diff --git a/scripts/gen_genesis.ml b/scripts/gen_genesis.ml
index c352c869f..ab7abd1d5 100644
--- a/scripts/gen_genesis.ml
+++ b/scripts/gen_genesis.ml
@@ -1,14 +1,55 @@
 #use "topfind";;
+#thread;;
+#require "threads";;
 #require "stringext";;
 #require "lwt";;
+#require "lwt.unix";;
 #require "zarith";;
 #require "nocrypto";;
-#mod_use "../src/minutils/utils.ml";;
-#mod_use "../src/utils/base58.ml";;
-let prefix = "BLockGenesisGenesisGenesisGenesisGenesis"
-let suffix = "FFFFF"
-let p = Base58.raw_decode (prefix ^ suffix ^ "crcCRC")
-let p = String.sub p 0 (String.length p - 4)
-let p = Base58.safe_encode p
-let () = print_endline p
+#require "calendar";;
+#mod_use "../src/lib_stdlib/tzString.ml";;
+#mod_use "../src/lib_stdlib/option.ml";;
+#mod_use "../src/lib_stdlib/tzList.ml";;
+#mod_use "../src/lib_stdlib/utils.ml";;
+#mod_use "../src/lib_crypto/base58.ml";;
 
+let date =
+  Lwt_main.run (Lwt_process.pread_line (Lwt_process.shell "date +%FT%TZ --utc"))
+
+let int_date =
+  Lwt_main.run (Lwt_process.pread_line (Lwt_process.shell "date +%y%m%d "))
+
+let prefix = "BLockGenesisGenesisGenesisGenesisGenesis"
+let suffix = String.sub Digest.(to_hex (string date)) 0 5
+let p =
+  match Base58.raw_decode (prefix ^ suffix ^ "crcCRC") with
+  | None -> assert false
+  | Some s -> s
+let p = String.sub p 0 (String.length p - 4)
+let genesis = Base58.safe_encode p
+
+let () =
+  Lwt_main.run (Lwt_io.lines_to_file "alphanet_version"
+                  (Lwt_stream.of_list [date]))
+
+let sed =
+  Format.sprintf
+    "sed -i \
+     -e 's/Time.of_notation_exn \"[^\\\"]*\"/Time.of_notation_exn \"%s\"/' \
+     -e 's/BLockGenesisGenesisGenesisGenesisGenesis.........../%s/' \
+    ../src/bin_node/node_run_command.ml"
+    date
+    genesis
+
+let _ =
+  Lwt_main.run (Lwt_process.exec (Lwt_process.shell sed))
+
+let sed =
+  Format.sprintf
+    "sed -i \
+     -e 's/minor = [0-9]* ;/minor = %s ;/' \
+    ../src/lib_shell/distributed_db_message.ml"
+    int_date
+
+let _ =
+  Lwt_main.run (Lwt_process.exec (Lwt_process.shell sed))
diff --git a/scripts/reset_chain.sh b/scripts/reset_chain.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..238279abd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/reset_chain.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+
+script_dir="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && echo "$(pwd -P)/")"
+cd "$script_dir"/..
+
+branch=$1
+has_git() {
+    which git && [ -d .git ]
+}
+
+if has_git && ! [ -z "$(git status -s)" ] ; then
+    echo "This script cannot be applied within a dirty git directory,"
+    echo "you need 'stash' or 'commit' your changes before."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+set -e
+
+cd scripts
+
+utop gen_genesis.ml
+
+git commit -a -m "Reset the chain"