diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 703883327cf5..02a4c381ab8a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ Ref: https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/
 
 ### Improvements 
 
+* (server) [#19884](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/19884) Add start customizability to start command options.
 * (x/gov) [#19853](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/19853) Emit `depositor` in `EventTypeProposalDeposit`.
 * (x/gov) [#19844](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/19844) Emit the proposer of governance proposals.
 
diff --git a/server/start.go b/server/start.go
index 71874cd4269f..c86c1cfc2dc6 100644
--- a/server/start.go
+++ b/server/start.go
@@ -115,8 +115,12 @@ type StartCmdOptions struct {
 	// PostSetup can be used to setup extra services under the same cancellable context,
 	// it's not called in stand-alone mode, only for in-process mode.
 	PostSetup func(svrCtx *Context, clientCtx client.Context, ctx context.Context, g *errgroup.Group) error
+	// PostSetupStandalone can be used to setup extra services under the same cancellable context,
+	PostSetupStandalone func(svrCtx *Context, clientCtx client.Context, ctx context.Context, g *errgroup.Group) error
 	// AddFlags add custom flags to start cmd
 	AddFlags func(cmd *cobra.Command)
+	// StartCommandHanlder can be used to customize the start command handler
+	StartCommandHandler func(svrCtx *Context, clientCtx client.Context, appCreator types.AppCreator, inProcessConsensus bool, opts StartCmdOptions) error
 }
 
 // StartCmd runs the service passed in, either stand-alone or in-process with
@@ -132,6 +136,10 @@ func StartCmdWithOptions(appCreator types.AppCreator, defaultNodeHome string, op
 		opts.DBOpener = openDB
 	}
 
+	if opts.StartCommandHandler == nil {
+		opts.StartCommandHandler = start
+	}
+
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "start",
 		Short: "Run the full node",
@@ -187,7 +195,7 @@ is performed. Note, when enabled, gRPC will also be automatically enabled.
 			}
 
 			err = wrapCPUProfile(serverCtx, func() error {
-				return start(serverCtx, clientCtx, appCreator, withCMT, opts)
+				return opts.StartCommandHandler(serverCtx, clientCtx, appCreator, withCMT, opts)
 			})
 
 			serverCtx.Logger.Debug("received quit signal")
@@ -271,14 +279,17 @@ func startStandAlone(svrCtx *Context, svrCfg serverconfig.Config, clientCtx clie
 		return err
 	}
 
-	cmtCfg := svrCtx.Config
-	home := cmtCfg.RootDir
-
-	err = startAPIServer(ctx, g, cmtCfg, svrCfg, clientCtx, svrCtx, app, home, grpcSrv, metrics)
+	err = startAPIServer(ctx, g, svrCfg, clientCtx, svrCtx, app, svrCtx.Config.RootDir, grpcSrv, metrics)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if opts.PostSetupStandalone != nil {
+		if err := opts.PostSetupStandalone(svrCtx, clientCtx, ctx, g); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	g.Go(func() error {
 		if err := svr.Start(); err != nil {
 			svrCtx.Logger.Error("failed to start out-of-process ABCI server", "err", err)
@@ -299,8 +310,6 @@ func startInProcess(svrCtx *Context, svrCfg serverconfig.Config, clientCtx clien
 	metrics *telemetry.Metrics, opts StartCmdOptions,
 ) error {
 	cmtCfg := svrCtx.Config
-	home := cmtCfg.RootDir
-
 	gRPCOnly := svrCtx.Viper.GetBool(flagGRPCOnly)
 
 	g, ctx := getCtx(svrCtx, true)
@@ -336,7 +345,7 @@ func startInProcess(svrCtx *Context, svrCfg serverconfig.Config, clientCtx clien
 		return err
 	}
 
-	err = startAPIServer(ctx, g, cmtCfg, svrCfg, clientCtx, svrCtx, app, home, grpcSrv, metrics)
+	err = startAPIServer(ctx, g, svrCfg, clientCtx, svrCtx, app, cmtCfg.RootDir, grpcSrv, metrics)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -499,7 +508,6 @@ func startGrpcServer(
 func startAPIServer(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	g *errgroup.Group,
-	cmtCfg *cmtcfg.Config,
 	svrCfg serverconfig.Config,
 	clientCtx client.Context,
 	svrCtx *Context,
@@ -606,7 +614,7 @@ func startApp(svrCtx *Context, appCreator types.AppCreator, opts StartCmdOptions
 	}
 
 	if isTestnet, ok := svrCtx.Viper.Get(KeyIsTestnet).(bool); ok && isTestnet {
-		app, err = testnetify(svrCtx, home, appCreator, db, traceWriter)
+		app, err = testnetify(svrCtx, appCreator, db, traceWriter)
 		if err != nil {
 			return app, traceCleanupFn, err
 		}
@@ -632,6 +640,10 @@ func InPlaceTestnetCreator(testnetAppCreator types.AppCreator) *cobra.Command {
 		opts.DBOpener = openDB
 	}
 
+	if opts.StartCommandHandler == nil {
+		opts.StartCommandHandler = start
+	}
+
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "in-place-testnet [newChainID] [newOperatorAddress]",
 		Short: "Create and start a testnet from current local state",
@@ -696,7 +708,7 @@ you want to test the upgrade handler itself.
 			serverCtx.Viper.Set(KeyNewOpAddr, newOperatorAddress)
 
 			err = wrapCPUProfile(serverCtx, func() error {
-				return start(serverCtx, clientCtx, testnetAppCreator, withCMT, opts)
+				return opts.StartCommandHandler(serverCtx, clientCtx, testnetAppCreator, withCMT, opts)
 			})
 
 			serverCtx.Logger.Debug("received quit signal")
@@ -719,7 +731,7 @@ you want to test the upgrade handler itself.
 
 // testnetify modifies both state and blockStore, allowing the provided operator address and local validator key to control the network
 // that the state in the data folder represents. The chainID of the local genesis file is modified to match the provided chainID.
-func testnetify(ctx *Context, home string, testnetAppCreator types.AppCreator, db dbm.DB, traceWriter io.WriteCloser) (types.Application, error) {
+func testnetify(ctx *Context, testnetAppCreator types.AppCreator, db dbm.DB, traceWriter io.WriteCloser) (types.Application, error) {
 	config := ctx.Config
 
 	newChainID, ok := ctx.Viper.Get(KeyNewChainID).(string)
@@ -765,9 +777,6 @@ func testnetify(ctx *Context, home string, testnetAppCreator types.AppCreator, d
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	validatorAddress := userPubKey.Address()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 
 	stateStore := sm.NewStore(stateDB, sm.StoreOptions{
 		DiscardABCIResponses: config.Storage.DiscardABCIResponses,
diff --git a/server/util.go b/server/util.go
index b1cbec13f751..de656d949001 100644
--- a/server/util.go
+++ b/server/util.go
@@ -341,6 +341,35 @@ func AddCommands(rootCmd *cobra.Command, defaultNodeHome string, appCreator type
 	)
 }
 
+// AddCommandsWithStartCmdOptions adds server commands with the provided StartCmdOptions.
+func AddCommandsWithStartCmdOptions(rootCmd *cobra.Command, defaultNodeHome string, appCreator types.AppCreator, appExport types.AppExporter, opts StartCmdOptions) {
+	cometCmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:     "comet",
+		Aliases: []string{"cometbft", "tendermint"},
+		Short:   "CometBFT subcommands",
+	}
+
+	cometCmd.AddCommand(
+		ShowNodeIDCmd(),
+		ShowValidatorCmd(),
+		ShowAddressCmd(),
+		VersionCmd(),
+		cmtcmd.ResetAllCmd,
+		cmtcmd.ResetStateCmd,
+		BootstrapStateCmd(appCreator),
+	)
+
+	startCmd := StartCmdWithOptions(appCreator, defaultNodeHome, opts)
+
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(
+		startCmd,
+		cometCmd,
+		ExportCmd(appExport, defaultNodeHome),
+		version.NewVersionCommand(),
+		NewRollbackCmd(appCreator, defaultNodeHome),
+	)
+}
+
 // AddTestnetCreatorCommand allows chains to create a testnet from the state existing in their node's data directory.
 func AddTestnetCreatorCommand(rootCmd *cobra.Command, appCreator types.AppCreator, addStartFlags types.ModuleInitFlags) {
 	testnetCreateCmd := InPlaceTestnetCreator(appCreator)
diff --git a/simapp/simd/cmd/commands.go b/simapp/simd/cmd/commands.go
index e8f59e5bc123..7540dd7009a3 100644
--- a/simapp/simd/cmd/commands.go
+++ b/simapp/simd/cmd/commands.go
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/pruning"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/rpc"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/snapshot"
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
-	codectypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec/types"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server"
 	serverconfig "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/config"
 	servertypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/types"
@@ -106,8 +104,6 @@ custom-field = "{{ .Custom.CustomField }}"`
 func initRootCmd(
 	rootCmd *cobra.Command,
 	txConfig client.TxConfig,
-	interfaceRegistry codectypes.InterfaceRegistry,
-	appCodec codec.Codec,
 	basicManager module.BasicManager,
 ) {
 	cfg := sdk.GetConfig()
@@ -122,7 +118,11 @@ func initRootCmd(
 		snapshot.Cmd(newApp),
 	)
 
-	server.AddCommands(rootCmd, simapp.DefaultNodeHome, newApp, appExport, addModuleInitFlags)
+	server.AddCommandsWithStartCmdOptions(rootCmd, simapp.DefaultNodeHome, newApp, appExport, server.StartCmdOptions{
+		AddFlags: func(startCmd *cobra.Command) {
+			crisis.AddModuleInitFlags(startCmd)
+		},
+	})
 
 	// add keybase, auxiliary RPC, query, genesis, and tx child commands
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(
@@ -134,10 +134,6 @@ func initRootCmd(
 	)
 }
 
-func addModuleInitFlags(startCmd *cobra.Command) {
-	crisis.AddModuleInitFlags(startCmd)
-}
-
 // genesisCommand builds genesis-related `simd genesis` command. Users may provide application specific commands as a parameter
 func genesisCommand(txConfig client.TxConfig, basicManager module.BasicManager, cmds ...*cobra.Command) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := genutilcli.Commands(txConfig, basicManager, simapp.DefaultNodeHome)
diff --git a/simapp/simd/cmd/root.go b/simapp/simd/cmd/root.go
index ee8d7e089892..f56b849a9c56 100644
--- a/simapp/simd/cmd/root.go
+++ b/simapp/simd/cmd/root.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func NewRootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
-	initRootCmd(rootCmd, encodingConfig.TxConfig, encodingConfig.InterfaceRegistry, encodingConfig.Codec, tempApp.BasicModuleManager)
+	initRootCmd(rootCmd, encodingConfig.TxConfig, tempApp.BasicModuleManager)
 
 	// add keyring to autocli opts
 	autoCliOpts := tempApp.AutoCliOpts()
diff --git a/simapp/simd/cmd/root_v2.go b/simapp/simd/cmd/root_v2.go
index 934ee3584925..94ef4cd9d17b 100644
--- a/simapp/simd/cmd/root_v2.go
+++ b/simapp/simd/cmd/root_v2.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func NewRootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
-	initRootCmd(rootCmd, clientCtx.TxConfig, clientCtx.InterfaceRegistry, clientCtx.Codec, moduleBasicManager)
+	initRootCmd(rootCmd, clientCtx.TxConfig, moduleBasicManager)
 
 	if err := autoCliOpts.EnhanceRootCommand(rootCmd); err != nil {
 		panic(err)