diff --git a/compose/docker-compose-laconicd.yml b/compose/docker-compose-laconicd.yml
index 38376f77..4d021ed6 100644
--- a/compose/docker-compose-laconicd.yml
+++ b/compose/docker-compose-laconicd.yml
@@ -3,5 +3,19 @@ services:
   laconicd:
     restart: unless-stopped
     image: cerc/laconicd:local
-    volume:
-      - ./create-testingnet.sh:/laconicd-entrypoint-init.d/create-testingnet.sh
+    command: ["sh", "/docker-entrypoint-scripts.d/create-fixturenet.sh"]
+    volumes:
+      # TODO: look at folding this script into the container
+      - ../config/laconicd/create-fixturenet.sh:/docker-entrypoint-scripts.d/create-fixturenet.sh
+    # TODO: determine which of the ports below is really needed
+    ports:
+      - "6060"
+      - "26657"
+      - "26656"
+      - "9473"
+      - "8545"
+      - "8546"
+      - "9090"
+      - "9091"
+      - "1317"
+
diff --git a/config/laconicd/create-fixturenet.sh b/config/laconicd/create-fixturenet.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8d5115be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/laconicd/create-fixturenet.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Originally from: https://github.com/cerc-io/laconicd/blob/main/init.sh
+# TODO: fold this back into the laconicd repo
+
+
+KEY="mykey"
+CHAINID="laconic_9000-1"
+MONIKER="localtestnet"
+KEYRING="test"
+KEYALGO="eth_secp256k1"
+LOGLEVEL="info"
+# to trace evm
+TRACE="--trace"
+# TRACE=""
+
+# validate dependencies are installed
+command -v jq > /dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "jq not installed. More info: https://stedolan.github.io/jq/download/"; exit 1; }
+
+# remove existing daemon and client
+rm -rf ~/.laconic*
+
+make install
+
+laconicd config keyring-backend $KEYRING
+laconicd config chain-id $CHAINID
+
+# if $KEY exists it should be deleted
+laconicd keys add $KEY --keyring-backend $KEYRING --algo $KEYALGO
+
+# Set moniker and chain-id for laconic (Moniker can be anything, chain-id must be an integer)
+laconicd init $MONIKER --chain-id $CHAINID
+
+# Change parameter token denominations to aphoton
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["staking"]["params"]["bond_denom"]="aphoton"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["crisis"]["constant_fee"]["denom"]="aphoton"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["gov"]["deposit_params"]["min_deposit"][0]["denom"]="aphoton"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["mint"]["params"]["mint_denom"]="aphoton"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+# Custom modules
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["record_rent"]["denom"]="aphoton"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_rent"]["denom"]="aphoton"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_auction_commit_fee"]["denom"]="aphoton"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_auction_reveal_fee"]["denom"]="aphoton"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_auction_minimum_bid"]["denom"]="aphoton"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+
+if [[ "$TEST_NAMESERVICE_EXPIRY" == "true" ]]; then
+  echo "Setting timers for expiry tests."
+
+  cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["record_rent_duration"]="60s"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+  cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_grace_period"]="60s"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+  cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_rent_duration"]="60s"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+fi
+
+if [[ "$TEST_AUCTION_ENABLED" == "true" ]]; then
+  echo "Enabling auction and setting timers."
+
+  cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_auction_enabled"]=true' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+  cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_rent_duration"]="60s"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+  cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_grace_period"]="300s"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+  cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_auction_commits_duration"]="60s"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+  cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.app_state["nameservice"]["params"]["authority_auction_reveals_duration"]="60s"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+fi
+
+# increase block time (?)
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.consensus_params["block"]["time_iota_ms"]="1000"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+
+# Set gas limit in genesis
+cat $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json | jq '.consensus_params["block"]["max_gas"]="10000000"' > $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json && mv $HOME/.laconicd/config/tmp_genesis.json $HOME/.laconicd/config/genesis.json
+
+# disable produce empty block
+if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
+    sed -i '' 's/create_empty_blocks = true/create_empty_blocks = false/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+  else
+    sed -i 's/create_empty_blocks = true/create_empty_blocks = false/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+fi
+
+if [[ $1 == "pending" ]]; then
+  if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
+      sed -i '' 's/create_empty_blocks_interval = "0s"/create_empty_blocks_interval = "30s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i '' 's/timeout_propose = "3s"/timeout_propose = "30s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i '' 's/timeout_propose_delta = "500ms"/timeout_propose_delta = "5s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i '' 's/timeout_prevote = "1s"/timeout_prevote = "10s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i '' 's/timeout_prevote_delta = "500ms"/timeout_prevote_delta = "5s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i '' 's/timeout_precommit = "1s"/timeout_precommit = "10s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i '' 's/timeout_precommit_delta = "500ms"/timeout_precommit_delta = "5s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i '' 's/timeout_commit = "5s"/timeout_commit = "150s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i '' 's/timeout_broadcast_tx_commit = "10s"/timeout_broadcast_tx_commit = "150s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+  else
+      sed -i 's/create_empty_blocks_interval = "0s"/create_empty_blocks_interval = "30s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i 's/timeout_propose = "3s"/timeout_propose = "30s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i 's/timeout_propose_delta = "500ms"/timeout_propose_delta = "5s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i 's/timeout_prevote = "1s"/timeout_prevote = "10s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i 's/timeout_prevote_delta = "500ms"/timeout_prevote_delta = "5s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i 's/timeout_precommit = "1s"/timeout_precommit = "10s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i 's/timeout_precommit_delta = "500ms"/timeout_precommit_delta = "5s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i 's/timeout_commit = "5s"/timeout_commit = "150s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+      sed -i 's/timeout_broadcast_tx_commit = "10s"/timeout_broadcast_tx_commit = "150s"/g' $HOME/.laconicd/config/config.toml
+  fi
+fi
+
+# Allocate genesis accounts (cosmos formatted addresses)
+laconicd add-genesis-account $KEY 100000000000000000000000000aphoton --keyring-backend $KEYRING
+
+# Sign genesis transaction
+laconicd gentx $KEY 1000000000000000000000aphoton --keyring-backend $KEYRING --chain-id $CHAINID
+
+# Collect genesis tx
+laconicd collect-gentxs
+
+# Run this to ensure everything worked and that the genesis file is setup correctly
+laconicd validate-genesis
+
+if [[ $1 == "pending" ]]; then
+  echo "pending mode is on, please wait for the first block committed."
+fi
+
+# Start the node (remove the --pruning=nothing flag if historical queries are not needed)
+laconicd start --mode validator --pruning=nothing --evm.tracer=json $TRACE --log_level $LOGLEVEL --minimum-gas-prices=0.0001aphoton --json-rpc.api eth,txpool,personal,net,debug,web3,miner --api.enable --gql-server --gql-playground