diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 12b9e20663c..fe8d4b2328d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ Ref: https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/
 * (x/gov,cli) [#14718](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/14718) Added `AddGovPropFlagsToCmd` and `ReadGovPropFlags` functions.
 * (x/bank) [#14894](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/14894) Return a human readable denomination for IBC vouchers when querying bank balances. Added a `ResolveDenom` parameter to `types.QueryAllBalancesRequest` and `--resolve-denom` flag to `GetBalancesCmd()`.
 * (x/groups) [#14879](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/14879) Add `Query/Groups` query to get all the groups.
+* (x/genutil,cli) [#15147](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/15147) Add `--initial-height` flag to cli init cmd to provide `genesis.json` with user defined initial block height
 
 ### Improvements
 
diff --git a/client/flags/flags.go b/client/flags/flags.go
index 14240e1f0c9..148965de471 100644
--- a/client/flags/flags.go
+++ b/client/flags/flags.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ const (
 	FlagReverse          = "reverse"
 	FlagTip              = "tip"
 	FlagAux              = "aux"
+	FlagInitHeight       = "initial-height"
 	// FlagOutput is the flag to set the output format.
 	// This differs from FlagOutputDocument that is used to set the output file.
 	FlagOutput = cmtcli.OutputFlag
diff --git a/x/genutil/client/cli/init.go b/x/genutil/client/cli/init.go
index 592a3a5546d..e09e84067e5 100644
--- a/x/genutil/client/cli/init.go
+++ b/x/genutil/client/cli/init.go
@@ -107,6 +107,12 @@ func InitCmd(mbm module.BasicManager, defaultNodeHome string) *cobra.Command {
 				}
 			}
 
+			// Get initial height
+			initHeight, _ := cmd.Flags().GetInt64(flags.FlagInitHeight)
+			if initHeight < 1 {
+				initHeight = 1
+			}
+
 			nodeID, _, err := genutil.InitializeNodeValidatorFilesFromMnemonic(config, mnemonic)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -151,6 +157,7 @@ func InitCmd(mbm module.BasicManager, defaultNodeHome string) *cobra.Command {
 			appGenesis.AppVersion = version.Version
 			appGenesis.ChainID = chainID
 			appGenesis.AppState = appState
+			appGenesis.InitialHeight = initHeight
 			appGenesis.Consensus = &types.ConsensusGenesis{
 				Validators: nil,
 			}
@@ -171,6 +178,7 @@ func InitCmd(mbm module.BasicManager, defaultNodeHome string) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Flags().Bool(FlagRecover, false, "provide seed phrase to recover existing key instead of creating")
 	cmd.Flags().String(flags.FlagChainID, "", "genesis file chain-id, if left blank will be randomly created")
 	cmd.Flags().String(FlagDefaultBondDenom, "", "genesis file default denomination, if left blank default value is 'stake'")
+	cmd.Flags().Int64(flags.FlagInitHeight, 1, "specify the initial block height at genesis")
 
 	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/x/genutil/client/cli/init_test.go b/x/genutil/client/cli/init_test.go
index 551ccb882a4..ae935d887ab 100644
--- a/x/genutil/client/cli/init_test.go
+++ b/x/genutil/client/cli/init_test.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/flags"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec/types"
 	cryptocodec "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/codec"
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/genutil"
 	genutilcli "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/genutil/client/cli"
 	genutiltest "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/genutil/client/testutil"
+	genutiltypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/genutil/types"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/staking"
 )
 
@@ -285,6 +287,70 @@ func TestInitConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Contains(t, out, "\"chain_id\": \"foo\"")
 }
 
+func TestInitWithHeight(t *testing.T) {
+	home := t.TempDir()
+	logger := log.NewNopLogger()
+	cfg, err := genutiltest.CreateDefaultCometConfig(home)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	serverCtx := server.NewContext(viper.New(), cfg, logger)
+	interfaceRegistry := types.NewInterfaceRegistry()
+	marshaler := codec.NewProtoCodec(interfaceRegistry)
+	clientCtx := client.Context{}.
+		WithCodec(marshaler).
+		WithLegacyAmino(makeCodec()).
+		WithChainID("foo"). // add chain-id to clientCtx
+		WithHomeDir(home)
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, client.ClientContextKey, &clientCtx)
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, server.ServerContextKey, serverCtx)
+
+	testInitialHeight := int64(333)
+
+	cmd := genutilcli.InitCmd(testMbm, home)
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"init-height-test", fmt.Sprintf("--%s=%d", flags.FlagInitHeight, testInitialHeight)})
+
+	require.NoError(t, cmd.ExecuteContext(ctx))
+
+	appGenesis, importErr := genutiltypes.AppGenesisFromFile(cfg.GenesisFile())
+	require.NoError(t, importErr)
+
+	require.Equal(t, testInitialHeight, appGenesis.InitialHeight)
+}
+
+func TestInitWithNegativeHeight(t *testing.T) {
+	home := t.TempDir()
+	logger := log.NewNopLogger()
+	cfg, err := genutiltest.CreateDefaultCometConfig(home)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	serverCtx := server.NewContext(viper.New(), cfg, logger)
+	interfaceRegistry := types.NewInterfaceRegistry()
+	marshaler := codec.NewProtoCodec(interfaceRegistry)
+	clientCtx := client.Context{}.
+		WithCodec(marshaler).
+		WithLegacyAmino(makeCodec()).
+		WithChainID("foo"). // add chain-id to clientCtx
+		WithHomeDir(home)
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, client.ClientContextKey, &clientCtx)
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, server.ServerContextKey, serverCtx)
+
+	testInitialHeight := int64(-333)
+
+	cmd := genutilcli.InitCmd(testMbm, home)
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"init-height-test", fmt.Sprintf("--%s=%d", flags.FlagInitHeight, testInitialHeight)})
+
+	require.NoError(t, cmd.ExecuteContext(ctx))
+
+	appGenesis, importErr := genutiltypes.AppGenesisFromFile(cfg.GenesisFile())
+	require.NoError(t, importErr)
+
+	require.Equal(t, int64(1), appGenesis.InitialHeight)
+}
+
 // custom tx codec
 func makeCodec() *codec.LegacyAmino {
 	cdc := codec.NewLegacyAmino()