diff --git a/docs/run-first-validator.md b/docs/run-first-validator.md
index 24969fa..6cf8f98 100644
--- a/docs/run-first-validator.md
+++ b/docs/run-first-validator.md
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
 
   NOTE: This public key is required in next step to generate the genesis file
 
-## Generate mainnet genesis file
+## Generate Mainnet Genesis File
 
 - Get your private key from testnet deployment:
 
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
 
   - Once the node is running we will publish the genesis file, staking amount file and node address so that it is available to other validators
 
-## Run node
+## Run Node
 
 - Run these steps in a machine where the mainnet node is setup
 
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@
   laconic-so deployment --dir $DATA_DIRECTORY/$MAINNET_DEPLOYMENT_DIR exec laconicd "laconicd query bank balances $EARLY_SUPPORTS_ACC_ADDR"
   ```
 
-## Publish required artifacts
+## Publish Required Artifacts
 
 - Copy the genesis file to [config](./config) folder:
 
diff --git a/docs/run-validator.md b/docs/run-validator.md
index ead81b5..7717fa0 100644
--- a/docs/run-validator.md
+++ b/docs/run-validator.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 - [ansible](playbooks/README.md#ansible-installation)
 - [laconic-so](https://github.com/cerc-io/stack-orchestrator/?tab=readme-ov-file#install)
 
-## Run node
+## Run Node
 
 - Get your private key from testnet deployment:
 
@@ -72,10 +72,45 @@
   laconic-so deployment --dir $DATA_DIRECTORY/$MAINNET_DEPLOYMENT_DIR logs laconicd -f
   ```
 
+- Get the public key of your node:
+
+  ```bash
+  laconic-so deployment --dir $DATA_DIRECTORY/$MAINNET_DEPLOYMENT_DIR exec laconicd "laconicd tendermint show-validator"
+  ```
+
+  NOTE: This public key is required in next step to create validator
+
 ## Create Validator
 
 - Run these steps in a machine different from the one where the node is running
 
+- Fetch the stack:
+
+  ```bash
+  laconic-so fetch-stack git.vdb.to/cerc-io/laconicd-stack --git-ssh --pull
+  ```
+
+  This command clones the entire repository into the `~/cerc` folder, which includes the genesis file published by the first validator.
+
+- Copy the example variables file:
+
+  ```bash
+  cp ~/cerc/laconicd-stack/playbooks/validator/validator-vars.example.yml ~/cerc/laconicd-stack/playbooks/validator/validator-vars.yml
+  ```
+
+- Update `~/cerc/laconicd-stack/playbooks/validator/validator-vars.yml` with required values:
+
+  ```bash
+  # Same moniker as set above
+  cerc_moniker: "<your-moniker>"
+
+  # Set path to staking amount file
+  staking_amount_file: "<path-to-staking-amount-file>"
+
+  # Use the public key exported in previous step (make sure to wrap it with single quotes [''])
+  validator_pub_key: '<public-key-of-your-node>'
+  ```
+
 - Export required env vars:
 
   ```bash
diff --git a/playbooks/generate-genesis/generate-genesis-vars.example.yml b/playbooks/generate-genesis/generate-genesis-vars.example.yml
index 76228e2..3a6face 100644
--- a/playbooks/generate-genesis/generate-genesis-vars.example.yml
+++ b/playbooks/generate-genesis/generate-genesis-vars.example.yml
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 cerc_moniker: ""
 cerc_chain_id: "laconic-mainnet"
 key_name: "laconic-validator"
-validator_pub_key: ""
+validator_pub_key: ''
diff --git a/playbooks/validator/create-validator.yml b/playbooks/validator/create-validator.yml
index 1effa55..608acf8 100644
--- a/playbooks/validator/create-validator.yml
+++ b/playbooks/validator/create-validator.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 ---
 - name: Create validator on running chain
   hosts: localhost
+  vars_files:
+    - validator-vars.yml
   vars:
     data_directory: "{{ lookup('env', 'DATA_DIRECTORY') }}"
-    deployment_dir: "{{ lookup('env', 'MAINNET_DEPLOYMENT_DIR') }}"
+    mainnet_deployment_dir: "{{ lookup('env', 'MAINNET_DEPLOYMENT_DIR') }}"
     spec_file: "{{data_directory}}/laconicd-validator-spec.yml"
     key_name: "{{ lookup('env', 'KEY_NAME') }}"
     node_url: "{{ lookup('env', 'NODE_URL') }}"
@@ -19,8 +21,8 @@
       fail:
         msg: >-
           Required key files are not defined.
-          Please set genesis_file and staking_amount_file in validator-vars.yml.
-      when: not genesis_file or not staking_amount_file
+          Please set staking_amount_file in validator-vars.yml.
+      when: not staking_amount_file
 
     - name: Fetch laconicd stack
       shell: laconic-so fetch-stack git.vdb.to/cerc-io/laconicd-stack --git-ssh --pull
@@ -48,7 +50,6 @@
         content: |
           CERC_MONIKER: "{{ cerc_moniker }}"
           CERC_CHAIN_ID: "{{ cerc_chain_id }}"
-          CERC_PEERS: "{{ cerc_peers }}"
           MIN_GAS_PRICE: "{{ min_gas_price }}"
           CERC_LOGLEVEL: "{{ cerc_loglevel }}"
         mode: '0777'
@@ -80,8 +81,33 @@
 
     - name: Import private key in laconicd
       shell: |
-        laconic-so deployment --dir {{ data_directory }}/{{ deployment_dir }} exec laconicd "laconicd keys import-hex {{ key_name }} {{ private_key_input.user_input }} --keyring-backend test"
+        docker run -i \
+          -v {{ data_directory }}/{{ mainnet_deployment_dir }}/data/laconicd-data:/root/.laconicd \
+          --network=host \
+          cerc/laconicd:local \
+          laconicd keys import-hex {{ key_name }} {{ private_key_input.user_input }} --keyring-backend test \
+
+    - name: Get the key information
+      shell: |
+        docker run -i \
+          -v {{ data_directory }}/{{ mainnet_deployment_dir }}/data/laconicd-data:/root/.laconicd \
+          --network=host \
+          cerc/laconicd:local \
+          laconicd keys show {{ key_name }} --keyring-backend test
+      register: key_info
 
     - name: Run create-validator script
       shell: |
-        laconic-so deployment --dir {{ data_directory }}/{{ deployment_dir }} exec laconicd "KEY_NAME={{ key_name }} NODE_URL={{ node_url }} /scripts/create-validator.sh"
+        docker run -i \
+          -v {{ data_directory }}/{{ mainnet_deployment_dir }}/data/laconicd-data:/root/.laconicd \
+          -v {{ data_directory }}/{{ mainnet_deployment_dir }}/data/laconicd-data/tmp/staking-amount.json:/scripts/staking-amount.json \
+          -v ~/cerc/laconicd-stack/stack-orchestrator/config/mainnet-laconicd/create-validator.sh:/scripts/create-validator.sh \
+          -e "KEY_NAME={{ key_name }}" \
+          -e "NODE_URL={{ node_url }}" \
+          -e "CERC_MONIKER={{ cerc_moniker }}" \
+          -e "CERC_CHAIN_ID={{ cerc_chain_id }}" \
+          -e "MIN_GAS_PRICE={{ min_gas_price }}" \
+          -e "VALIDATOR_PUB_KEY={{ validator_pub_key | to_json }}" \
+          --network=host \
+          cerc/laconicd:local \
+          sh -c "/scripts/create-validator.sh"
diff --git a/playbooks/validator/run-validator.yml b/playbooks/validator/run-validator.yml
index 8a00141..b43851a 100644
--- a/playbooks/validator/run-validator.yml
+++ b/playbooks/validator/run-validator.yml
@@ -38,17 +38,20 @@
     - name: Create deployment spec file
       shell: |
         laconic-so --stack ~/cerc/laconicd-stack/stack-orchestrator/stacks/mainnet-laconicd deploy init --output {{ spec_file }}
-      when: is_setup
 
     - name: Replace network section in spec_file
       shell: >
         yq eval '(.network) = load("{{ spec_template }}").network' -i {{ spec_file }}
-      when: is_setup
+
+    - name: Check if deployment directory already exists
+      stat:
+        path: "{{data_directory}}/{{ mainnet_deployment_dir }}"
+      register: deployment_dir
 
     - name: Create deployment from spec file
       shell: |
         laconic-so --stack ~/cerc/laconicd-stack/stack-orchestrator/stacks/mainnet-laconicd deploy create --spec-file {{ spec_file }} --deployment-dir {{data_directory}}/{{ mainnet_deployment_dir }}
-      when: is_setup
+      when: not deployment_dir.stat.exists
 
     - name: Create config.env
       copy:
diff --git a/playbooks/validator/validator-vars.example.yml b/playbooks/validator/validator-vars.example.yml
index e454ac8..627e25c 100644
--- a/playbooks/validator/validator-vars.example.yml
+++ b/playbooks/validator/validator-vars.example.yml
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ is_setup: false
 cerc_moniker: ""
 genesis_file: ""
 staking_amount_file: ""
+validator_pub_key: ''
 cerc_peers: ""
diff --git a/stack-orchestrator/config/mainnet-laconicd/create-validator.sh b/stack-orchestrator/config/mainnet-laconicd/create-validator.sh
index 597706b..2b90d90 100755
--- a/stack-orchestrator/config/mainnet-laconicd/create-validator.sh
+++ b/stack-orchestrator/config/mainnet-laconicd/create-validator.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ if [ ! -f "$staking_amount_file" ]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-if [-z "$KEY_NAME" ]; then
+if [ -z "$KEY_NAME" ]; then
   echo "KEY_NAME environment variable not set, exiting..."
   exit 1
 fi
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ if [ -z "$NODE_URL" ]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
+if [ -z "$VALIDATOR_PUB_KEY" ]; then
+  echo "VALIDATOR_PUB_KEY environment variable not set, exiting..."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # Set staking amount
 stake_amount=$(jq -r '.common_staking_amount' "$staking_amount_file")
 
@@ -34,7 +39,7 @@ stake_amount=$(jq -r '.common_staking_amount' "$staking_amount_file")
 validator_json="$NODE_HOME/tmp/validator.json"
 cat > "$validator_json" << EOF
 {
-  "pubkey": $(laconicd tendermint show-validator),
+  "pubkey": $VALIDATOR_PUB_KEY,
   "amount": "${stake_amount}${DENOM}",
   "moniker": "${CERC_MONIKER}",
   "commission-rate": "0.0",