diff --git a/server/config/config.go b/server/config/config.go
index f817efb8e9f1..34e6e61365f7 100644
--- a/server/config/config.go
+++ b/server/config/config.go
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ const (
 
 	// DefaultGRPCWebAddress defines the default address to bind the gRPC-web server to.
 	DefaultGRPCWebAddress = "0.0.0.0:9091"
+
+	// DefaultGRPCMaxRecvMsgSize defines the default gRPC max message size in
+	// bytes the server can receive.
+	DefaultGRPCMaxRecvMsgSize = 1024 * 1024 * 10
+
+	// DefaultGRPCMaxSendMsgSize defines the default gRPC max message size in
+	// bytes the server can send.
+	DefaultGRPCMaxSendMsgSize = math.MaxInt32
 )
 
 // BaseConfig defines the server's basic configuration
@@ -235,8 +243,8 @@ func DefaultConfig() *Config {
 		GRPC: GRPCConfig{
 			Enable:         true,
 			Address:        DefaultGRPCAddress,
-			MaxRecvMsgSize: 1024 * 1024 * 10,
-			MaxSendMsgSize: math.MaxInt32,
+			MaxRecvMsgSize: DefaultGRPCMaxRecvMsgSize,
+			MaxSendMsgSize: DefaultGRPCMaxSendMsgSize,
 		},
 		Rosetta: RosettaConfig{
 			Enable:     false,
diff --git a/server/grpc/server.go b/server/grpc/server.go
index 105f55d4751f..1e44b0d6099a 100644
--- a/server/grpc/server.go
+++ b/server/grpc/server.go
@@ -17,9 +17,19 @@ import (
 
 // StartGRPCServer starts a gRPC server on the given address.
 func StartGRPCServer(clientCtx client.Context, app types.Application, cfg config.GRPCConfig) (*grpc.Server, error) {
+	maxSendMsgSize := cfg.MaxSendMsgSize
+	if maxSendMsgSize == 0 {
+		maxSendMsgSize = config.DefaultGRPCMaxSendMsgSize
+	}
+
+	maxRecvMsgSize := cfg.MaxRecvMsgSize
+	if maxRecvMsgSize == 0 {
+		maxRecvMsgSize = config.DefaultGRPCMaxRecvMsgSize
+	}
+
 	grpcSrv := grpc.NewServer(
-		grpc.MaxSendMsgSize(cfg.MaxSendMsgSize),
-		grpc.MaxRecvMsgSize(cfg.MaxRecvMsgSize),
+		grpc.MaxSendMsgSize(maxSendMsgSize),
+		grpc.MaxRecvMsgSize(maxRecvMsgSize),
 	)
 	app.RegisterGRPCServer(grpcSrv)
 
diff --git a/server/start.go b/server/start.go
index 3750bc975cae..2c918edebd74 100644
--- a/server/start.go
+++ b/server/start.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	pruningtypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pruning/types"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/api"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/config"
+	serverconfig "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/config"
 	servergrpc "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/grpc"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/rosetta"
 	crgserver "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/rosetta/lib/server"
@@ -155,10 +156,10 @@ which accepts a path for the resulting pprof file.
 	cmd.Flags().Uint64(FlagMinRetainBlocks, 0, "Minimum block height offset during ABCI commit to prune Tendermint blocks")
 
 	cmd.Flags().Bool(flagGRPCEnable, true, "Define if the gRPC server should be enabled")
-	cmd.Flags().String(flagGRPCAddress, config.DefaultGRPCAddress, "the gRPC server address to listen on")
+	cmd.Flags().String(flagGRPCAddress, serverconfig.DefaultGRPCAddress, "the gRPC server address to listen on")
 
 	cmd.Flags().Bool(flagGRPCWebEnable, true, "Define if the gRPC-Web server should be enabled. (Note: gRPC must also be enabled.)")
-	cmd.Flags().String(flagGRPCWebAddress, config.DefaultGRPCWebAddress, "The gRPC-Web server address to listen on")
+	cmd.Flags().String(flagGRPCWebAddress, serverconfig.DefaultGRPCWebAddress, "The gRPC-Web server address to listen on")
 
 	cmd.Flags().Uint64(FlagStateSyncSnapshotInterval, 0, "State sync snapshot interval")
 	cmd.Flags().Uint32(FlagStateSyncSnapshotKeepRecent, 2, "State sync snapshot to keep")
@@ -304,15 +305,27 @@ func startInProcess(ctx *Context, clientCtx client.Context, appCreator types.App
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+
+			maxSendMsgSize := config.GRPC.MaxSendMsgSize
+			if maxSendMsgSize == 0 {
+				maxSendMsgSize = serverconfig.DefaultGRPCMaxSendMsgSize
+			}
+
+			maxRecvMsgSize := config.GRPC.MaxRecvMsgSize
+			if maxRecvMsgSize == 0 {
+				maxRecvMsgSize = serverconfig.DefaultGRPCMaxRecvMsgSize
+			}
+
 			grpcAddress := fmt.Sprintf("127.0.0.1:%s", port)
+
 			// If grpc is enabled, configure grpc client for grpc gateway.
 			grpcClient, err := grpc.Dial(
 				grpcAddress,
 				grpc.WithInsecure(),
 				grpc.WithDefaultCallOptions(
 					grpc.ForceCodec(encoding.GetCodec(proto.Name)),
-					grpc.MaxCallRecvMsgSize(config.GRPC.MaxRecvMsgSize),
-					grpc.MaxCallSendMsgSize(config.GRPC.MaxSendMsgSize),
+					grpc.MaxCallRecvMsgSize(maxRecvMsgSize),
+					grpc.MaxCallSendMsgSize(maxSendMsgSize),
 				),
 			)
 			if err != nil {