diff --git a/simapp/simd/cmd/cmd_test.go b/simapp/simd/cmd/cmd_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ed4d8bad68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simapp/simd/cmd/cmd_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+package cmd_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/simapp/simd/cmd"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/genutil/client/cli"
+)
+
+func TestInitCmd(t *testing.T) {
+	rootCmd, _ := cmd.NewRootCmd()
+	rootCmd.SetArgs([]string{
+		"init",        // Test the init cmd
+		"simapp-test", // Moniker
+		fmt.Sprintf("--%s=%s", cli.FlagOverwrite, "true"), // Overwrite genesis.json, in case it already exists
+	})
+
+	err := cmd.Execute(rootCmd)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/simapp/simd/cmd/root.go b/simapp/simd/cmd/root.go
index 170537cd37..1cdee260de 100644
--- a/simapp/simd/cmd/root.go
+++ b/simapp/simd/cmd/root.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/simapp/params"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cast"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -34,8 +35,21 @@ import (
 	genutilcli "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/genutil/client/cli"
 )
 
-var (
-	rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
+// NewRootCmd creates a new root command for simd. It is called once in the
+// main function.
+func NewRootCmd() (*cobra.Command, params.EncodingConfig) {
+	encodingConfig := simapp.MakeEncodingConfig()
+	initClientCtx := client.Context{}.
+		WithJSONMarshaler(encodingConfig.Marshaler).
+		WithInterfaceRegistry(encodingConfig.InterfaceRegistry).
+		WithTxConfig(encodingConfig.TxConfig).
+		WithLegacyAmino(encodingConfig.Amino).
+		WithInput(os.Stdin).
+		WithAccountRetriever(types.AccountRetriever{}).
+		WithBroadcastMode(flags.BroadcastBlock).
+		WithHomeDir(simapp.DefaultNodeHome)
+
+	rootCmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "simd",
 		Short: "simulation app",
 		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
@@ -47,20 +61,13 @@ var (
 		},
 	}
 
-	encodingConfig = simapp.MakeEncodingConfig()
-	initClientCtx  = client.Context{}.
-			WithJSONMarshaler(encodingConfig.Marshaler).
-			WithInterfaceRegistry(encodingConfig.InterfaceRegistry).
-			WithTxConfig(encodingConfig.TxConfig).
-			WithLegacyAmino(encodingConfig.Amino).
-			WithInput(os.Stdin).
-			WithAccountRetriever(types.AccountRetriever{}).
-			WithBroadcastMode(flags.BroadcastBlock).
-			WithHomeDir(simapp.DefaultNodeHome)
-)
+	initRootCmd(rootCmd, encodingConfig)
+
+	return rootCmd, encodingConfig
+}
 
 // Execute executes the root command.
-func Execute() error {
+func Execute(rootCmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	// Create and set a client.Context on the command's Context. During the pre-run
 	// of the root command, a default initialized client.Context is provided to
 	// seed child command execution with values such as AccountRetriver, Keyring,
@@ -75,7 +82,7 @@ func Execute() error {
 	return executor.ExecuteContext(ctx)
 }
 
-func init() {
+func initRootCmd(rootCmd *cobra.Command, encodingConfig params.EncodingConfig) {
 	authclient.Codec = encodingConfig.Marshaler
 
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(
@@ -173,7 +180,7 @@ func newApp(logger log.Logger, db dbm.DB, traceStore io.Writer, appOpts serverty
 		logger, db, traceStore, true, skipUpgradeHeights,
 		cast.ToString(appOpts.Get(flags.FlagHome)),
 		cast.ToUint(appOpts.Get(server.FlagInvCheckPeriod)),
-		encodingConfig,
+		simapp.MakeEncodingConfig(), // Ideally, we would reuse the one created by NewRootCmd.
 		baseapp.SetPruning(pruningOpts),
 		baseapp.SetMinGasPrices(cast.ToString(appOpts.Get(server.FlagMinGasPrices))),
 		baseapp.SetHaltHeight(cast.ToUint64(appOpts.Get(server.FlagHaltHeight))),
@@ -187,7 +194,7 @@ func exportAppStateAndTMValidators(
 	logger log.Logger, db dbm.DB, traceStore io.Writer, height int64, forZeroHeight bool, jailWhiteList []string,
 ) (json.RawMessage, []tmtypes.GenesisValidator, *abci.ConsensusParams, error) {
 
-	encCfg := simapp.MakeEncodingConfig()
+	encCfg := simapp.MakeEncodingConfig() // Ideally, we would reuse the one created by NewRootCmd.
 	encCfg.Marshaler = codec.NewProtoCodec(encCfg.InterfaceRegistry)
 	var simApp *simapp.SimApp
 	if height != -1 {
diff --git a/simapp/simd/main.go b/simapp/simd/main.go
index 3cc818a49f..126e14975e 100644
--- a/simapp/simd/main.go
+++ b/simapp/simd/main.go
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	if err := cmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+	rootCmd, _ := cmd.NewRootCmd()
+	if err := cmd.Execute(rootCmd); err != nil {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/x/genutil/client/cli/collect.go b/x/genutil/client/cli/collect.go
index 1fefbe382a..cc86258368 100644
--- a/x/genutil/client/cli/collect.go
+++ b/x/genutil/client/cli/collect.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func CollectGenTxsCmd(genBalIterator types.GenesisBalancesIterator, defaultNodeH
 
 			toPrint.AppMessage = appMessage
 
-			return displayInfo(cdc, toPrint)
+			return displayInfo(toPrint)
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/x/genutil/client/cli/init.go b/x/genutil/client/cli/init.go
index 2269a3eb63..60eb18deed 100644
--- a/x/genutil/client/cli/init.go
+++ b/x/genutil/client/cli/init.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/flags"
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types/module"
@@ -24,7 +23,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	flagOverwrite = "overwrite"
+	// FlagOverwrite defines a flag to overwrite an existing genesis JSON file.
+	FlagOverwrite = "overwrite"
 )
 
 type printInfo struct {
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ func newPrintInfo(moniker, chainID, nodeID, genTxsDir string, appMessage json.Ra
 	}
 }
 
-func displayInfo(cdc codec.JSONMarshaler, info printInfo) error {
-	out, err := codec.MarshalJSONIndent(cdc, info)
+func displayInfo(info printInfo) error {
+	out, err := json.MarshalIndent(info, "", " ")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -86,12 +86,12 @@ func InitCmd(mbm module.BasicManager, defaultNodeHome string) *cobra.Command {
 			config.Moniker = args[0]
 
 			genFile := config.GenesisFile()
-			overwrite, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool(flagOverwrite)
+			overwrite, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool(FlagOverwrite)
 
 			if !overwrite && tmos.FileExists(genFile) {
 				return fmt.Errorf("genesis.json file already exists: %v", genFile)
 			}
-			appState, err := codec.MarshalJSONIndent(cdc, mbm.DefaultGenesis(cdc))
+			appState, err := json.MarshalIndent(mbm.DefaultGenesis(cdc), "", " ")
 			if err != nil {
 				return errors.Wrap(err, "Failed to marshall default genesis state")
 			}
@@ -118,12 +118,12 @@ func InitCmd(mbm module.BasicManager, defaultNodeHome string) *cobra.Command {
 			toPrint := newPrintInfo(config.Moniker, chainID, nodeID, "", appState)
 
 			cfg.WriteConfigFile(filepath.Join(config.RootDir, "config", "config.toml"), config)
-			return displayInfo(cdc, toPrint)
+			return displayInfo(toPrint)
 		},
 	}
 
 	cmd.Flags().String(cli.HomeFlag, defaultNodeHome, "node's home directory")
-	cmd.Flags().BoolP(flagOverwrite, "o", false, "overwrite the genesis.json file")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolP(FlagOverwrite, "o", false, "overwrite the genesis.json file")
 	cmd.Flags().String(flags.FlagChainID, "", "genesis file chain-id, if left blank will be randomly created")
 
 	return cmd
diff --git a/x/genutil/client/cli/migrate.go b/x/genutil/client/cli/migrate.go
index c0453e8344..9c133e8528 100644
--- a/x/genutil/client/cli/migrate.go
+++ b/x/genutil/client/cli/migrate.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cli
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
 	"time"
@@ -10,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	tmtypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/version"
 	v036 "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/genutil/legacy/v0_36"
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ $ %s migrate v0.36 /path/to/genesis.json --chain-id=cosmoshub-3 --genesis-time=2
 				genDoc.ChainID = chainID
 			}
 
-			bz, err := codec.MarshalJSONIndent(cdc, genDoc)
+			bz, err := json.MarshalIndent(genDoc, "", " ")
 			if err != nil {
 				return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to marshal genesis doc")
 			}