diff --git a/cli/server_dump.go b/cli/server_dump.go
index 7a3666b883..6d2b2cefc6 100644
--- a/cli/server_dump.go
+++ b/cli/server_dump.go
@@ -37,11 +37,7 @@ func MakeServerDumpCmd() *cobra.Command {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			db, err := db.NewDB(
-				cmd.Context(),
-				rootstore,
-				db.WithACPModule(cfg.Rootdir),
-			)
+			db, err := db.NewDB(cmd.Context(), rootstore)
 			if err != nil {
 				return errors.Wrap("failed to initialize database", err)
 			}
diff --git a/cli/start.go b/cli/start.go
index dfe2abba90..fc1339d710 100644
--- a/cli/start.go
+++ b/cli/start.go
@@ -48,10 +48,6 @@ func MakeStartCommand() *cobra.Command {
 			cfg := mustGetContextConfig(cmd)
 
 			dbOpts := []db.Option{
-				// Infuture when we add support for the --no-acp flag when admin signatures are in,
-				// we can allow starting of db without acp. Currently that can only be done programmatically.
-				// https://github.com/sourcenetwork/defradb/issues/2271
-				db.WithACPModule(cfg.Rootdir),
 				db.WithUpdateEvents(),
 				db.WithMaxRetries(cfg.GetInt("datastore.MaxTxnRetries")),
 			}
@@ -88,12 +84,20 @@ func MakeStartCommand() *cobra.Command {
 				// Running with memory store mode will always generate a random key.
 				// Adding support for an ephemeral mode and moving the key to the
 				// config would solve both of these issues.
-				rootdir := mustGetContextRootDir(cmd)
-				key, err := loadOrGeneratePrivateKey(filepath.Join(rootdir, "data", "key"))
+				rootDir := mustGetContextRootDir(cmd)
+				key, err := loadOrGeneratePrivateKey(filepath.Join(rootDir, "data", "key"))
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
 				netOpts = append(netOpts, net.WithPrivateKey(key))
+
+				// Infuture when we add support for the --no-acp flag when admin signatures are in,
+				// we can allow starting of db without acp. Currently that can only be done programmatically.
+				// https://github.com/sourcenetwork/defradb/issues/2271
+				dbOpts = append(dbOpts, db.WithACPModule(rootDir))
+			} else {
+				// TODO-ACP: Better in-mem acp module startup (this is not nice due to some config merge conflicts).
+				dbOpts = append(dbOpts, db.WithACPModule(""))
 			}
 
 			opts := []node.NodeOpt{