diff --git a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
index 2d77ed90..ad745fb8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
@@ -20,5 +20,6 @@ FEATURES:
   * \#2310 Mempool is now aware of the MaxGas requirement
 
 IMPROVEMENTS:
+- [types] add Address to GenesisValidator [\#1714](https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint/issues/1714)
 
 BUG FIXES:
diff --git a/cmd/tendermint/commands/init.go b/cmd/tendermint/commands/init.go
index dac4cd9a..5136ded3 100644
--- a/cmd/tendermint/commands/init.go
+++ b/cmd/tendermint/commands/init.go
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ func initFilesWithConfig(config *cfg.Config) error {
 			ConsensusParams: types.DefaultConsensusParams(),
 		}
 		genDoc.Validators = []types.GenesisValidator{{
+			Address: pv.GetPubKey().Address(),
 			PubKey: pv.GetPubKey(),
 			Power:  10,
 		}}
diff --git a/cmd/tendermint/commands/testnet.go b/cmd/tendermint/commands/testnet.go
index d29c29eb..19f137e4 100644
--- a/cmd/tendermint/commands/testnet.go
+++ b/cmd/tendermint/commands/testnet.go
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ func testnetFiles(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		pvFile := filepath.Join(nodeDir, config.BaseConfig.PrivValidator)
 		pv := privval.LoadFilePV(pvFile)
 		genVals[i] = types.GenesisValidator{
+			Address: pv.GetPubKey().Address(),
 			PubKey: pv.GetPubKey(),
 			Power:  1,
 			Name:   nodeDirName,
diff --git a/state/execution_test.go b/state/execution_test.go
index 6a200849..02beeb9b 100644
--- a/state/execution_test.go
+++ b/state/execution_test.go
@@ -307,7 +307,10 @@ func state(nVals, height int) (State, dbm.DB) {
 		secret := []byte(fmt.Sprintf("test%d", i))
 		pk := ed25519.GenPrivKeyFromSecret(secret)
 		vals[i] = types.GenesisValidator{
-			pk.PubKey(), 1000, fmt.Sprintf("test%d", i),
+			pk.PubKey().Address(),
+			pk.PubKey(),
+			1000,
+			fmt.Sprintf("test%d", i),
 		}
 	}
 	s, _ := MakeGenesisState(&types.GenesisDoc{
diff --git a/types/genesis.go b/types/genesis.go
index 4cf3b730..8684eb33 100644
--- a/types/genesis.go
+++ b/types/genesis.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package types
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -21,9 +22,10 @@ const (
 
 // GenesisValidator is an initial validator.
 type GenesisValidator struct {
-	PubKey crypto.PubKey `json:"pub_key"`
-	Power  int64         `json:"power"`
-	Name   string        `json:"name"`
+	Address Address       `json:"address"`
+	PubKey  crypto.PubKey `json:"pub_key"`
+	Power   int64         `json:"power"`
+	Name    string        `json:"name"`
 }
 
 // GenesisDoc defines the initial conditions for a tendermint blockchain, in particular its validator set.
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ func (genDoc *GenesisDoc) ValidateAndComplete() error {
 		return cmn.NewError("Genesis doc must include non-empty chain_id")
 	}
 	if len(genDoc.ChainID) > MaxChainIDLen {
-		return cmn.NewError(fmt.Sprintf("chain_id in genesis doc is too long (max: %d)", MaxChainIDLen))
+		return cmn.NewError("chain_id in genesis doc is too long (max: %d)", MaxChainIDLen)
 	}
 
 	if genDoc.ConsensusParams == nil {
@@ -73,10 +75,16 @@ func (genDoc *GenesisDoc) ValidateAndComplete() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	for _, v := range genDoc.Validators {
+	for i, v := range genDoc.Validators {
 		if v.Power == 0 {
 			return cmn.NewError("The genesis file cannot contain validators with no voting power: %v", v)
 		}
+		if len(v.Address) > 0 && !bytes.Equal(v.PubKey.Address(), v.Address) {
+			return cmn.NewError("Incorrect address for validator %v in the genesis file, should be %v", v, v.PubKey.Address())
+		}
+		if len(v.Address) == 0 {
+			genDoc.Validators[i].Address = v.PubKey.Address()
+		}
 	}
 
 	if genDoc.GenesisTime.IsZero() {
diff --git a/types/genesis_test.go b/types/genesis_test.go
index c0cfcdea..a0686ce0 100644
--- a/types/genesis_test.go
+++ b/types/genesis_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ func TestGenesisBad(t *testing.T) {
 		[]byte(`{"validators":[{"pub_key":{"value":"AT/+aaL1eB0477Mud9JMm8Sh8BIvOYlPGC9KkIUmFaE="},"power":"10","name":""}]}`),
 		// missing chain_id
 		[]byte(`{"validators":[{"pub_key":{"type":"tendermint/PubKeyEd25519","value":"AT/+aaL1eB0477Mud9JMm8Sh8BIvOYlPGC9KkIUmFaE="},"power":"10","name":""}]}`),
+		// too big chain_id
+		[]byte(`{"chain_id": "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing", "validators": [{"pub_key":{"type":"tendermint/PubKeyEd25519","value":"AT/+aaL1eB0477Mud9JMm8Sh8BIvOYlPGC9KkIUmFaE="},"power":"10","name":""}]}`),
+		// wrong address
+		[]byte(`{"chain_id":"mychain", "validators":[{"address": "A", "pub_key":{"type":"tendermint/PubKeyEd25519","value":"AT/+aaL1eB0477Mud9JMm8Sh8BIvOYlPGC9KkIUmFaE="},"power":"10","name":""}]}`),
 	}
 
 	for _, testCase := range testCases {
@@ -36,10 +40,11 @@ func TestGenesisGood(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := GenesisDocFromJSON(genDocBytes)
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "expected no error for good genDoc json")
 
+	pubkey := ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
 	// create a base gendoc from struct
 	baseGenDoc := &GenesisDoc{
 		ChainID:    "abc",
-		Validators: []GenesisValidator{{ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey(), 10, "myval"}},
+		Validators: []GenesisValidator{{pubkey.Address(), pubkey, 10, "myval"}},
 	}
 	genDocBytes, err = cdc.MarshalJSON(baseGenDoc)
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "error marshalling genDoc")
@@ -49,6 +54,9 @@ func TestGenesisGood(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "expected no error for valid genDoc json")
 	assert.NotNil(t, genDoc.ConsensusParams, "expected consensus params to be filled in")
 
+	// check validator's address is filled
+	assert.NotNil(t, genDoc.Validators[0].Address, "expected validator's address to be filled in")
+
 	// create json with consensus params filled
 	genDocBytes, err = cdc.MarshalJSON(genDoc)
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "error marshalling genDoc")
@@ -109,10 +117,11 @@ func TestGenesisValidatorHash(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func randomGenesisDoc() *GenesisDoc {
+	pubkey := ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey()
 	return &GenesisDoc{
 		GenesisTime:     tmtime.Now(),
 		ChainID:         "abc",
-		Validators:      []GenesisValidator{{ed25519.GenPrivKey().PubKey(), 10, "myval"}},
+		Validators:      []GenesisValidator{{pubkey.Address(), pubkey, 10, "myval"}},
 		ConsensusParams: DefaultConsensusParams(),
 	}
 }