diff --git a/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Commands.hs b/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Commands.hs
index 33ea404b727..6304d2907b9 100644
--- a/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Commands.hs
+++ b/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Commands.hs
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ renderQueryCmd cmd =
     QueryProtocolState' {} -> "query protocol-state"
 
 data GovernanceCmd
-  = GovernanceMIRCertificate MIRPot [VerificationKeyFile] [Lovelace] OutputFile
+  = GovernanceMIRCertificate MIRPot [StakeAddress] [Lovelace] OutputFile
   | GovernanceGenesisKeyDelegationCertificate
       (VerificationKeyOrHashOrFile GenesisKey)
       (VerificationKeyOrHashOrFile GenesisDelegateKey)
diff --git a/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Parsers.hs b/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Parsers.hs
index 939a09fe936..8c1c954d6c1 100644
--- a/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Parsers.hs
+++ b/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Parsers.hs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ parseShelleyCommands =
       , Opt.command "address"
           (Opt.info (AddressCmd <$> pAddressCmd) $ Opt.progDesc "Payment address commands")
       , Opt.command "stake-address"
-          (Opt.info (StakeAddressCmd <$> pStakeAddress) $ Opt.progDesc "Stake address commands")
+          (Opt.info (StakeAddressCmd <$> pStakeAddressCmd) $ Opt.progDesc "Stake address commands")
       , Opt.command "key"
           (Opt.info (KeyCmd <$> pKeyCmd) $ Opt.progDesc "Key utility commands")
       , Opt.command "transaction"
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@ pScript = ScriptFile <$> Opt.strOption
   <> Opt.completer (Opt.bashCompleter "file")
   )
 
-pStakeAddress :: Parser StakeAddressCmd
-pStakeAddress =
+pStakeAddressCmd :: Parser StakeAddressCmd
+pStakeAddressCmd =
     asum
       [ subParser "key-gen"
           (Opt.info pStakeAddressKeyGen $ Opt.progDesc "Create a stake address key pair")
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ pGovernanceCmd =
     pMIRCertificate :: Parser GovernanceCmd
     pMIRCertificate = GovernanceMIRCertificate
                         <$> pMIRPot
-                        <*> some pStakeVerificationKeyFile
+                        <*> some pStakeAddress
                         <*> some pRewardAmt
                         <*> pOutputFile
 
@@ -1779,6 +1779,14 @@ pAddress =
       <> Opt.help "A Cardano address"
       )
 
+pStakeAddress :: Parser StakeAddress
+pStakeAddress =
+    Opt.option (readerFromAttoParser parseStakeAddress)
+      (  Opt.long "stake-address"
+      <> Opt.metavar "ADDRESS"
+      <> Opt.help "Target stake address (bech32 format)."
+      )
+
 pStakeVerificationKeyOrFile :: Parser (VerificationKeyOrFile StakeKey)
 pStakeVerificationKeyOrFile =
   VerificationKeyValue <$> pStakeVerificationKey
diff --git a/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Run/Governance.hs b/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Run/Governance.hs
index b2aa51434b3..2490983f60a 100644
--- a/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Run/Governance.hs
+++ b/cardano-cli/src/Cardano/CLI/Shelley/Run/Governance.hs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import           Cardano.Prelude
 
 import qualified Data.Text as Text
 
-import           Control.Monad.Trans.Except.Extra (firstExceptT, left, newExceptT, right)
+import           Control.Monad.Trans.Except.Extra (firstExceptT, left, newExceptT)
 
 import           Cardano.Api
 import           Cardano.Api.Shelley
@@ -62,18 +62,18 @@ runGovernanceCmd (GovernanceUpdateProposal out eNo genVKeys ppUp) =
 
 runGovernanceMIRCertificate
   :: Shelley.MIRPot
-  -> [VerificationKeyFile]
-  -- ^ Stake verification keys
-  -> [Lovelace]
-  -- ^ Reward amounts
+  -> [StakeAddress] -- ^ Stake addresses
+  -> [Lovelace]     -- ^ Corresponding reward amounts (same length)
   -> OutputFile
   -> ExceptT ShelleyGovernanceCmdError IO ()
-runGovernanceMIRCertificate mirPot vKeys rwdAmts (OutputFile oFp) = do
-    sCreds <- mapM readStakeKeyToCred vKeys
+runGovernanceMIRCertificate mirPot sAddrs rwdAmts (OutputFile oFp) = do
 
-    checkEqualKeyRewards vKeys rwdAmts
+    unless (length sAddrs == length rwdAmts) $
+      left $ ShelleyGovernanceCmdMIRCertificateKeyRewardMistmach
+               oFp (length sAddrs) (length rwdAmts)
 
-    let mirCert = makeMIRCertificate mirPot (zip sCreds rwdAmts)
+    let sCreds  = map stakeAddrToStakeCredential sAddrs
+        mirCert = makeMIRCertificate mirPot (zip sCreds rwdAmts)
 
     firstExceptT ShelleyGovernanceCmdTextEnvWriteError
       . newExceptT
@@ -82,19 +82,10 @@ runGovernanceMIRCertificate mirPot vKeys rwdAmts (OutputFile oFp) = do
     mirCertDesc :: TextEnvelopeDescr
     mirCertDesc = "Move Instantaneous Rewards Certificate"
 
-    checkEqualKeyRewards :: [VerificationKeyFile] -> [Lovelace] -> ExceptT ShelleyGovernanceCmdError IO ()
-    checkEqualKeyRewards keys rwds = do
-       let numVKeys = length keys
-           numRwdAmts = length rwds
-       if numVKeys == numRwdAmts
-       then return () else left $ ShelleyGovernanceCmdMIRCertificateKeyRewardMistmach oFp numVKeys numRwdAmts
-
-    readStakeKeyToCred :: VerificationKeyFile -> ExceptT ShelleyGovernanceCmdError IO StakeCredential
-    readStakeKeyToCred (VerificationKeyFile stVKey) = do
-      stakeVkey <- firstExceptT ShelleyGovernanceCmdTextEnvReadError
-        . newExceptT
-        $ readFileTextEnvelope (AsVerificationKey AsStakeKey) stVKey
-      right . StakeCredentialByKey $ verificationKeyHash stakeVkey
+    --TODO: expose a pattern for StakeAddress that give us the StakeCredential
+    stakeAddrToStakeCredential :: StakeAddress -> StakeCredential
+    stakeAddrToStakeCredential (StakeAddress _ scred) =
+      fromShelleyStakeCredential scred
 
 runGovernanceGenesisKeyDelegationCertificate
   :: VerificationKeyOrHashOrFile GenesisKey
diff --git a/cardano-cli/test/Test/Golden/Shelley/TextEnvelope/Certificates/MIRCertificate.hs b/cardano-cli/test/Test/Golden/Shelley/TextEnvelope/Certificates/MIRCertificate.hs
index 1f34e521402..15f531f76a3 100644
--- a/cardano-cli/test/Test/Golden/Shelley/TextEnvelope/Certificates/MIRCertificate.hs
+++ b/cardano-cli/test/Test/Golden/Shelley/TextEnvelope/Certificates/MIRCertificate.hs
@@ -36,11 +36,12 @@ golden_shelleyMIRCertificate = propertyOnce . H.moduleWorkspace "tmp" $ \tempDir
 
   H.assertFilesExist [verKey, signKey]
 
+  let testAddr = "stake1u9j6axhcpd0exvrthn5dqzqt54g85akqvkn4uqmccm70qsc5hpv9w"
   -- Create MIR certificate
   void $ execCardanoCLI
     [ "governance","create-mir-certificate"
     , "--reserves" --TODO: Should also do "--reserves"
-    , "--stake-verification-key-file", verKey
+    , "--stake-address", testAddr
     , "--reward", "1000"
     , "--out-file", mirCertificate
     ]