diff --git a/PENDING.md b/PENDING.md
index 4d87301f0d5b..f70b51ac474d 100644
--- a/PENDING.md
+++ b/PENDING.md
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ BUG FIXES
 
 * Gaia
 
+  * \#3148 Fix `gaiad export` by adding a boolean to `NewGaiaApp` determining whether or not to load the latest version
+
 * SDK
 
 * Tendermint
diff --git a/client/lcd/test_helpers.go b/client/lcd/test_helpers.go
index 58b8426e5f82..e1272f173806 100644
--- a/client/lcd/test_helpers.go
+++ b/client/lcd/test_helpers.go
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ func InitializeTestLCD(
 	privVal.Reset()
 
 	db := dbm.NewMemDB()
-	app := gapp.NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil)
+	app := gapp.NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil, true)
 	cdc = gapp.MakeCodec()
 
 	genesisFile := config.GenesisFile()
diff --git a/cmd/gaia/app/app.go b/cmd/gaia/app/app.go
index ebcdc8820d2f..4930f44ef5d0 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/app/app.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/app/app.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ type GaiaApp struct {
 }
 
 // NewGaiaApp returns a reference to an initialized GaiaApp.
-func NewGaiaApp(logger log.Logger, db dbm.DB, traceStore io.Writer, baseAppOptions ...func(*bam.BaseApp)) *GaiaApp {
+func NewGaiaApp(logger log.Logger, db dbm.DB, traceStore io.Writer, loadLatest bool, baseAppOptions ...func(*bam.BaseApp)) *GaiaApp {
 	cdc := MakeCodec()
 
 	bApp := bam.NewBaseApp(appName, logger, db, auth.DefaultTxDecoder(cdc), baseAppOptions...)
@@ -167,9 +167,11 @@ func NewGaiaApp(logger log.Logger, db dbm.DB, traceStore io.Writer, baseAppOptio
 	app.MountStoresTransient(app.tkeyParams, app.tkeyStake, app.tkeyDistr)
 	app.SetEndBlocker(app.EndBlocker)
 
-	err := app.LoadLatestVersion(app.keyMain)
-	if err != nil {
-		cmn.Exit(err.Error())
+	if loadLatest {
+		err := app.LoadLatestVersion(app.keyMain)
+		if err != nil {
+			cmn.Exit(err.Error())
+		}
 	}
 
 	return app
diff --git a/cmd/gaia/app/app_test.go b/cmd/gaia/app/app_test.go
index 238f2296690b..87b2ec2a9531 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/app/app_test.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/app/app_test.go
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@ func setGenesis(gapp *GaiaApp, accs ...*auth.BaseAccount) error {
 
 func TestGaiadExport(t *testing.T) {
 	db := db.NewMemDB()
-	gapp := NewGaiaApp(log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout)), db, nil)
+	gapp := NewGaiaApp(log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout)), db, nil, true)
 	setGenesis(gapp)
 
 	// Making a new app object with the db, so that initchain hasn't been called
-	newGapp := NewGaiaApp(log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout)), db, nil)
+	newGapp := NewGaiaApp(log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout)), db, nil, true)
 	_, _, err := newGapp.ExportAppStateAndValidators(false)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "ExportAppStateAndValidators should not have an error")
 }
diff --git a/cmd/gaia/app/sim_test.go b/cmd/gaia/app/sim_test.go
index b4504bdf8a19..67fa05ac5820 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/app/sim_test.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/app/sim_test.go
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func BenchmarkFullGaiaSimulation(b *testing.B) {
 		db.Close()
 		os.RemoveAll(dir)
 	}()
-	app := NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil)
+	app := NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil, true)
 
 	// Run randomized simulation
 	// TODO parameterize numbers, save for a later PR
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ func TestFullGaiaSimulation(t *testing.T) {
 		db.Close()
 		os.RemoveAll(dir)
 	}()
-	app := NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil, fauxMerkleModeOpt)
+	app := NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil, true, fauxMerkleModeOpt)
 	require.Equal(t, "GaiaApp", app.Name())
 
 	// Run randomized simulation
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ func TestGaiaImportExport(t *testing.T) {
 		db.Close()
 		os.RemoveAll(dir)
 	}()
-	app := NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil, fauxMerkleModeOpt)
+	app := NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil, true, fauxMerkleModeOpt)
 	require.Equal(t, "GaiaApp", app.Name())
 
 	// Run randomized simulation
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ func TestGaiaImportExport(t *testing.T) {
 		newDB.Close()
 		os.RemoveAll(newDir)
 	}()
-	newApp := NewGaiaApp(log.NewNopLogger(), newDB, nil, fauxMerkleModeOpt)
+	newApp := NewGaiaApp(log.NewNopLogger(), newDB, nil, true, fauxMerkleModeOpt)
 	require.Equal(t, "GaiaApp", newApp.Name())
 	var genesisState GenesisState
 	err = app.cdc.UnmarshalJSON(appState, &genesisState)
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ func TestGaiaSimulationAfterImport(t *testing.T) {
 		db.Close()
 		os.RemoveAll(dir)
 	}()
-	app := NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil, fauxMerkleModeOpt)
+	app := NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil, true, fauxMerkleModeOpt)
 	require.Equal(t, "GaiaApp", app.Name())
 
 	// Run randomized simulation
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ func TestGaiaSimulationAfterImport(t *testing.T) {
 		newDB.Close()
 		os.RemoveAll(newDir)
 	}()
-	newApp := NewGaiaApp(log.NewNopLogger(), newDB, nil, fauxMerkleModeOpt)
+	newApp := NewGaiaApp(log.NewNopLogger(), newDB, nil, true, fauxMerkleModeOpt)
 	require.Equal(t, "GaiaApp", newApp.Name())
 	newApp.InitChain(abci.RequestInitChain{
 		AppStateBytes: appState,
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ func TestAppStateDeterminism(t *testing.T) {
 		for j := 0; j < numTimesToRunPerSeed; j++ {
 			logger := log.NewNopLogger()
 			db := dbm.NewMemDB()
-			app := NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil)
+			app := NewGaiaApp(logger, db, nil, true)
 
 			// Run randomized simulation
 			simulation.SimulateFromSeed(
diff --git a/cmd/gaia/cmd/gaiad/main.go b/cmd/gaia/cmd/gaiad/main.go
index f39ddae8c7d4..2791415c9350 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/cmd/gaiad/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/cmd/gaiad/main.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func main() {
 }
 
 func newApp(logger log.Logger, db dbm.DB, traceStore io.Writer) abci.Application {
-	return app.NewGaiaApp(logger, db, traceStore,
+	return app.NewGaiaApp(logger, db, traceStore, true,
 		baseapp.SetPruning(viper.GetString("pruning")),
 		baseapp.SetMinimumFees(viper.GetString("minimum_fees")),
 	)
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func newApp(logger log.Logger, db dbm.DB, traceStore io.Writer) abci.Application
 func exportAppStateAndTMValidators(
 	logger log.Logger, db dbm.DB, traceStore io.Writer, height int64, forZeroHeight bool,
 ) (json.RawMessage, []tmtypes.GenesisValidator, error) {
-	gApp := app.NewGaiaApp(logger, db, traceStore)
+	gApp := app.NewGaiaApp(logger, db, traceStore, false)
 	if height != -1 {
 		err := gApp.LoadHeight(height)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/gaia/cmd/gaiareplay/main.go b/cmd/gaia/cmd/gaiareplay/main.go
index cd58640e4b33..7e6392bf1230 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/cmd/gaiareplay/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/cmd/gaiareplay/main.go
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func run(rootDir string) {
 	// Application
 	fmt.Println("Creating application")
 	myapp := app.NewGaiaApp(
-		ctx.Logger, appDB, traceStoreWriter,
+		ctx.Logger, appDB, traceStoreWriter, true,
 		baseapp.SetPruning("everything"), // nothing
 	)