diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/start.js b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/start.js
index 4a875961e72..e36aed5be22 100644
--- a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/start.js
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/start.js
@@ -282,9 +282,13 @@ export default async function startMain(progname, rawArgs, powers, opts) {
       if (exitStatus) {
         return exitStatus;
       }
+      const keysHome = opts.sdk
+        ? `_agstate/keys`
+        : `/usr/src/dapp/_agstate/keys`;
       exitStatus = await chainSpawn([
         'gentx',
         'delegate0',
+        `--home-client=${keysHome}`,
         '--keyring-backend=test',
         `--chain-id=${CHAIN_ID}`,
         `--amount=${DELEGATE0_COINS}`,
diff --git a/packages/cosmic-swingset/Makefile b/packages/cosmic-swingset/Makefile
index 4549707b20e..51df7be3e15 100644
--- a/packages/cosmic-swingset/Makefile
+++ b/packages/cosmic-swingset/Makefile
@@ -79,11 +79,11 @@ scenario2-setup-nobuild:
 	done
 	# Create the bootstrap account.
 	mkdir t1/bootstrap
-	$(AGCH) --home=t1/n0 keys add bootstrap --keyring-backend=test
-	$(AGCH) --home=t1/n0 keys show -a bootstrap --keyring-backend=test > t1/bootstrap-address
+	$(AGCH) --home=t1/bootstrap keys add bootstrap --keyring-backend=test
+	$(AGCH) --home=t1/bootstrap keys show -a bootstrap --keyring-backend=test > t1/bootstrap-address
 	$(AGC) --home=t1/n0 add-genesis-account `cat t1/bootstrap-address` 100000000uagstake,100provisionpass,100sendpacketpass
 	# Create the (singleton) chain node.
-	$(AGC) --home=t1/n0 gentx --keyring-backend=test bootstrap --amount=1000000uagstake --chain-id=$(CHAIN_ID)
+	$(AGC) --home=t1/n0 gentx --keyring-backend=test --home-client=t1/bootstrap bootstrap --amount=1000000uagstake --chain-id=$(CHAIN_ID)
 	$(AGC) --home=t1/n0 collect-gentxs
 	$(AGC) --home=t1/n0 validate-genesis
 	../agoric-cli/bin/agoric set-defaults ag-chain-cosmos t1/n0/config
diff --git a/packages/deployment/ansible/roles/cosmos-genesis/tasks/main.yml b/packages/deployment/ansible/roles/cosmos-genesis/tasks/main.yml
index 6f0532ea998..0df49b9bc3d 100644
--- a/packages/deployment/ansible/roles/cosmos-genesis/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/packages/deployment/ansible/roles/cosmos-genesis/tasks/main.yml
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@
   become: yes
   become_user: "{{ service }}"
   shell: "\
-    {{ service }} gentx --keyring-backend=test --amount={{ STAKER_AMOUNT }} \
+    {{ service }} gentx --home-client=/home/{{ service }}/.ag-cosmos-helper \
+      --keyring-backend=test --amount={{ STAKER_AMOUNT }} \
       {{ (website | default(None)) and '--website=' ~ website }} \
       {{ (identity | default(None)) and '--identity=' ~ identity }} \
       {{ STAKER }}-{{ STAKER_NODE }} --chain-id={{ CHAIN_NAME }} --output-document={{ json }}"