diff --git a/bigchaindb/commands/bigchain.py b/bigchaindb/commands/bigchain.py
index 7ea95851..c29e9e94 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/commands/bigchain.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/commands/bigchain.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import os
 import logging
 import argparse
+import copy
 
 import bigchaindb
 import bigchaindb.config_utils
@@ -48,13 +49,15 @@ def run_configure(args, skip_if_exists=False):
             return
 
     # Patch the default configuration with the new values
-    conf = bigchaindb._config
+    conf = copy.deepcopy(bigchaindb._config)
+
     print('Generating keypair')
     conf['keypair']['private'], conf['keypair']['public'] = generate_key_pair()
 
-    for key in ('host', 'port', 'name'):
-        val = conf['database'][key]
-        conf['database'][key] = input('Database {}? (default `{}`): '.format(key, val)) or val
+    if not args.yes:
+        for key in ('host', 'port', 'name'):
+            val = conf['database'][key]
+            conf['database'][key] = input('Database {}? (default `{}`): '.format(key, val)) or val
 
     bigchaindb.config_utils.write_config(conf, config_path)
     print('Ready to go!')
diff --git a/tests/test_commands.py b/tests/test_commands.py
index 3897129e..91ec3328 100644
--- a/tests/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/test_commands.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from argparse import Namespace
 from pprint import pprint
+import copy
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -71,6 +72,30 @@ def test_bigchain_run_start(mock_run_configure, mock_file_config,
     run_start(args)
 
 
+def test_bigchain_run_start_assume_yes_create_default_config(monkeypatch, mock_processes_start,
+                                                             mock_generate_key_pair, mock_db_init_with_existing_db):
+    import bigchaindb
+    from bigchaindb.commands.bigchain import run_start
+    from bigchaindb import config_utils
+
+    value = {}
+    expected_config = copy.deepcopy(bigchaindb._config)
+    expected_config['keypair']['public'] = 'pubkey'
+    expected_config['keypair']['private'] = 'privkey'
+
+    def mock_write_config(newconfig, filename=None):
+        value['return'] = newconfig
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(config_utils, 'write_config', mock_write_config)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(config_utils, 'file_config', lambda x: config_utils.dict_config(value['return']))
+    monkeypatch.setattr('os.path.exists', lambda path: False)
+
+    args = Namespace(config=None, yes=True)
+    run_start(args)
+
+    assert value['return'] == expected_config
+
+
 # TODO Please beware, that if debugging, the "-s" switch for pytest will
 # interfere with capsys.
 # See related issue: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/128