diff --git a/cmd/hsm/main.go b/cmd/hsm/main.go
index d2144745c..7c12f03c8 100644
--- a/cmd/hsm/main.go
+++ b/cmd/hsm/main.go
@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"os"
-
-	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/cli"
-	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
-
+	tcrypto "github.com/tendermint/go-crypto"
 	tc "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/cmd/tendermint/commands"
 	cfg "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/config"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/cli"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
+	"os"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -35,12 +34,12 @@ func main() {
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(tc.TestnetFilesCmd)
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(tc.VersionCmd)
 
-	// Override with HSM implementation, otherwise nil will trigger default
-	// software signer:
-	var signer types.Signer = nil
+	signerGenerator := func(pk tcrypto.PrivKey) types.Signer {
+		// Return your own signer implementation here
+		return types.NewDefaultSigner(pk)
+	}
 
-	privValidator := types.LoadPrivValidatorWithSigner(config.PrivValidatorFile(),
-		signer)
+	privValidator := types.LoadPrivValidatorWithSigner(config.PrivValidatorFile(), signerGenerator)
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(tc.NewRunNodeCmd(privValidator))
 
 	cmd := cli.PrepareBaseCmd(rootCmd, "TM", os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.tendermint"))
diff --git a/types/priv_validator.go b/types/priv_validator.go
index fe2f2e730..9dfd95b5f 100644
--- a/types/priv_validator.go
+++ b/types/priv_validator.go
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ type PrivValidator struct {
 	mtx      sync.Mutex
 }
 
+
+type SignerGenerator func(pk crypto.PrivKey) (Signer)
+
+
 // This is used to sign votes.
 // It is the caller's duty to verify the msg before calling Sign,
 // eg. to avoid double signing.
@@ -112,10 +116,12 @@ func GenPrivValidator() *PrivValidator {
 }
 
 func LoadPrivValidator(filePath string) *PrivValidator {
-	return LoadPrivValidatorWithSigner(filePath, nil)
+	return LoadPrivValidatorWithSigner(filePath, func(pk crypto.PrivKey) Signer {
+		return NewDefaultSigner(pk)
+	})
 }
 
-func LoadPrivValidatorWithSigner(filePath string, signer Signer) *PrivValidator {
+func LoadPrivValidatorWithSigner(filePath string, generator SignerGenerator) *PrivValidator {
 	privValJSONBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filePath)
 	if err != nil {
 		Exit(err.Error())
@@ -127,11 +133,8 @@ func LoadPrivValidatorWithSigner(filePath string, signer Signer) *PrivValidator
 	}
 
 	privVal.filePath = filePath
-	if signer == nil {
-		privVal.Signer = NewDefaultSigner(privVal.PrivKey)
-	} else {
-		privVal.Signer = signer
-	}
+	privVal.Signer = generator(privVal.PrivKey)
+
 	privVal.setPubKeyAndAddress()
 	return &privVal
 }