diff --git a/packages/go-kosu/abci/setup.go b/packages/go-kosu/abci/setup.go
index eb316cc1..d53320e6 100644
--- a/packages/go-kosu/abci/setup.go
+++ b/packages/go-kosu/abci/setup.go
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ import (
 
 var chainIDPrefix = "kosu-chain-%v"
 
+// DefaultConfig returns the default Tendermint config for a Kosu node
+var DefaultConfig = cfg.DefaultConfig()
+
 // InitTendermint creates an initial tendermint file structure.
 func InitTendermint(homedir string) error {
 	logger := log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout)).With("module", "main")
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ func InitTendermintWithLogger(homedir string, logger log.Logger) error {
 
 // Code from tendermint init...
 func createConfig(homedir string, logger log.Logger) error {
-	config := cfg.DefaultConfig()
+	config := DefaultConfig
 	if homedir == "" {
 		config.SetRoot(DefaultHomeDir)
 	} else {
diff --git a/packages/go-kosu/tests/support.go b/packages/go-kosu/tests/support.go
index 5af62f3c..1cf19ec4 100644
--- a/packages/go-kosu/tests/support.go
+++ b/packages/go-kosu/tests/support.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	. "github.com/smartystreets/goconvey/convey" //nolint
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ import (
 // GivenABCIServer a ABCI Server inside a Convey block
 func GivenABCIServer(t *testing.T, suite *Suite, fn func(*testing.T)) {
 	Convey("Given an ABCI Server", t, func() {
-		app, closer := startServer(t, db.NewMemDB())
+		app, closer := StartServer(t, db.NewMemDB())
 		defer closer()
 		suite.app = app
 
@@ -30,11 +31,14 @@ func GivenABCIServer(t *testing.T, suite *Suite, fn func(*testing.T)) {
 	})
 }
 
-func startServer(t *testing.T, db db.DB) (*abci.App, func()) {
+// StartServer starts a kosud test server
+func StartServer(t *testing.T, db db.DB) (*abci.App, func()) {
 	// Create a temp dir and initialize tendermint there
 	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("/tmp", "/go-kosu-go-tests_")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
+	// Update block generation time to 100ms to make tests run fast
+	abci.DefaultConfig.Consensus.TimeoutCommit = 100 * time.Millisecond
 	err = abci.InitTendermintWithLogger(dir, log.NewNopLogger())
 	require.NoError(t, err)