diff --git a/genesis/make_genesis_file.go b/genesis/make_genesis_file.go
index f67a86d87084dccc3cbfe288f60cf21e2dd70d0c..4fffd203d020f128d9e702d12f90c739cf2f3ee9 100644
--- a/genesis/make_genesis_file.go
+++ b/genesis/make_genesis_file.go
@@ -27,6 +27,25 @@ func GenerateKnown(chainID, accountsPathCSV, validatorsPathCSV string) (string,
 		time.Now())
 }
 
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// interface functions that are consumed by monax tooling
+
+func GenerateGenesisFileBytes(chainName string, genesisAccounts []*GenesisAccount,
+	genesisValidators []*GenesisValidator) ([]byte, error) {
+	genesisDoc, err := MakeGenesisDocFromAccounts(chainName, genesisAccounts, genesisValidators)
+
+	buf, buf2, n := new(bytes.Buffer), new(bytes.Buffer), new(int)
+	wire.WriteJSON(genesisDoc, buf, n, &err)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if err := json.Indent(buf2, buf.Bytes(), "", "\t"); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return buf2.Bytes(), nil
+}
+
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // core functions that provide functionality for monax tooling in v0.16