diff --git a/src/checkpoints/checkpoints.cpp b/src/checkpoints/checkpoints.cpp
index 60be7f7ec..bea392db0 100644
--- a/src/checkpoints/checkpoints.cpp
+++ b/src/checkpoints/checkpoints.cpp
@@ -136,8 +136,14 @@ namespace cryptonote
     return true;
   }
 
-  bool checkpoints::init_default_checkpoints()
+  bool checkpoints::init_default_checkpoints(bool testnet)
   {
+    if (testnet)
+    {
+      // just use the genesis block on testnet
+      ADD_CHECKPOINT(0,     "48ca7cd3c8de5b6a4d53d2861fbdaedca141553559f9be9520068053cda8430b");
+      return true;
+    }
     ADD_CHECKPOINT(1,     "771fbcd656ec1464d3a02ead5e18644030007a0fc664c0a964d30922821a8148");
     ADD_CHECKPOINT(10,    "c0e3b387e47042f72d8ccdca88071ff96bff1ac7cde09ae113dbb7ad3fe92381");
     ADD_CHECKPOINT(100,   "ac3e11ca545e57c49fca2b4e8c48c03c23be047c43e471e1394528b1f9f80b2d");
diff --git a/src/checkpoints/checkpoints.h b/src/checkpoints/checkpoints.h
index 72eb232d7..a643c5790 100644
--- a/src/checkpoints/checkpoints.h
+++ b/src/checkpoints/checkpoints.h
@@ -148,10 +148,11 @@ namespace cryptonote
 
     /**
      * @brief loads the default main chain checkpoints
+     * @param testnet whether to load testnet checkpoints or mainnet
      *
      * @return true unless adding a checkpoint fails
      */
-    bool init_default_checkpoints();
+    bool init_default_checkpoints(bool testnet);
 
     /**
      * @brief load new checkpoints
diff --git a/src/cryptonote_core/cryptonote_core.cpp b/src/cryptonote_core/cryptonote_core.cpp
index 2de084d7e..57347fdbc 100644
--- a/src/cryptonote_core/cryptonote_core.cpp
+++ b/src/cryptonote_core/cryptonote_core.cpp
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
     if (!m_testnet && !m_fakechain)
     {
       cryptonote::checkpoints checkpoints;
-      if (!checkpoints.init_default_checkpoints())
+      if (!checkpoints.init_default_checkpoints(m_testnet))
       {
         throw std::runtime_error("Failed to initialize checkpoints");
       }