diff --git a/chain/cosmos/account_retriever.go b/chain/cosmos/account_retriever.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..66b9f66cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chain/cosmos/account_retriever.go
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+package cosmos
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	authtypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/auth/types"
+	"strconv"
+
+	grpc "google.golang.org/grpc"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/metadata"
+
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
+	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
+	grpctypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types/grpc"
+)
+
+var (
+	_ client.Account          = sdk.AccountI(nil)
+	_ client.AccountRetriever = AccountRetriever{}
+)
+
+// AccountRetriever defines the properties of a type that can be used to
+// retrieve accounts.
+type AccountRetriever struct {
+	chain *CosmosChain
+}
+
+// GetAccount queries for an account given an address and a block height. An
+// error is returned if the query or decoding fails.
+func (ar AccountRetriever) GetAccount(clientCtx client.Context, addr sdk.AccAddress) (client.Account, error) {
+	account, _, err := ar.GetAccountWithHeight(clientCtx, addr)
+	return account, err
+}
+
+// GetAccountWithHeight queries for an account given an address. Returns the
+// height of the query with the account. An error is returned if the query
+// or decoding fails.
+func (ar AccountRetriever) GetAccountWithHeight(clientCtx client.Context, addr sdk.AccAddress) (client.Account, int64, error) {
+	var header metadata.MD
+
+	bech32Address, err := ar.chain.AccAddressToBech32(addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, 0, err
+	}
+
+	queryClient := authtypes.NewQueryClient(clientCtx)
+	res, err := queryClient.Account(context.Background(), &authtypes.QueryAccountRequest{Address: bech32Address}, grpc.Header(&header))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, 0, err
+	}
+
+	blockHeight := header.Get(grpctypes.GRPCBlockHeightHeader)
+	if l := len(blockHeight); l != 1 {
+		return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("unexpected '%s' header length; got %d, expected: %d", grpctypes.GRPCBlockHeightHeader, l, 1)
+	}
+
+	nBlockHeight, err := strconv.Atoi(blockHeight[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse block height: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	var acc sdk.AccountI
+	if err := clientCtx.InterfaceRegistry.UnpackAny(res.Account, &acc); err != nil {
+		return nil, 0, err
+	}
+
+	return acc, int64(nBlockHeight), nil
+}
+
+// EnsureExists returns an error if no account exists for the given address else nil.
+func (ar AccountRetriever) EnsureExists(clientCtx client.Context, addr sdk.AccAddress) error {
+	if _, err := ar.GetAccount(clientCtx, addr); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// GetAccountNumberSequence returns sequence and account number for the given address.
+// It returns an error if the account couldn't be retrieved from the state.
+func (ar AccountRetriever) GetAccountNumberSequence(clientCtx client.Context, addr sdk.AccAddress) (uint64, uint64, error) {
+	acc, err := ar.GetAccount(clientCtx, addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
+	}
+
+	return acc.GetAccountNumber(), acc.GetSequence(), nil
+}
diff --git a/chain/cosmos/address.go b/chain/cosmos/address.go
index 4df36e791..121c021bb 100644
--- a/chain/cosmos/address.go
+++ b/chain/cosmos/address.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cosmos
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types/bech32"
 	"strings"
 
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
@@ -26,3 +27,7 @@ func (c *CosmosChain) AccAddressFromBech32(address string) (addr sdk.AccAddress,
 
 	return sdk.AccAddress(bz), nil
 }
+
+func (c *CosmosChain) AccAddressToBech32(addr sdk.AccAddress) (string, error) {
+	return bech32.ConvertAndEncode(c.Config().Bech32Prefix, addr)
+}
diff --git a/chain/cosmos/broadcaster.go b/chain/cosmos/broadcaster.go
index db4b52d01..4989fc085 100644
--- a/chain/cosmos/broadcaster.go
+++ b/chain/cosmos/broadcaster.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types/tx/signing"
 	authtx "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/auth/tx"
-	authtypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/auth/types"
 	"github.com/strangelove-ventures/interchaintest/v8/internal/dockerutil"
 	"github.com/strangelove-ventures/interchaintest/v8/testutil"
 )
@@ -165,7 +164,7 @@ func (b *Broadcaster) defaultClientContext(fromUser User, sdkAdd sdk.AccAddress)
 		WithFromAddress(sdkAdd).
 		WithFromName(fromUser.KeyName()).
 		WithSkipConfirmation(true).
-		WithAccountRetriever(authtypes.AccountRetriever{}).
+		WithAccountRetriever(AccountRetriever{chain: b.chain}).
 		WithKeyring(kr).
 		WithBroadcastMode(flags.BroadcastSync).
 		WithCodec(b.chain.cfg.EncodingConfig.Codec)