diff --git a/server/config/config.go b/server/config/config.go
index 40087b149603..9706ae65e1d4 100644
--- a/server/config/config.go
+++ b/server/config/config.go
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@ type BaseConfig struct {
 	// IAVLLazyLoading enable/disable the lazy loading of iavl store.
 	IAVLLazyLoading bool `mapstructure:"iavl-lazy-loading"`
 
+	// ABCIClientType selects the type of ABCI client.
+	ABCIClientType string `mapstructure:"abci-client-type"`
+
 	// AppDBBackend defines the type of Database to use for the application and snapshots databases.
 	// An empty string indicates that the Tendermint config's DBBackend value should be used.
 	AppDBBackend string `mapstructure:"app-db-backend"`
@@ -289,6 +292,7 @@ func DefaultConfig() *Config {
 			IAVLCacheSize:       781250, // 50 MB
 			IAVLDisableFastNode: false,
 			IAVLLazyLoading:     false,
+			ABCIClientType:      "committing", // [AGORIC]
 			AppDBBackend:        "",
 		},
 		Telemetry: telemetry.Config{
diff --git a/server/config/toml.go b/server/config/toml.go
index 920201b330e4..a53633cc7e3c 100644
--- a/server/config/toml.go
+++ b/server/config/toml.go
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ iavl-disable-fastnode = {{ .BaseConfig.IAVLDisableFastNode }}
 # Default is false.
 iavl-lazy-loading = {{ .BaseConfig.IAVLLazyLoading }}
 
+# ABCIClientType selects the type of ABCI client.
+# Default is "committing".
+abci-client-type = "{{ .BaseConfig.ABCIClientType }}"
+
 # AppDBBackend defines the database backend type to use for the application and snapshots DBs.
 # An empty string indicates that a fallback will be used.
 # First fallback is the deprecated compile-time types.DBBackend value.
diff --git a/server/start.go b/server/start.go
index b60cbaa9cf55..03e8fc4509a5 100644
--- a/server/start.go
+++ b/server/start.go
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ const (
 	flagGRPCWebAddress = "grpc-web.address"
 )
 
+// [AGORIC] Valid values for FlagAbciClientType
 const (
 	abciClientTypeCommitting = "committing"
 	abciClientTypeLocal      = "local"
@@ -149,18 +150,9 @@ is performed. Note, when enabled, gRPC will also be automatically enabled.
 				})
 			}
 
-			abciClientType, err := cmd.Flags().GetString(FlagAbciClientType)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			clientCreator, err := getAbciClientCreator(abciClientType)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-
 			// amino is needed here for backwards compatibility of REST routes
 			err = wrapCPUProfile(serverCtx, func() error {
-				return startInProcess(serverCtx, clientCtx, appCreator, clientCreator)
+				return startInProcess(serverCtx, clientCtx, appCreator)
 			})
 			errCode, ok := err.(ErrorCode)
 			if !ok {
@@ -273,7 +265,7 @@ func startStandAlone(ctx *Context, appCreator types.AppCreator) error {
 
 type abciClientCreator func(abcitypes.Application) proxy.ClientCreator
 
-func startInProcess(ctx *Context, clientCtx client.Context, appCreator types.AppCreator, clientCreator abciClientCreator) error {
+func startInProcess(ctx *Context, clientCtx client.Context, appCreator types.AppCreator) error {
 	cfg := ctx.Config
 	home := cfg.RootDir
 
@@ -306,6 +298,14 @@ func startInProcess(ctx *Context, clientCtx client.Context, appCreator types.App
 
 	genDocProvider := node.DefaultGenesisDocProviderFunc(cfg)
 
+	// [AGORIC] allow the ABCI client type to be configurable.
+	abciClientType := config.ABCIClientType
+	ctx.Logger.Info(fmt.Sprintf("ABCI client type: %s", abciClientType))
+	clientCreator, err := getAbciClientCreator(abciClientType)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	var (
 		tmNode   *node.Node
 		gRPCOnly = ctx.Viper.GetBool(flagGRPCOnly)
@@ -520,6 +520,8 @@ func startInProcess(ctx *Context, clientCtx client.Context, appCreator types.App
 	return WaitForQuitSignals()
 }
 
+// getAbciClientCreator dispatches the client type to the right cometbft constructor.
+// [AGORIC] Allows us to disable committingClient.
 func getAbciClientCreator(abciClientType string) (abciClientCreator, error) {
 	switch abciClientType {
 	case abciClientTypeCommitting: