helpers.go
+++ b/x/ibc/commands/helpers.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package commands
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
@@ -9,10 +8,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/keys"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
-	// wire "github.com/tendermint/go-amino"
+	wire "github.com/tendermint/go-amino"
 )
 
-func buildTx(msg sdk.Msg, name string) ([]byte, error) {
+func buildTx(cdc *wire.Codec, msg sdk.Msg, name string) ([]byte, error) {
 	keybase, err := keys.GetKeyBase()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ func buildTx(msg sdk.Msg, name string) ([]byte, error) {
 
 	tx := sdk.NewStdTx(msg, sigs)
 
-	txBytes, err := json.Marshal(tx)
+	txBytes, err := cdc.MarshalBinary(tx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/x/ibc/commands/relay.go b/x/ibc/commands/relay.go
index 4d1f2261a7..2fe5cf0333 100644
--- a/x/ibc/commands/relay.go
+++ b/x/ibc/commands/relay.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package commands
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
@@ -11,13 +10,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/builder"
 
-	//wire "github.com/tendermint/go-amino"
+	wire "github.com/tendermint/go-amino"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc"
 )
 
-func IBCRelayCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	cmdr := relayCommander{"ibc"}
+func IBCRelayCmd(cdc *wire.Codec) *cobra.Command {
+	cmdr := relayCommander{cdc, "ibc"}
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use: "relay",
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ func IBCRelayCmd() *cobra.Command {
 }
 
 type relayCommander struct {
-	// cdc      *wire.Codec
+	cdc      *wire.Codec
 	ibcStore string
 }
 
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ func broadcastTx(id string, tx []byte) error {
 
 func (c relayCommander) refine(bz []byte, sequence int64) []byte {
 	var packet ibc.IBCPacket
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(bz, &packet); err != nil {
+	if err := c.cdc.UnmarshalBinary(bz, &packet); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
@@ -72,7 +71,7 @@ func (c relayCommander) refine(bz []byte, sequence int64) []byte {
 		Relayer:   address,
 		Sequence:  sequence,
 	}
-	res, err := buildTx(msg, name)
+	res, err := buildTx(c.cdc, msg, name)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ func (c relayCommander) loop(fromID, toID string) {
 	}
 
 	var processed int64
-	if err = json.Unmarshal(processedbz, &processed); err != nil {
+	if err = c.cdc.UnmarshalBinary(processedbz, &processed); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
@@ -103,7 +102,7 @@ OUTER:
 			continue OUTER
 		}
 		var egressLength int64
-		if err = json.Unmarshal(egressLengthbz, &egressLength); err != nil {
+		if err = c.cdc.UnmarshalBinary(egressLengthbz, &egressLength); err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
 
diff --git a/x/ibc/commands/root.go b/x/ibc/commands/root.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0011f11f26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x/ibc/commands/root.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	wire "github.com/tendermint/go-amino"
+)
+
+func AddCommands(cmd *cobra.Command) {
+	cdc := wire.NewCodec()
+
+	cmd.AddCommand(
+		IBCTransferCmd(cdc),
+		IBCRelayCmd(cdc),
+	)
+}
diff --git a/x/ibc/commands/send.go b/x/ibc/commands/send.go
index 6f42329546..d6737219c2 100644
--- a/x/ibc/commands/send.go
+++ b/x/ibc/commands/send.go
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc"
 )
 
-func IBCTransferCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	cmdr := sendCommander{}
+func IBCTransferCmd(cdc *wire.Codec) *cobra.Command {
+	cmdr := sendCommander{cdc}
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:  "transfer",
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func IBCTransferCmd() *cobra.Command {
 }
 
 type sendCommander struct {
-	//	cdc *wire.Codec
+	cdc *wire.Codec
 }
 
 func (c sendCommander) runIBCTransfer(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func (c sendCommander) runIBCTransfer(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	txBytes, err := buildTx(msg, keyname)
+	txBytes, err := buildTx(c.cdc, msg, keyname)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}