diff --git a/pkg/configuration/roles/tendermint/tasks/start.yml b/pkg/configuration/roles/tendermint/tasks/start.yml
index 610a6a38..0d8216eb 100644
--- a/pkg/configuration/roles/tendermint/tasks/start.yml
+++ b/pkg/configuration/roles/tendermint/tasks/start.yml
@@ -22,21 +22,14 @@
     name: "tm_config_gen"
     image: "{{ tendermint_image_name }}:{{ tendermint_image_tag }}"
     detach: true
+    env:
+      STACK_SIZE: "{{ stack_size }}"
+      TM_DOCKER_NAME: "{{ tendermint_docker_name }}"
     volumes:
       - "{{ tendermint_host_mount_config_dir }}{{ tendermint_home }}:{{ tendermint_home }}"
+      - "../scripts:/scripts"
     entrypoint: ''
-    command: |
-      bash -c 'tendermint init &&
-        jq ".validators=[]" /tendermint/config/genesis.json > /tendermint/config/genesis.tmp &&
-        mv /tendermint/config/genesis.tmp /tendermint/config/genesis.json && rm /tendermint/config/node_key.json &&
-        for i in $( seq {{ stack_size }} );do
-        tendermint gen_validator > /tendermint/config/priv_validator$i.json;
-        tendermint gen_node_key > /tendermint/config/node_id$i; mv /tendermint/config/node_key.json /tendermint/config/node_key$i.json;
-        cat tendermint/config/priv_validator$i.json | jq ".Key.pub_key" | jq ". as \$k | {pub_key: \$k, power: \"10\",
-          name: \"{{ tendermint_docker_name }}$i\"}" > pub_validator$i.json;
-        cat /tendermint/config/genesis.json | jq ".validators |= .+ [$(cat pub_validator$i.json)]" > tmpgenesis;
-        mv tmpgenesis /tendermint/config/genesis.json;
-        done'
+    command: /usr/bin/env bash -c "/scripts/tm_config_gen"
   when: stack_type|lower == "docker" or stack_type|lower == "cloud"
   tags: [tendermint]
 
@@ -56,15 +49,15 @@
       - "{{ tendermint_host_mount_dir }}{{ item|string }}{{ tendermint_home }}:{{ tendermint_home }}"
       - "{{ tendermint_host_mount_dir }}{{ item|string }}{{ tendermint_data }}:{{ tendermint_data }}"
       - "{{ tendermint_host_mount_config_dir }}{{ tendermint_home }}:/tendermint_config"
+      - "../scripts:/scripts"
     entrypoint: ''
-    command: bash -c 'cp /tendermint_config/genesis.json /tendermint/config/genesis.json &&
-      jq ".Key" /tendermint_config/priv_validator"{{ item|string }}".json > /tendermint/config/priv_validator_key.json &&
-      jq ".LastSignState" /tendermint_config/priv_validator"{{ item|string }}".json > /tendermint/data/priv_validator_state.json &&
-      mv /tendermint_config/node_key"{{ item|string }}".json /tendermint/config/node_key.json &&
-      peers=() && for i in $( seq {{ stack_size }} );do peers+=($(cat /tendermint_config/node_id$i)@"{{ tendermint_docker_name }}$i:{{ tendermint_p2p_port }}");done &&
-      peers=$(IFS=","; echo "${peers[*]}") && echo $peers &&
-      tendermint node --p2p.persistent_peers="$peers" --p2p.laddr "tcp://"{{ tendermint_docker_name }}{{ item|string }}":26656"
-      --proxy_app="tcp://"{{ bigchaindb_docker_name }}{{ item|string }}":26658" --consensus.create_empty_blocks=false --p2p.pex=false'
+    command: bash -c "/scripts/tm_start"
+    env:
+      STACK_SIZE: "{{ stack_size|string }}"
+      TM_DOCKER_NAME: "{{ tendermint_docker_name|string }}"
+      TM_P2P_PORT: "{{ tendermint_p2p_port|string }}"
+      BIGCHAINDB_DOCKER_NAME: "{{ bigchaindb_docker_name|string }}"
+      _ITEM: "{{ item|string }}"
     state: started
     keep_volumes: true
   with_sequence: start=1 end="{{ stack_size|int }}" stride=1
diff --git a/pkg/scripts/stack.sh b/pkg/scripts/stack.sh
index c11494a4..142df4ef 100755
--- a/pkg/scripts/stack.sh
+++ b/pkg/scripts/stack.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ stack_repo=${STACK_REPO:="bigchaindb/bigchaindb"}
 stack_size=${STACK_SIZE:=4}
 stack_type=${STACK_TYPE:="docker"}
 stack_type_provider=${STACK_TYPE_PROVIDER:=""}
+# NOTE versions prior v0.28.0 have different priv_validator format!
 tm_version=${TM_VERSION:="v0.31.5"}
 mongo_version=${MONGO_VERSION:="3.6"}
 stack_vm_memory=${STACK_VM_MEMORY:=2048}
diff --git a/pkg/scripts/tm_config_gen b/pkg/scripts/tm_config_gen
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ebd09b6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/scripts/tm_config_gen
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Comment: This script is was carved out of start.yml task command.  It's
+# purpose is to generated tendermint configuration files for each node in
+# `stack', and compile genesis.json file.  These files are further used in
+# tm_start script.
+
+# NOTE following environment have to be set!
+# $STACK_SIZE -- self explanatory
+# $TM_DOCKER_NAME -- used to identify tendermint containers in the network
+
+tendermint init
+cat /tendermint/config/genesis.json \
+    | jq ".validators=[]" > /tendermint/config/genesis.tmp
+
+mv /tendermint/config/genesis.tmp /tendermint/config/genesis.json
+rm /tendermint/config/node_key.json
+
+for i in $(seq $STACK_SIZE); do
+
+    tendermint gen_validator > /tendermint/config/priv_validator$i.json;
+    tendermint gen_node_key > /tendermint/config/node_id$i;
+    cat tendermint/config/priv_validator$i.json \
+        | jq ".Key.pub_key" \
+        | jq ". as \$k | {pub_key: \$k, \
+                          power: \"10\", \
+                          name: \"$TM_DOCKER_NAME$i\"}" \
+             > pub_validator$i.json;
+
+    # added
+    cat tendermint/config/priv_validator$i.json \
+        | jq ".Key" > tendermint/config/priv_validator_key$1.json
+
+    cat /tendermint/config/genesis.json \
+        | jq ".validators |= .+ [$(cat pub_validator$i.json)]" \
+             > tmpgenesis;
+
+    mv tmpgenesis /tendermint/config/genesis.json;
+done
diff --git a/pkg/scripts/tm_start b/pkg/scripts/tm_start
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..abb7b4ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/scripts/tm_start
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Comment: This script is was carved out of start.yml task command.  It's
+# purpose is to copy generated in tm_config_gen configuration files from mounted
+# volume, compile `--p2p.persistent_peers' cmd argument and start tendermint
+# node.
+
+# NOTE following environment have to be set!
+# $_ITEM -- stack size position identifier
+# $STACK_SIZE -- self explanatory
+# $TM_DOCKER_NAME -- used to identify tendermint containers in the network
+# $BIGCHAINDB_DOCKER_NAME -- self explanatory
+# $TM_P2P_PORT -- self explanatory
+
+# Copy confguration files from mounted config volume
+cp /tendermint_config/genesis.json \
+   /tendermint/config/genesis.json
+cp /tendermint_config/priv_validator_key$_ITEM.json \
+   /tendermint/config/priv_validator_key.json
+cp /tendermint_config/node_key$_ITEM.json \
+   /tendermint/config/node_key.json
+
+# Create peers array (to be passed to `tendermint node' command
+peers=()
+for i in $(seq $STACK_SIZE); do
+    peers+=($(cat /tendermint_config/node_id$i)@"$TM_DOCKER_NAME$i:$TM_P2P_PORT");
+done
+peers=$(IFS=","; echo "${peers[*]}")
+
+echo "starting node with persistent peers set to:"
+echo $peers
+tendermint node \
+           --p2p.persistent_peers="$peers" \
+           --p2p.laddr "tcp://"$TM_DOCKER_NAME$_ITEM":26656" \
+           --proxy_app="tcp://"$BIGCHAINDB_DOCKER_NAME$_ITEM":26658" \
+           --consensus.create_empty_blocks=false \
+           --p2p.pex=false