diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d268bfe496..5da333362a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ BREAKING CHANGES:
 
 - Remove `--data` flag and use `BASECOIN_ROOT` to set the home directory (defaults to `~/.basecoin`)
 - Remove `--in-proc` flag and start Tendermint in-process by default (expect Tendermint files in $BASECOIN_ROOT/tendermint).
-To start just the ABCI app/server, use `basecoin start --abci-server`.
+To start just the ABCI app/server, use `basecoin start --without-tendermint`.
 
 FEATURES:
 
diff --git a/cmd/commands/flags.go b/cmd/commands/flags.go
index 06f0ce4233..ccf95769d3 100644
--- a/cmd/commands/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/commands/flags.go
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ var (
 	// TODO: move to config file
 	// eyesCacheSizePtr := flag.Int("eyes-cache-size", 10000, "MerkleEyes db cache size, for embedded")
 
-	ABCIServerFlag = cli.BoolFlag{
-		Name:  "abci-server",
-		Usage: "Run the Basecoin app and ABCI server, but not Tendermint (run Tendermint in another process)",
+	WithoutTendermintFlag = cli.BoolFlag{
+		Name:  "without-tendermint",
+		Usage: "Run the Basecoin app without Tendermint",
 	}
 )
 
diff --git a/cmd/commands/start.go b/cmd/commands/start.go
index 4c4afd199d..f9867e86c6 100644
--- a/cmd/commands/start.go
+++ b/cmd/commands/start.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ var StartCmd = cli.Command{
 	Flags: []cli.Flag{
 		AddrFlag,
 		EyesFlag,
-		ABCIServerFlag,
+		WithoutTendermintFlag,
 		ChainIDFlag,
 	},
 }
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func cmdStart(c *cli.Context) error {
 		fmt.Printf("No genesis file at %s, skipping...\n", genesisFile)
 	}
 
-	if c.Bool("abci-server") {
+	if c.Bool("without-tendermint") {
 		// run just the abci app/server
 		if err := startBasecoinABCI(c, basecoinApp); err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/demo/start.sh b/demo/start.sh
index d1d7d97382..f227653047 100644
--- a/demo/start.sh
+++ b/demo/start.sh
@@ -83,11 +83,11 @@ echo "... starting chains"
 echo ""
 # start the first node
 TMROOT=./data/chain1/tendermint tendermint node --skip_upnp --log_level=info &> $LOG_DIR/chain1_tendermint.log &
-BASECOIN_ROOT=$BCROOT1 basecoin start --abci-server &> $LOG_DIR/chain1_basecoin.log &
+BASECOIN_ROOT=$BCROOT1 basecoin start --without-tendermint &> $LOG_DIR/chain1_basecoin.log &
 
 # start the second node
 TMROOT=./data/chain2/tendermint tendermint node --skip_upnp --log_level=info --node_laddr tcp://localhost:36656 --rpc_laddr tcp://localhost:36657 --proxy_app tcp://localhost:36658 &> $LOG_DIR/chain2_tendermint.log &
-BASECOIN_ROOT=$BCROOT2 basecoin start --address tcp://localhost:36658 --abci-server &> $LOG_DIR/chain2_basecoin.log &
+BASECOIN_ROOT=$BCROOT2 basecoin start --address tcp://localhost:36658 --without-tendermint &> $LOG_DIR/chain2_basecoin.log &
 
 echo ""
 echo "... waiting for chains to start"
diff --git a/docs/guide/basecoin-tool.md b/docs/guide/basecoin-tool.md
index a55570a0a9..49bca18584 100644
--- a/docs/guide/basecoin-tool.md
+++ b/docs/guide/basecoin-tool.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ tendermint init
 In one window, run 
 
 ```
-basecoin start --abci-server
+basecoin start --without-tendermint
 ```
 
 and in another,
diff --git a/docs/guide/ibc.md b/docs/guide/ibc.md
index 165b962e44..0de9fb375b 100644
--- a/docs/guide/ibc.md
+++ b/docs/guide/ibc.md
@@ -195,14 +195,14 @@ We can start the two chains as follows:
 
 ```
 TMROOT=./data/chain1/tendermint tendermint node &> chain1_tendermint.log &
-BASECOIN_ROOT=./data/chain1/basecoin basecoin start --abci-server &> chain1_basecoin.log &
+BASECOIN_ROOT=./data/chain1/basecoin basecoin start --without-tendermint &> chain1_basecoin.log &
 ```
 
 and
 
 ```
 TMROOT=./data/chain2/tendermint tendermint node --node_laddr tcp://localhost:36656 --rpc_laddr tcp://localhost:36657 --proxy_app tcp://localhost:36658 &> chain2_tendermint.log &
-BASECOIN_ROOT=./data/chain2/basecoin basecoin start --abci-server --address tcp://localhost:36658 &> chain2_basecoin.log &
+BASECOIN_ROOT=./data/chain2/basecoin basecoin start --without-tendermint --address tcp://localhost:36658 &> chain2_basecoin.log &
 ```
 
 Note how we refer to the relevant data directories. Also note how we have to set the various addresses for the second node so as not to conflict with the first.