diff --git a/libraries/chain/db_init.cpp b/libraries/chain/db_init.cpp
index 2f9f034f..f3361bf1 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/db_init.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/db_init.cpp
@@ -549,6 +549,11 @@ void database::init_genesis(const genesis_state_type& genesis_state)
 
    // TODO: Assert that bitasset debt = supply
 
+   // Create special witness account
+   const witness_object& wit = create<witness_object>([&](witness_object& w) {});
+   FC_ASSERT( wit.id == GRAPHENE_NULL_WITNESS );
+   remove(wit);
+
    // Create initial witnesses
    std::for_each(genesis_state.initial_witness_candidates.begin(), genesis_state.initial_witness_candidates.end(),
                  [&](const genesis_state_type::initial_witness_type& witness) {
@@ -583,7 +588,7 @@ void database::init_genesis(const genesis_state_type& genesis_state)
 
    // Set active witnesses
    modify(get_global_properties(), [&](global_property_object& p) {
-      for( int i = 0; i < genesis_state.initial_active_witnesses; ++i )
+      for( int i = 1; i <= genesis_state.initial_active_witnesses; ++i )
       {
          p.active_witnesses.insert(i);
          p.witness_accounts.insert(get(witness_id_type(i)).witness_account);
diff --git a/libraries/chain/db_witness_schedule.cpp b/libraries/chain/db_witness_schedule.cpp
index adc7b315..a55a8c8a 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/db_witness_schedule.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/db_witness_schedule.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ witness_id_type database::get_scheduled_witness( uint32_t slot_num )const
    // [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xorshift#Xorshift.2A
    //
 
+   if( slot_num == 0 )
+      return GRAPHENE_NULL_WITNESS;
+
    const flat_set< witness_id_type >& active_witnesses = get_global_properties().active_witnesses;
    uint32_t n = active_witnesses.size();
    uint64_t min_witness_separation;
diff --git a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/config.hpp b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/config.hpp
index 381d2f65..7256fbb2 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/config.hpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/config.hpp
@@ -154,4 +154,6 @@
 #define GRAPHENE_TEMP_ACCOUNT (graphene::chain::account_id_type(4))
 /// Represents the canonical account for specifying you will vote directly (as opposed to a proxy)
 #define GRAPHENE_PROXY_TO_SELF_ACCOUNT (graphene::chain::account_id_type(5))
+/// Sentinel value used in the scheduler.
+#define GRAPHENE_NULL_WITNESS (graphene::chain::witness_id_type(0))
 ///@}
diff --git a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/database.hpp b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/database.hpp
index 66c859e9..43056a73 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/database.hpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/include/graphene/chain/database.hpp
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ namespace graphene { namespace chain {
           * Use the get_slot_time() and get_slot_at_time() functions
           * to convert between slot_num and timestamp.
           *
-          * Passing slot_num == 0 returns witness_id_type()
+          * Passing slot_num == 0 returns GRAPHENE_NULL_WITNESS
           */
          witness_id_type get_scheduled_witness(uint32_t slot_num)const;
 
diff --git a/libraries/plugins/witness/witness.cpp b/libraries/plugins/witness/witness.cpp
index 439a2e36..8d2b37ec 100644
--- a/libraries/plugins/witness/witness.cpp
+++ b/libraries/plugins/witness/witness.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ void witness_plugin::plugin_set_program_options(
    boost::program_options::options_description& config_file_options)
 {
    auto default_priv_key = fc::ecc::private_key::regenerate(fc::sha256::hash(std::string("nathan")));
-   string witness_id_example = fc::json::to_string(chain::witness_id_type());
+   string witness_id_example = fc::json::to_string(chain::witness_id_type(5));
    command_line_options.add_options()
          ("enable-stale-production", bpo::bool_switch()->notifier([this](bool e){_production_enabled = e;}), "Enable block production, even if the chain is stale.")
          ("required-participation", bpo::bool_switch()->notifier([this](int e){_required_witness_participation = uint32_t(e*GRAPHENE_1_PERCENT);}), "Percent of witnesses (0-99) that must be participating in order to produce blocks")
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ block_production_condition::block_production_condition_enum witness_plugin::bloc
          elog("Not producing block because node didn't wake up within 500ms of the slot time.");
          break;
       case block_production_condition::consecutive:
-         elog("Not producting block because the last block was generated by the same witness.\nThis node is probably disconnected from the network so block production has been disabled.\nDisable this check with --allow-consecutive option.");
+         elog("Not producing block because the last block was generated by the same witness.\nThis node is probably disconnected from the network so block production has been disabled.\nDisable this check with --allow-consecutive option.");
          break;
       case block_production_condition::exception_producing_block:
          break;