diff --git a/client/config/config.go b/client/config/config.go
index 391a0bf4a620..6297cf2c26b1 100644
--- a/client/config/config.go
+++ b/client/config/config.go
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ func ReadFromClientConfig(ctx client.Context) (client.Context, error) {
 	}
 	// we need to update KeyringDir field on Client Context first cause it is used in NewKeyringFromBackend
 	ctx = ctx.WithOutputFormat(conf.Output).
-		WithChainID(conf.ChainID)
+		WithChainID(conf.ChainID).
+		WithKeyringDir(ctx.HomeDir)
 
 	keyring, err := client.NewKeyringFromBackend(ctx, conf.KeyringBackend)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/client/keys/add.go b/client/keys/add.go
index ae937b5a4b0d..979983b9bdfe 100644
--- a/client/keys/add.go
+++ b/client/keys/add.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 
 	bip39 "github.com/cosmos/go-bip39"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/cli"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/flags"
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ required through --multisig-threshold. The keys are sorted by address, unless
 the flag --nosort is set.
 `,
 		Args: cobra.ExactArgs(1),
-		RunE: runAddCmd,
+		RunE: runAddCmdPrepare,
 	}
 
 	cmd.Flags().StringSlice(flagMultisig, nil, "Construct and store a multisig public key (implies --pubkey)")
@@ -83,28 +82,14 @@ the flag --nosort is set.
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func runAddCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+func runAddCmdPrepare(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	buf := bufio.NewReader(cmd.InOrStdin())
 	clientCtx, err := client.GetClientQueryContext(cmd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	var kr keyring.Keyring
-
-	dryRun, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool(flags.FlagDryRun)
-	if dryRun {
-		kr, err = keyring.New(sdk.KeyringServiceName(), keyring.BackendMemory, clientCtx.KeyringDir, buf)
-	} else {
-		backend, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString(flags.FlagKeyringBackend)
-		kr, err = keyring.New(sdk.KeyringServiceName(), backend, clientCtx.KeyringDir, buf)
-	}
-
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	return RunAddCmd(cmd, args, kr, buf)
+	return RunAddCmd(clientCtx, cmd, args, buf)
 }
 
 /*
@@ -116,13 +101,15 @@ input
 output
 	- armor encrypted private key (saved to file)
 */
-func RunAddCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, kb keyring.Keyring, inBuf *bufio.Reader) error {
+func RunAddCmd(ctx client.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, inBuf *bufio.Reader) error {
 	var err error
 
 	name := args[0]
 	interactive, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool(flagInteractive)
 	noBackup, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool(flagNoBackup)
 	showMnemonic := !noBackup
+	kb := ctx.Keyring
+	outputFormat := ctx.OutputFormat
 
 	keyringAlgos, _ := kb.SupportedAlgorithms()
 	algoStr, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString(flags.FlagKeyAlgorithm)
@@ -219,7 +206,7 @@ func RunAddCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, kb keyring.Keyring, inBuf *buf
 			return err
 		}
 
-		return printCreate(cmd, info, false, "")
+		return printCreate(cmd, info, false, "", outputFormat)
 	}
 
 	// Get bip39 mnemonic
@@ -293,16 +280,14 @@ func RunAddCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, kb keyring.Keyring, inBuf *buf
 		mnemonic = ""
 	}
 
-	return printCreate(cmd, info, showMnemonic, mnemonic)
+	return printCreate(cmd, info, showMnemonic, mnemonic, outputFormat)
 }
 
-func printCreate(cmd *cobra.Command, info keyring.Info, showMnemonic bool, mnemonic string) error {
-	output, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString(cli.OutputFlag)
-
-	switch output {
+func printCreate(cmd *cobra.Command, info keyring.Info, showMnemonic bool, mnemonic string, outputFormat string) error {
+	switch outputFormat {
 	case OutputFormatText:
 		cmd.PrintErrln()
-		printKeyInfo(cmd.OutOrStdout(), info, keyring.Bech32KeyOutput, output)
+		printKeyInfo(cmd.OutOrStdout(), info, keyring.Bech32KeyOutput, outputFormat)
 
 		// print mnemonic unless requested not to.
 		if showMnemonic {
@@ -329,7 +314,7 @@ func printCreate(cmd *cobra.Command, info keyring.Info, showMnemonic bool, mnemo
 		cmd.Println(string(jsonString))
 
 	default:
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid output format %s", output)
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid output format %s", outputFormat)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/client/keys/show.go b/client/keys/show.go
index 35a24e3de9bc..614a99b9da42 100644
--- a/client/keys/show.go
+++ b/client/keys/show.go
@@ -111,7 +111,9 @@ func runShowCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	output, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString(cli.OutputFlag)
+	if isOutputSet {
+		clientCtx.OutputFormat, _ = cmd.Flags().GetString(cli.OutputFlag)
+	}
 
 	switch {
 	case isShowAddr:
@@ -119,7 +121,7 @@ func runShowCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	case isShowPubKey:
 		printPubKey(cmd.OutOrStdout(), info, bechKeyOut)
 	default:
-		printKeyInfo(cmd.OutOrStdout(), info, bechKeyOut, output)
+		printKeyInfo(cmd.OutOrStdout(), info, bechKeyOut, clientCtx.OutputFormat)
 	}
 
 	if isShowDevice {