diff --git a/server/util.go b/server/util.go
index 254dc8f558a7..3ac629f6e990 100644
--- a/server/util.go
+++ b/server/util.go
@@ -507,7 +507,12 @@ func DefaultBaseappOptions(appOpts types.AppOptions) []func(*baseapp.BaseApp) {
 	chainID := cast.ToString(appOpts.Get(flags.FlagChainID))
 	if chainID == "" {
 		// fallback to genesis chain-id
-		reader, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(homeDir, "config", "genesis.json"))
+		genesisPathCfg := appOpts.GetString("genesis_file")
+		if genesisPathCfg == "" {
+			genesisPathCfg = filepath.Join("config", "genesis.json")
+		}
+
+		reader, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(homeDir, genesisPathCfg))
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
diff --git a/server/v2/cometbft/server.go b/server/v2/cometbft/server.go
index a8269317fad7..58eb7b442577 100644
--- a/server/v2/cometbft/server.go
+++ b/server/v2/cometbft/server.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func New[T transaction.Tx](
 	chainID, _ := cfg[FlagChainID].(string)
 	if chainID == "" {
 		// fallback to genesis chain-id
-		reader, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(home, "config", "genesis.json"))
+		reader, err := os.Open(srv.config.ConfigTomlConfig.GenesisFile())
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open genesis file: %w", err)
 		}