diff --git a/app/genesis.go b/app/genesis.go
index fa6a5ac3053b..3901fa68985e 100644
--- a/app/genesis.go
+++ b/app/genesis.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ func (app *Basecoin) LoadGenesis(path string) error {
 		r := app.SetOption(kv.Key, kv.Value)
 		app.logger.Info("Done setting Plugin key-value pair via SetOption", "result", r, "k", kv.Key, "v", kv.Value)
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -71,6 +72,10 @@ func loadGenesis(filePath string) (*FullGenesisDoc, error) {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "unmarshaling genesis file")
 	}
 
+	if genDoc.AppOptions == nil {
+		genDoc.AppOptions = new(GenesisDoc)
+	}
+
 	pluginOpts, err := parseGenesisList(genDoc.AppOptions.PluginOptions)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/app/genesis_test.go b/app/genesis_test.go
index b2a590bcf3d9..dc398afd971f 100644
--- a/app/genesis_test.go
+++ b/app/genesis_test.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"github.com/tendermint/basecoin/types"
-	"github.com/tendermint/go-crypto"
+	crypto "github.com/tendermint/go-crypto"
 	eyescli "github.com/tendermint/merkleeyes/client"
 	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
 )
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ import (
 const genesisFilepath = "./testdata/genesis.json"
 const genesisAcctFilepath = "./testdata/genesis2.json"
 
+func TestLoadGenesisDoNotFailIfAppOptionsAreMissing(t *testing.T) {
+	eyesCli := eyescli.NewLocalClient("", 0)
+	app := NewBasecoin(eyesCli)
+	err := app.LoadGenesis("./testdata/genesis3.json")
+	require.Nil(t, err, "%+v", err)
+}
+
 func TestLoadGenesis(t *testing.T) {
 	assert, require := assert.New(t), require.New(t)
 
diff --git a/app/testdata/genesis3.json b/app/testdata/genesis3.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b58b1d740256
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/testdata/genesis3.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "chain_id": "foo_bar_chain"
+}