diff --git a/cmd/gossamer/config.go b/cmd/gossamer/config.go
index 4f08f54e83..3f0abca651 100644
--- a/cmd/gossamer/config.go
+++ b/cmd/gossamer/config.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/runtime/life"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/runtime/wasmer"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/runtime/wasmtime"
+	"github.com/cosmos/go-bip39"
 
 	log "github.com/ChainSafe/log15"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
@@ -408,6 +410,13 @@ func setDotGlobalConfig(ctx *cli.Context, tomlCfg *ctoml.Config, cfg *dot.Global
 	// check --name flag and update node configuration
 	if name := ctx.GlobalString(NameFlag.Name); name != "" {
 		cfg.Name = name
+	} else {
+		// generate random name
+		entropy, _ := bip39.NewEntropy(128)
+		randomNamesString, _ := bip39.NewMnemonic(entropy)
+		randomNames := strings.Split(randomNamesString, " ")
+		number := binary.BigEndian.Uint16(entropy)
+		cfg.Name = randomNames[0] + "-" + randomNames[1] + "-" + fmt.Sprint(number)
 	}
 
 	// check --basepath flag and update node configuration
@@ -701,7 +710,6 @@ func updateDotConfigFromGenesisJSONRaw(tomlCfg ctoml.Config, cfg *dot.Config) {
 		return // exit
 	}
 
-	cfg.Global.Name = gen.Name
 	cfg.Global.ID = gen.ID
 	cfg.Network.Bootnodes = gen.Bootnodes
 	cfg.Network.ProtocolID = gen.ProtocolID
@@ -735,11 +743,6 @@ func updateDotConfigFromGenesisData(ctx *cli.Context, cfg *dot.Config) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load genesis data: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	// check genesis name and use genesis name if --name flag not set
-	if !ctx.GlobalIsSet(NameFlag.Name) {
-		cfg.Global.Name = gen.Name
-	}
-
 	// check genesis id and use genesis id if --chain flag not set
 	if !ctx.GlobalIsSet(ChainFlag.Name) {
 		cfg.Global.ID = gen.ID
diff --git a/cmd/gossamer/config_test.go b/cmd/gossamer/config_test.go
index 4a3fbcc5e7..f9fa04c0d4 100644
--- a/cmd/gossamer/config_test.go
+++ b/cmd/gossamer/config_test.go
@@ -45,20 +45,20 @@ func TestConfigFromChainFlag(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{
 			"Test gossamer --chain gssmr",
-			[]string{"chain"},
-			[]interface{}{"gssmr"},
+			[]string{"chain", "name"},
+			[]interface{}{"gssmr", dot.GssmrConfig().Global.Name},
 			dot.GssmrConfig(),
 		},
 		{
 			"Test gossamer --chain kusama",
-			[]string{"chain"},
-			[]interface{}{"kusama"},
+			[]string{"chain", "name"},
+			[]interface{}{"kusama", dot.KusamaConfig().Global.Name},
 			dot.KusamaConfig(),
 		},
 		{
 			"Test gossamer --chain polkadot",
-			[]string{"chain"},
-			[]interface{}{"polkadot"},
+			[]string{"chain", "name"},
+			[]interface{}{"polkadot", dot.PolkadotConfig().Global.Name},
 			dot.PolkadotConfig(),
 		},
 	}
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@ func TestGlobalConfigFromFlags(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{
 			"Test gossamer --config",
-			[]string{"config"},
-			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name()},
+			[]string{"config", "name"},
+			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), testCfg.Global.Name},
 			dot.GlobalConfig{
 				Name:           testCfg.Global.Name,
 				ID:             testCfg.Global.ID,
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ func TestGlobalConfigFromFlags(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			"Test kusama --chain",
-			[]string{"config", "chain"},
-			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), "kusama"},
+			[]string{"config", "chain", "name"},
+			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), "kusama", dot.KusamaConfig().Global.Name},
 			dot.GlobalConfig{
 				Name:           dot.KusamaConfig().Global.Name,
 				ID:             "ksmcc3",
@@ -172,8 +172,8 @@ func TestGlobalConfigFromFlags(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			"Test gossamer --basepath",
-			[]string{"config", "basepath"},
-			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), "test_basepath"},
+			[]string{"config", "basepath", "name"},
+			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), "test_basepath", testCfg.Global.Name},
 			dot.GlobalConfig{
 				Name:           testCfg.Global.Name,
 				ID:             testCfg.Global.ID,
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ func TestGlobalConfigFromFlags(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			"Test gossamer --roles",
-			[]string{"config", "roles"},
-			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), "1"},
+			[]string{"config", "roles", "name"},
+			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), "1", testCfg.Global.Name},
 			dot.GlobalConfig{
 				Name:           testCfg.Global.Name,
 				ID:             testCfg.Global.ID,
@@ -198,8 +198,8 @@ func TestGlobalConfigFromFlags(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			"Test gossamer --publish-metrics",
-			[]string{"config", "publish-metrics"},
-			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), true},
+			[]string{"config", "publish-metrics", "name"},
+			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), true, testCfg.Global.Name},
 			dot.GlobalConfig{
 				Name:           testCfg.Global.Name,
 				ID:             testCfg.Global.ID,
@@ -211,8 +211,8 @@ func TestGlobalConfigFromFlags(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			"Test gossamer --metrics-port",
-			[]string{"config", "metrics-port"},
-			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), "9871"},
+			[]string{"config", "metrics-port", "name"},
+			[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), "9871", testCfg.Global.Name},
 			dot.GlobalConfig{
 				Name:           testCfg.Global.Name,
 				ID:             testCfg.Global.ID,
@@ -650,8 +650,8 @@ func TestUpdateConfigFromGenesisJSON(t *testing.T) {
 
 	ctx, err := newTestContext(
 		t.Name(),
-		[]string{"config", "genesis"},
-		[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), genFile.Name()},
+		[]string{"config", "genesis", "name"},
+		[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), genFile.Name(), testCfg.Global.Name},
 	)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
@@ -702,8 +702,8 @@ func TestUpdateConfigFromGenesisJSON_Default(t *testing.T) {
 
 	ctx, err := newTestContext(
 		t.Name(),
-		[]string{"config", "genesis"},
-		[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), ""},
+		[]string{"config", "genesis", "name"},
+		[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), "", testCfg.Global.Name},
 	)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
@@ -753,8 +753,8 @@ func TestUpdateConfigFromGenesisData(t *testing.T) {
 
 	ctx, err := newTestContext(
 		t.Name(),
-		[]string{"config", "genesis"},
-		[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), genFile.Name()},
+		[]string{"config", "genesis", "name"},
+		[]interface{}{testCfgFile.Name(), genFile.Name(), testCfg.Global.Name},
 	)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
diff --git a/cmd/gossamer/export_test.go b/cmd/gossamer/export_test.go
index bab4be37d4..b89e664471 100644
--- a/cmd/gossamer/export_test.go
+++ b/cmd/gossamer/export_test.go
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ func TestExportCommand(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			"Test gossamer export --config --genesis --protocol --log --force",
-			[]string{"config", "genesis", "protocol", "force"},
-			[]interface{}{testConfig, genFile.Name(), testProtocol, "true"},
+			[]string{"config", "genesis", "protocol", "force", "name"},
+			[]interface{}{testConfig, genFile.Name(), testProtocol, "true", "Gossamer"},
 			&dot.Config{
 				Global: testCfg.Global,
 				Init: dot.InitConfig{