diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index 25c3a1ada7..a586ffeb34 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -861,6 +861,8 @@ func MakeChainConfigFromDb(ctx *cli.Context, db ethdb.Database) *params.ChainCon
 	if defaults {
 		if ctx.GlobalBool(TestNetFlag.Name) {
 			config = params.TestnetChainConfig
+		} else if ctx.GlobalBool(DevModeFlag.Name) {
+			config = params.AllProtocolChanges
 		} else {
 			// Homestead fork
 			config.HomesteadBlock = params.MainNetHomesteadBlock
diff --git a/core/genesis.go b/core/genesis.go
index d827ac1c11..9fa49f4d0e 100644
--- a/core/genesis.go
+++ b/core/genesis.go
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ func WriteGenesisBlock(chainDb ethdb.Database, reader io.Reader) (*types.Block,
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(contents, &genesis); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if genesis.ChainConfig == nil {
+		genesis.ChainConfig = params.AllProtocolChanges
+	}
 
 	// creating with empty hash always works
 	statedb, _ := state.New(common.Hash{}, chainDb)
diff --git a/params/config.go b/params/config.go
index 8c285781e9..ee993fe4a1 100644
--- a/params/config.go
+++ b/params/config.go
@@ -47,6 +47,16 @@ var TestnetChainConfig = &ChainConfig{
 	EIP158Block:    big.NewInt(10),
 }
 
+// AllProtocolChanges contains every protocol change (EIPs)
+// introduced and accepted by the Ethereum core developers.
+//
+// This configuration is intentionally not using keyed fields.
+// This configuration must *always* have all forks enabled, which
+// means that all fields must be set at all times. This forces
+// anyone adding flags to the config to also have to set these
+// fields.
+var AllProtocolChanges = &ChainConfig{big.NewInt(1337), big.NewInt(0), nil, false, big.NewInt(0), common.Hash{}, big.NewInt(0), big.NewInt(0)}
+
 // ChainConfig is the core config which determines the blockchain settings.
 //
 // ChainConfig is stored in the database on a per block basis. This means