diff --git a/cmd/tendermint/commands/init.go b/cmd/tendermint/commands/init.go
index 33d511097..d5f8b338b 100644
--- a/cmd/tendermint/commands/init.go
+++ b/cmd/tendermint/commands/init.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func MakeInitFilesCommand(conf *config.Config, logger log.Logger) *cobra.Command
 				return errors.New("must specify a node type: tendermint init [validator|full|seed]")
 			}
 			conf.Mode = args[0]
-			return initFilesWithConfig(cmd.Context(), conf, logger)
+			return initFilesWithConfig(cmd.Context(), conf, logger, keyType)
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -40,11 +40,10 @@ func MakeInitFilesCommand(conf *config.Config, logger log.Logger) *cobra.Command
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func initFilesWithConfig(ctx context.Context, conf *config.Config, logger log.Logger) error {
+func initFilesWithConfig(ctx context.Context, conf *config.Config, logger log.Logger, keyType string) error {
 	var (
-		pv      *privval.FilePV
-		err     error
-		keyType string
+		pv  *privval.FilePV
+		err error
 	)
 
 	if conf.Mode == config.ModeValidator {
diff --git a/cmd/tendermint/commands/testnet.go b/cmd/tendermint/commands/testnet.go
index 82954e41b..82c8cc6f9 100644
--- a/cmd/tendermint/commands/testnet.go
+++ b/cmd/tendermint/commands/testnet.go
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ Example:
 				return err
 			}
 
-			if err := initFilesWithConfig(ctx, config, logger); err != nil {
+			if err := initFilesWithConfig(ctx, config, logger, keyType); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ Example:
 				return err
 			}
 
-			if err := initFilesWithConfig(ctx, conf, logger); err != nil {
+			if err := initFilesWithConfig(ctx, conf, logger, keyType); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		}