diff --git a/app/app.go b/app/app.go
index eadd034ea1..21405c7530 100644
--- a/app/app.go
+++ b/app/app.go
@@ -179,8 +179,7 @@ type App struct {
 // call app.Info or app.InitChain to initialize the baseapp.
 //
 // NOTE: upgradeHeightV2 refers specifically to the height that a node will
-// upgrade from v1 to v2. It will be deprecated in v3 in place for a dynamically
-// signalling scheme
+// upgrade from v1 to v2.
 func New(
 	logger log.Logger,
 	db dbm.DB,
diff --git a/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/app_server.go b/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/app_server.go
index b2bfecf844..a1d50b3760 100644
--- a/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/app_server.go
+++ b/cmd/celestia-appd/cmd/app_server.go
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/celestiaorg/celestia-app/v3/app"
 	"github.com/celestiaorg/celestia-app/v3/app/encoding"
+	"github.com/celestiaorg/celestia-app/v3/pkg/appconsts"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/baseapp"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/flags"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server"
@@ -44,10 +46,12 @@ func NewAppServer(logger log.Logger, db dbm.DB, traceStore io.Writer, appOptions
 	}
 
 	return app.New(
-		logger, db, traceStore,
+		logger,
+		db,
+		traceStore,
 		cast.ToUint(appOptions.Get(server.FlagInvCheckPeriod)),
 		encoding.MakeConfig(app.ModuleEncodingRegisters...),
-		cast.ToInt64(appOptions.Get(UpgradeHeightFlag)),
+		getUpgradeHeightV2(appOptions),
 		appOptions,
 		baseapp.SetPruning(pruningOpts),
 		baseapp.SetMinGasPrices(cast.ToString(appOptions.Get(server.FlagMinGasPrices))),
@@ -61,3 +65,29 @@ func NewAppServer(logger log.Logger, db dbm.DB, traceStore io.Writer, appOptions
 		baseapp.SetSnapshot(snapshotStore, snapshottypes.NewSnapshotOptions(cast.ToUint64(appOptions.Get(server.FlagStateSyncSnapshotInterval)), cast.ToUint32(appOptions.Get(server.FlagStateSyncSnapshotKeepRecent)))),
 	)
 }
+
+func getUpgradeHeightV2(appOptions servertypes.AppOptions) int64 {
+	upgradeHeight := cast.ToInt64(appOptions.Get(UpgradeHeightFlag))
+	if upgradeHeight != 0 {
+		fmt.Printf("upgrade height flag non-zero so using it: %d\n", upgradeHeight)
+		return upgradeHeight
+	}
+
+	fmt.Printf("upgrade height flag zero\n")
+
+	// TODO: this chainID doesn't always appear populated.
+	chainID := cast.ToString(appOptions.Get(flags.FlagChainID))
+	fmt.Printf("chainID %v\n", chainID)
+
+	switch chainID {
+	case appconsts.ArabicaChainID:
+		return appconsts.ArabicaUpgradeHeightV2
+	case appconsts.MochaChainID:
+		return appconsts.MochaUpgradeHeightV2
+	case appconsts.MainnetChainID:
+		return appconsts.MainnetUpgradeHeightV2
+	default:
+		// default to the upgrade height provided by the flag
+		return upgradeHeight
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/appconsts/chain_ids.go b/pkg/appconsts/chain_ids.go
index 50c26932f9..056bc2606e 100644
--- a/pkg/appconsts/chain_ids.go
+++ b/pkg/appconsts/chain_ids.go
@@ -2,4 +2,6 @@ package appconsts
 
 const (
 	ArabicaChainID = "arabica-11"
+	MochaChainID   = "mocha-4"
+	MainnetChainID = "celestia"
 )
diff --git a/pkg/appconsts/upgrade_heights.go b/pkg/appconsts/upgrade_heights.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..13ee0963f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/appconsts/upgrade_heights.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package appconsts
+
+const (
+	// ArabicaUpgradeHeightV2 is the block height at which the arabica-11
+	// upgraded from app version 1 to 2.
+	ArabicaUpgradeHeightV2 = 1751707
+	// MochaUpgradeHeightV2 is the block height at which the mocha-4 upgraded
+	// from app version 1 to 2.
+	MochaUpgradeHeightV2 = 2585031
+	// MainnetUpgradeHeightV2 is the block height at which the celestia upgraded
+	// from app version 1 to 2.
+	MainnetUpgradeHeightV2 = 2371495
+)