diff --git a/app/app_test.go b/app/app_test.go
index bd3769afdf..43e1909863 100644
--- a/app/app_test.go
+++ b/app/app_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package app
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"sort"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 
 	abci "github.com/cometbft/cometbft/abci/types"
 
+	"github.com/provenance-io/provenance/app/params"
 	markermodule "github.com/provenance-io/provenance/x/marker"
 	markertypes "github.com/provenance-io/provenance/x/marker/types"
 )
@@ -425,3 +427,22 @@ func TestFilterBeginBlockerEvents(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// MakeTestEncodingConfig creates an encoding config suitable for unit tests.
+func MakeTestEncodingConfig(t *testing.T) params.EncodingConfig {
+	tempDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "tempprovapp")
+	switch {
+	case t != nil:
+		require.NoError(t, err, "failed to create temp dir %q", tempDir)
+	case err != nil:
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("failed to create temp dir %q: %w", tempDir, err))
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tempDir)
+
+	tempApp := New(log.NewNopLogger(), dbm.NewMemDB(), nil, true, nil,
+		tempDir,
+		0,
+		simtestutil.EmptyAppOptions{},
+	)
+	return tempApp.GetEncodingConfig()
+}