diff --git a/core/src/test_validator.rs b/core/src/test_validator.rs
index a241735ff2..a2fa2beea8 100644
--- a/core/src/test_validator.rs
+++ b/core/src/test_validator.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ use {
         collections::HashMap,
         fs::remove_dir_all,
         net::{IpAddr, Ipv4Addr, SocketAddr},
-        path::PathBuf,
+        path::{Path, PathBuf},
         sync::{Arc, RwLock},
         thread::sleep,
         time::Duration,
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ impl TestValidatorGenesis {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Check if a given TestValidator ledger has already been initialized
+    pub fn ledger_exists(ledger_path: &Path) -> bool {
+        ledger_path.join("vote-account-keypair.json").exists()
+    }
+
     pub fn fee_rate_governor(&mut self, fee_rate_governor: FeeRateGovernor) -> &mut Self {
         self.fee_rate_governor = fee_rate_governor;
         self
@@ -313,7 +318,7 @@ impl TestValidator {
         let ledger_path = match &config.ledger_path {
             None => create_new_tmp_ledger!(&genesis_config).0,
             Some(ledger_path) => {
-                if ledger_path.join("validator-keypair.json").exists() {
+                if TestValidatorGenesis::ledger_exists(ledger_path) {
                     return Ok(ledger_path.to_path_buf());
                 }
 
@@ -338,6 +343,10 @@ impl TestValidator {
             &validator_identity,
             ledger_path.join("validator-keypair.json").to_str().unwrap(),
         )?;
+
+        // `ledger_exists` should fail until the vote account keypair is written
+        assert!(!TestValidatorGenesis::ledger_exists(&ledger_path));
+
         write_keypair_file(
             &validator_vote_account,
             ledger_path
diff --git a/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs b/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs
index 72c8e5cf42..74aa299c2f 100644
--- a/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs
+++ b/validator/src/bin/solana-test-validator.rs
@@ -354,6 +354,18 @@ fn main() {
         });
     }
 
+    if TestValidatorGenesis::ledger_exists(&ledger_path) {
+        for (name, long) in &[
+            ("bpf_program", "--bpf-program"),
+            ("clone_account", "--clone"),
+            ("mint_address", "--mint"),
+        ] {
+            if matches.is_present(name) {
+                println!("{} argument ignored, ledger already exists", long);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     let mut genesis = TestValidatorGenesis::default();
 
     admin_rpc_service::run(