diff --git a/tests/e2e/actions.go b/tests/e2e/actions.go
index ee9996e7a0..b24ed27ee2 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/actions.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/actions.go
@@ -582,10 +582,9 @@ func (tr *TestConfig) startConsumerChain(
 		log.Fatal(err, "\n", string(bz))
 	}
 
-	// Hack to deal with deprecated consumer genesis exports
-	// TODO: needs better case identification
-	if tr.consumerVersion != "" {
-		log.Printf("Transforming consumer genesis for a newer version: %s\n", tr.consumerVersion)
+	// only needed when consumer is running v3.2.x and later
+	if tr.transformGenesis {
+		log.Printf("@@@@ Transforming consumer genesis for a newer version: %s\n", tr.consumerVersion)
 		log.Printf("Original ccv genesis: %s\n", string(bz))
 
 		file, err := os.Create("consumer_genesis.json")
diff --git a/tests/e2e/config.go b/tests/e2e/config.go
index 9de962c57f..0855158c37 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/config.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/config.go
@@ -82,9 +82,10 @@ type TestConfig struct {
 	timeOffset time.Duration
 
 	// consumer version the provider should be tested against
-	consumerVersion string
-	providerVersion string
-	name            string
+	consumerVersion  string
+	providerVersion  string
+	transformGenesis bool
+	name             string
 }
 
 // Initialize initializes the TestConfig instance by setting the runningChains field to an empty map.
diff --git a/tests/e2e/main.go b/tests/e2e/main.go
index 9a16e9e481..178798d279 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/main.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/main.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ var (
 var (
 	useConsumerVersion = flag.String("consumer-version", "", "ICS tag to specify the consumer version to test the provider against")
 	useProviderVersion = flag.String("provider-version", "", "ICS tag to specify the provider version to test the consumer against")
+	transformGenesis   = flag.Bool("transform-genesis", false, "do consumer genesis transformation for newer clients. Needed when provider chain is on an older version")
 )
 
 var (
@@ -285,7 +286,7 @@ func main() {
 	if err := parseArguments(); err != nil {
 		flag.Usage()
 		log.Fatalf("Error parsing command arguments %s\n", err)
-	}
+		}
 
 	if *useConsumerVersion != "" && *useProviderVersion != "" {
 		log.Fatalf("consumer-version & provider-version specified! Note: for compatibility tests current checked out version can only be tested against a different provider or consumer version")
@@ -302,11 +303,14 @@ func main() {
 
 // Run sets up docker container and executes the steps in the test run.
 // Docker containers are torn down after the test run is complete.
-func (tr *TestConfig) Run(steps []Step, localSdkPath string, useGaia bool, gaiaTag string, consumerVersion string, providerVersion string) {
+func (tr *TestConfig) Run(steps []Step, localSdkPath string, useGaia bool, gaiaTag string, consumerVersion string, providerVersion string, transformGenesis bool) {
 	tr.SetDockerConfig(localSdkPath, useGaia, gaiaTag, consumerVersion, providerVersion)
 	tr.SetCometMockConfig(*useCometmock)
 	tr.SetRelayerConfig(*useGorelayer)
 
+	// Hack to disable genesis transformation... do it smarter
+	tr.transformGenesis = transformGenesis
+
 	tr.validateStringLiterals()
 	tr.startDocker()
 	tr.executeSteps(steps)