diff --git a/cmd/mycelo/templates.go b/cmd/mycelo/templates.go
index bcd7cfa9fb..632b03523e 100644
--- a/cmd/mycelo/templates.go
+++ b/cmd/mycelo/templates.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"math/big"
 	"math/rand"
 
+	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain/common"
 	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain/common/decimal/fixed"
 	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain/mycelo/env"
 	"github.com/celo-org/celo-blockchain/mycelo/genesis"
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ func (e monorepoEnv) createEnv(workdir string) (*env.Environment, error) {
 		Accounts: env.AccountsConfig{
 			Mnemonic:             env.MustNewMnemonic(),
 			NumValidators:        3,
-			ValidatorsPerGroup:   1,
+			ValidatorsPerGroup:   5, // monorepo uses a single validator group, max group size is 5
 			NumDeveloperAccounts: 0,
 			UseValidatorAsAdmin:  true, // monorepo doesn't use the admin account type, uses first validator instead
 		},
@@ -137,6 +138,11 @@ func (e monorepoEnv) createGenesisConfig(env *env.Environment) (*genesis.Config,
 		BlockPeriod:    1,
 		RequestTimeout: 3000,
 	})
+	// To match the 'testing' config in monorepo
+	genesisConfig.EpochRewards.TargetVotingYieldInitial = fixed.MustNew("0.00016")
+	genesisConfig.EpochRewards.TargetVotingYieldMax = fixed.MustNew("0.0005")
+	genesisConfig.EpochRewards.TargetVotingYieldAdjustmentFactor = fixed.MustNew("0.1")
+	genesisConfig.Reserve.InitialBalance = common.MustBigInt("100000000000000000000000000") // 100M CELO
 
 	// Add balances to validator accounts instead of developer accounts
 	genesis.FundAccounts(genesisConfig, env.Accounts().ValidatorAccounts())
diff --git a/mycelo/genesis/base_config.go b/mycelo/genesis/base_config.go
index e4348e8d1a..7dec511903 100644
--- a/mycelo/genesis/base_config.go
+++ b/mycelo/genesis/base_config.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func BaseConfig() *Config {
 		DowntimeSlasher: DowntimeSlasherParameters{
 			Reward:            bigIntStr("10000000000000000000"),  // 10 cGLD
 			Penalty:           bigIntStr("100000000000000000000"), // 100 cGLD
-			SlashableDowntime: 60,                                 // Should be overridden on public testnets
+			SlashableDowntime: 4,                                  // make it small so it works with small epoch sizes, e.g. 10
 		},
 		Governance: GovernanceParameters{
 			UseMultiSig:             true,