diff --git a/proposals/16:upgrade-8/use.sh b/proposals/16:upgrade-8/use.sh
index d555960b..94a0d99d 100644
--- a/proposals/16:upgrade-8/use.sh
+++ b/proposals/16:upgrade-8/use.sh
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ waitForBlock 2
 waitForBlock 3
 # fund provision pool
 stakeamount="20000000${USDC_DENOM}"
-agd tx bank send "validator" "agoric1megzytg65cyrgzs6fvzxgrcqvwwl7ugpt62346" "$stakeamount" -y --keyring-backend=test --chain-id="$CHAINID"
+agd tx bank send "validator" "agoric1megzytg65cyrgzs6fvzxgrcqvwwl7ugpt62346" "$stakeamount" -y --keyring-backend=test --chain-id="$CHAINID" -bblock
 waitForBlock 3
 
 govaccounts=("$GOV1ADDR" "$GOV2ADDR" "$GOV3ADDR")
diff --git a/upgrade-test-scripts/env_setup.sh b/upgrade-test-scripts/env_setup.sh
index f7c38147..ccb0667a 100755
--- a/upgrade-test-scripts/env_setup.sh
+++ b/upgrade-test-scripts/env_setup.sh
@@ -80,10 +80,10 @@ provisionSmartWallet() {
   addr="$1"
   amount="$2"
   echo "funding $addr"
-  agd tx bank send "validator" "$addr" "$amount" -y --keyring-backend=test --chain-id="$CHAINID"
+  agd tx -bblock bank send "validator" "$addr" "$amount" -y --keyring-backend=test --chain-id="$CHAINID"
   waitForBlock
   echo "provisioning $addr"
-  agd tx swingset provision-one my-wallet "$addr" SMART_WALLET --keyring-backend=test --yes --chain-id="$CHAINID" --from="$addr"
+  agd tx -bblock swingset provision-one my-wallet "$addr" SMART_WALLET --keyring-backend=test --yes --chain-id="$CHAINID" --from="$addr"
   echo "Waiting for wallet $addr to reach vstorage"
   waitForBlock 5
   echo "Reading $addr from vstorage"
@@ -164,9 +164,9 @@ voteLatestProposalAndWait() {
   waitForBlock
   proposal=$($binary q gov proposals -o json | jq -r '.proposals[-1].proposal_id')
   waitForBlock
-  $binary tx gov deposit $proposal 50000000ubld --from=validator --chain-id="$CHAINID" --yes --keyring-backend test
+  $binary tx -bblock gov deposit $proposal 50000000ubld --from=validator --chain-id="$CHAINID" --yes --keyring-backend test
   waitForBlock
-  $binary tx gov vote $proposal yes --from=validator --chain-id="$CHAINID" --yes --keyring-backend test
+  $binary tx -bblock gov vote $proposal yes --from=validator --chain-id="$CHAINID" --yes --keyring-backend test
   waitForBlock
 
   while true; do
diff --git a/upgrade-test-scripts/lib/agd-lib.js b/upgrade-test-scripts/lib/agd-lib.js
index 8d2220e4..007efa4e 100644
--- a/upgrade-test-scripts/lib/agd-lib.js
+++ b/upgrade-test-scripts/lib/agd-lib.js
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ export const makeAgd = ({ execFileSync }) => {
           ...keyringArgs,
           ...[`--from`, from],
           'tx',
-          ...txArgs,
           ...['--broadcast-mode', 'block'],
+          ...txArgs,
           ...yesArg,
           ...outJson,
         ];
diff --git a/upgrade-test-scripts/lib/cliHelper.js b/upgrade-test-scripts/lib/cliHelper.js
index cb3c3adf..66fa6dd1 100644
--- a/upgrade-test-scripts/lib/cliHelper.js
+++ b/upgrade-test-scripts/lib/cliHelper.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export const agd = {
     return JSON.parse(data);
   },
   tx: async (...params) => {
-    const newParams = ['tx', ...params, '-o json'];
+    const newParams = ['tx', '-bblock', ...params, '-o json'];
     const data = await executeCommand(BINARY, newParams, { shell: true });
     return JSON.parse(data);
   },
diff --git a/upgrade-test-scripts/start_ag0.sh b/upgrade-test-scripts/start_ag0.sh
index 169d032e..c321d43a 100755
--- a/upgrade-test-scripts/start_ag0.sh
+++ b/upgrade-test-scripts/start_ag0.sh
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ else
   echo "Upgrade info is not valid JSON: $info"
   exit $status
 fi
-agd tx gov submit-proposal software-upgrade "$UPGRADE_TO" \
+agd tx -bblock gov submit-proposal software-upgrade "$UPGRADE_TO" \
   --upgrade-height="$height" --upgrade-info="$info" \
   --title="Upgrade to ${UPGRADE_TO}" --description="upgrades" \
   --from=validator --chain-id="$CHAINID" \
diff --git a/upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh b/upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh
index 9fc8b580..b6afe2a9 100755
--- a/upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh
+++ b/upgrade-test-scripts/start_to_to.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ else
   echo "Upgrade info is not valid JSON: $info"
   exit $status
 fi
-agd tx gov submit-proposal software-upgrade "$UPGRADE_TO" \
+agd tx -bblock gov submit-proposal software-upgrade "$UPGRADE_TO" \
   --upgrade-height="$height" --upgrade-info="$info" \
   --title="Upgrade to ${UPGRADE_TO}" --description="upgrades" \
   --from=validator --chain-id="$CHAINID" \