diff --git a/PENDING.md b/PENDING.md
index 9a92a7c0f9d..ec7941b86fa 100644
--- a/PENDING.md
+++ b/PENDING.md
@@ -54,4 +54,5 @@ BUG FIXES
 *  \#1787 Fixed bug where Tally fails due to revoked/unbonding validator
 *  \#1766 Fixes bad example for keybase identity
 *  \#1804 Fixes gen-tx genesis generation logic temporarily until upstream updates
-*  \#1799 Fix `gaiad export`
\ No newline at end of file
+*  \#1799 Fix `gaiad export`
+*  \#1828 Force user to specify amount on create-validator command by removing default
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/x/stake/client/cli/flags.go b/x/stake/client/cli/flags.go
index 8f17ca4d077..3d5e90b3510 100644
--- a/x/stake/client/cli/flags.go
+++ b/x/stake/client/cli/flags.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ var (
 
 func init() {
 	fsPk.String(FlagPubKey, "", "Go-Amino encoded hex PubKey of the validator. For Ed25519 the go-amino prepend hex is 1624de6220")
-	fsAmount.String(FlagAmount, "1steak", "Amount of coins to bond")
+	fsAmount.String(FlagAmount, "", "Amount of coins to bond")
 	fsShares.String(FlagSharesAmount, "", "Amount of source-shares to either unbond or redelegate as a positive integer or decimal")
 	fsShares.String(FlagSharesPercent, "", "Percent of source-shares to either unbond or redelegate as a positive integer or decimal >0 and <=1")
 	fsDescriptionCreate.String(FlagMoniker, "", "validator name")
diff --git a/x/stake/client/cli/tx.go b/x/stake/client/cli/tx.go
index bfcd2ccac8f..218c1f5567b 100644
--- a/x/stake/client/cli/tx.go
+++ b/x/stake/client/cli/tx.go
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ func GetCmdCreateValidator(cdc *wire.Codec) *cobra.Command {
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := context.NewCoreContextFromViper().WithDecoder(authcmd.GetAccountDecoder(cdc))
 
-			amount, err := sdk.ParseCoin(viper.GetString(FlagAmount))
+			amounstStr := viper.GetString(FlagAmount)
+			if amounstStr == "" {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Must specify amount to stake using --amount")
+			}
+			amount, err := sdk.ParseCoin(amounstStr)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}