diff --git a/PENDING.md b/PENDING.md
index 5c9b6541e9f4..71e7c3734d68 100644
--- a/PENDING.md
+++ b/PENDING.md
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ IMPROVEMENTS
   * [\#2749](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/2749) Add --chain-id flag to gaiad testnet
 
 * Gaia
+ - #2773 Require moniker to be provided on `gaiad init`.
  - #2672 [Makefile] Updated for better Windows compatibility and ledger support logic, get_tools was rewritten as a cross-compatible Makefile.
 
 * SDK
diff --git a/cmd/gaia/init/init.go b/cmd/gaia/init/init.go
index a297caee2300..1f12da6bde7c 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/init/init.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/init/init.go
@@ -51,25 +51,27 @@ func InitCmd(ctx *server.Context, cdc *codec.Codec, appInit server.AppInit) *cob
 		RunE: func(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			config := ctx.Config
 			config.SetRoot(viper.GetString(cli.HomeFlag))
+
 			chainID := viper.GetString(client.FlagChainID)
 			if chainID == "" {
 				chainID = fmt.Sprintf("test-chain-%v", common.RandStr(6))
 			}
+
 			nodeID, _, err := InitializeNodeValidatorFiles(config)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			if viper.GetString(flagMoniker) != "" {
-				config.Moniker = viper.GetString(flagMoniker)
-			}
+			config.Moniker = viper.GetString(flagMoniker)
 
 			var appState json.RawMessage
 			genFile := config.GenesisFile()
+
 			if appState, err = initializeEmptyGenesis(cdc, genFile, chainID,
 				viper.GetBool(flagOverwrite)); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+
 			if err = ExportGenesisFile(genFile, chainID, nil, appState); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -91,5 +93,7 @@ func InitCmd(ctx *server.Context, cdc *codec.Codec, appInit server.AppInit) *cob
 	cmd.Flags().BoolP(flagOverwrite, "o", false, "overwrite the genesis.json file")
 	cmd.Flags().String(client.FlagChainID, "", "genesis file chain-id, if left blank will be randomly created")
 	cmd.Flags().String(flagMoniker, "", "set the validator's moniker")
+	cmd.MarkFlagRequired(flagMoniker)
+
 	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/cmd/gaia/init/init_test.go b/cmd/gaia/init/init_test.go
index bd5274c26113..d1d9b9ce2d6a 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/init/init_test.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/init/init_test.go
@@ -2,15 +2,16 @@ package init
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/cmd/gaia/app"
-	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/cli"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/cmd/gaia/app"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/cli"
+
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/mock"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -28,12 +29,16 @@ func TestInitCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	logger := log.NewNopLogger()
 	cfg, err := tcmd.ParseConfig()
 	require.Nil(t, err)
+
 	ctx := server.NewContext(cfg, logger)
 	cdc := app.MakeCodec()
 	appInit := server.AppInit{
 		AppGenState: mock.AppGenState,
 	}
 	cmd := InitCmd(ctx, cdc, appInit)
+
+	viper.Set(flagMoniker, "gaianode-test")
+
 	err = cmd.RunE(nil, nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
@@ -53,14 +58,19 @@ func setupClientHome(t *testing.T) func() {
 func TestEmptyState(t *testing.T) {
 	defer server.SetupViper(t)()
 	defer setupClientHome(t)()
+
 	logger := log.NewNopLogger()
 	cfg, err := tcmd.ParseConfig()
 	require.Nil(t, err)
+
 	ctx := server.NewContext(cfg, logger)
 	cdc := app.MakeCodec()
 	appInit := server.AppInit{
 		AppGenState: mock.AppGenStateEmpty,
 	}
+
+	viper.Set(flagMoniker, "gaianode-test")
+
 	cmd := InitCmd(ctx, cdc, appInit)
 	err = cmd.RunE(nil, nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -69,6 +79,7 @@ func TestEmptyState(t *testing.T) {
 	r, w, _ := os.Pipe()
 	os.Stdout = w
 	cmd = server.ExportCmd(ctx, cdc, nil)
+
 	err = cmd.RunE(nil, nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err)