diff --git a/cmd/gaiad/cmd/root.go b/cmd/gaiad/cmd/root.go
index acefb957455..ebfd683738c 100644
--- a/cmd/gaiad/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/gaiad/cmd/root.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/keys"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/rpc"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server"
+	serverconfig "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/config"
 	servertypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/types"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/snapshots"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/store"
@@ -61,7 +62,8 @@ func NewRootCmd() (*cobra.Command, params.EncodingConfig) {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			return server.InterceptConfigsPreRunHandler(cmd, "", nil)
+			customTemplate, customGaiaConfig := initAppConfig()
+			return server.InterceptConfigsPreRunHandler(cmd, customTemplate, customGaiaConfig)
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -70,8 +72,27 @@ func NewRootCmd() (*cobra.Command, params.EncodingConfig) {
 	return rootCmd, encodingConfig
 }
 
+func initAppConfig() (string, interface{}) {
+
+	type CustomAppConfig struct {
+		serverconfig.Config
+	}
+
+	// Allow overrides to the SDK default server config
+	srvCfg := serverconfig.DefaultConfig()
+	srvCfg.StateSync.SnapshotInterval = 1000
+	srvCfg.StateSync.SnapshotKeepRecent = 10
+
+	GaiaAppCfg := CustomAppConfig{Config: *srvCfg}
+
+	GaiaAppTemplate := serverconfig.DefaultConfigTemplate
+
+	return GaiaAppTemplate, GaiaAppCfg
+}
+
 func initRootCmd(rootCmd *cobra.Command, encodingConfig params.EncodingConfig) {
 	cfg := sdk.GetConfig()
+
 	cfg.Seal()
 
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(