diff --git a/programs/genesis_util/generate_init_config.py b/programs/genesis_util/generate_init_config.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..6e65c69b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/genesis_util/generate_init_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+def dump_json(obj, out, pretty):
+    if pretty:
+        json.dump(obj, out, indent=2, sort_keys=True)
+    else:
+        json.dump(obj, out, separators=(",", ":"), sort_keys=True)
+    return
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Generate a patch file that adds init accounts")
+    parser.add_argument("-o", "--output", metavar="OUT", default="-", help="output filename (default: stdout)")
+    parser.add_argument("-n", "--num", metavar="N", default=11, type=int, help="number of init witnesses")
+    parser.add_argument("-w", "--witness", metavar="N", default=1, type=int, help="starting witness ID")
+    parser.add_argument("-p", "--pretty", action="store_true", default=False, help="pretty print output")
+    parser.add_argument("-m", "--mname", metavar="HOSTNAME", default="", help="machine name of target machine")
+    parser.add_argument("-s", "--secret", metavar="SECRET", default=None, help="private key generation secret")
+    opts = parser.parse_args()
+
+    if opts.secret is None:
+        sys.stderr.write("missing required parameter --secret\n")
+        sys.stderr.flush()
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    out_wits = []
+    out_keys = []
+
+    for i in range(opts.num):
+        if opts.mname != "":
+           istr = "wit-block-signing-"+opts.mname+"-"+str(i)
+        else:
+           istr = "wit-block-signing-"+str(i)
+        prod_str = subprocess.check_output(["programs/genesis_util/get_dev_key", opts.secret, istr]).decode("utf-8")
+        prod = json.loads(prod_str)
+        out_wits.append('witness-id = "1.6.'+str(opts.witness+i)+'"\n')
+        out_keys.append("private-key = "+json.dumps([prod[0]["public_key"], prod[0]["private_key"]])+"\n")
+
+    out_data = "".join(out_wits + ["\n"] + out_keys)
+
+    if opts.output == "-":
+        sys.stdout.write(out_data)
+        sys.stdout.flush()
+    else:
+        with open(opts.output, "w") as f:
+            f.write(out_data)
+    return
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()