diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b15d26cb89..768e8da0cb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
 - @cosmjs/stargate: Add new package for Cosmos SDK Stargate support.
 - @cosmjs/tendermint-rpc: Make `Client.detectVersion` private and let it return
   a version instead of a client.
-- @cosmjs/tendermint-rpc: Add `Client.create` for creating a Tendermint client
-  given an RPC client.
+- @cosmjs/tendermint-rpc: Make the constructor of `Client` private. Add
+  `Client.create` for creating a Tendermint client given an RPC client and an
+  optional adaptor.
 
 ## 0.23.1 (2020-10-27)
 
diff --git a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/client.spec.ts b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/client.spec.ts
index b8d0235398..95d790a858 100644
--- a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/client.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/client.spec.ts
@@ -50,18 +50,18 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
       expect(info).toBeTruthy();
       client.disconnect();
     });
-  });
 
-  it("can connect to tendermint with known version", async () => {
-    pendingWithoutTendermint();
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
-    expect(await client.abciInfo()).toBeTruthy();
-    client.disconnect();
+    it("can connect to Tendermint with known version", async () => {
+      pendingWithoutTendermint();
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      expect(await client.abciInfo()).toBeTruthy();
+      client.disconnect();
+    });
   });
 
   it("can get genesis", async () => {
     pendingWithoutTendermint();
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+    const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
     const genesis = await client.genesis();
     expect(genesis).toBeTruthy();
     client.disconnect();
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
   it("can broadcast a transaction", async () => {
     pendingWithoutTendermint();
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+    const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
     const tx = buildKvTx(randomString(), randomString());
 
     const response = await client.broadcastTxCommit({ tx: tx });
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
   it("gets the same tx hash from backend as calculated locally", async () => {
     pendingWithoutTendermint();
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+    const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
     const tx = buildKvTx(randomString(), randomString());
     const calculatedTxHash = adaptor.hashTx(tx);
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
   it("can query the state", async () => {
     pendingWithoutTendermint();
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+    const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
     const key = randomString();
     const value = randomString();
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
   it("can call a bunch of methods", async () => {
     pendingWithoutTendermint();
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+    const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
     expect(await client.block()).toBeTruthy();
     expect(await client.commit(4)).toBeTruthy();
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
   describe("status", () => {
     it("works", async () => {
       pendingWithoutTendermint();
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
       const status = await client.status();
 
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
   describe("blockResults", () => {
     it("works", async () => {
       pendingWithoutTendermint();
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
       const height = 3;
       const results = await client.blockResults(height);
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
   describe("blockchain", () => {
     it("returns latest in descending order by default", async () => {
       pendingWithoutTendermint();
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
       // Run in parallel to increase chance there is no block between the calls
       const [status, blockchain] = await Promise.all([client.status(), client.blockchain()]);
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
     it("can limit by maxHeight", async () => {
       pendingWithoutTendermint();
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
       const height = (await client.status()).syncInfo.latestBlockHeight;
       const blockchain = await client.blockchain(undefined, height - 1);
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
     it("works with maxHeight in the future", async () => {
       pendingWithoutTendermint();
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
       const height = (await client.status()).syncInfo.latestBlockHeight;
       const blockchain = await client.blockchain(undefined, height + 20);
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
     it("can limit by minHeight and maxHeight", async () => {
       pendingWithoutTendermint();
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
       const height = (await client.status()).syncInfo.latestBlockHeight;
       const blockchain = await client.blockchain(height - 2, height - 1);
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
     it("contains all the info", async () => {
       pendingWithoutTendermint();
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
       const height = (await client.status()).syncInfo.latestBlockHeight;
       const blockchain = await client.blockchain(height - 1, height - 1);
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
   describe("tx", () => {
     it("can query a tx properly", async () => {
       pendingWithoutTendermint();
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
       const find = randomString();
       const me = randomString();
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
     beforeAll(async () => {
       if (tendermintEnabled()) {
-        const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+        const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
         // eslint-disable-next-line no-inner-declarations
         async function sendTx(): Promise<void> {
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
     it("can paginate over txSearch results", async () => {
       pendingWithoutTendermint();
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
       const query = buildQuery({ tags: [{ key: "app.key", value: key }] });
 
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ function defaultTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expecte
 
     it("can get all search results in one call", async () => {
       pendingWithoutTendermint();
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
 
       const query = buildQuery({ tags: [{ key: "app.key", value: key }] });
 
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ function websocketTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expec
 
     (async () => {
       const events: responses.NewBlockHeaderEvent[] = [];
-      const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+      const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
       const stream = client.subscribeNewBlockHeader();
       expect(stream).toBeTruthy();
       const subscription = stream.subscribe({
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ function websocketTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expec
     const transactionData2 = buildKvTx(randomString(), randomString());
 
     const events: responses.NewBlockEvent[] = [];
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+    const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
     const stream = client.subscribeNewBlock();
     const subscription = stream.subscribe({
       next: (event) => {
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ function websocketTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expec
     pendingWithoutTendermint();
 
     const events: responses.TxEvent[] = [];
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+    const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
     const stream = client.subscribeTx();
     const subscription = stream.subscribe({
       next: (event) => {
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ function websocketTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expec
     const transactionData2 = buildKvTx(randomString(), randomString());
 
     const events: responses.TxEvent[] = [];
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+    const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
     const query = buildQuery({ tags: [{ key: "app.creator", value: expected.appCreator }] });
     const stream = client.subscribeTx(query);
     expect(stream).toBeTruthy();
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ function websocketTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expec
   it("can unsubscribe and re-subscribe to the same stream", async () => {
     pendingWithoutTendermint();
 
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+    const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
     const stream = client.subscribeNewBlockHeader();
 
     const event1 = await firstEvent(stream);
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ function websocketTestSuite(rpcFactory: () => RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor, expec
   it("can subscribe twice", async () => {
     pendingWithoutTendermint();
 
-    const client = new Client(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
+    const client = await Client.create(rpcFactory(), adaptor);
     const stream1 = client.subscribeNewBlockHeader();
     const stream2 = client.subscribeNewBlockHeader();
 
diff --git a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/client.ts b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/client.ts
index 0b158c1e85..76862189d9 100644
--- a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/client.ts
+++ b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/client.ts
@@ -27,10 +27,18 @@ export class Client {
 
   /**
    * Creates a new Tendermint client given an RPC client.
+   *
+   * If the adaptor is not set, an auto-detection is performed.
    */
-  public static async create(rpcClient: RpcClient): Promise<Client> {
-    const version = await this.detectVersion(rpcClient);
-    return new Client(rpcClient, adaptorForVersion(version));
+  public static async create(rpcClient: RpcClient, adaptor?: Adaptor): Promise<Client> {
+    let usedAdaptor: Adaptor;
+    if (adaptor) {
+      usedAdaptor = adaptor;
+    } else {
+      const version = await this.detectVersion(rpcClient);
+      usedAdaptor = adaptorForVersion(version);
+    }
+    return new Client(rpcClient, usedAdaptor);
   }
 
   private static async detectVersion(client: RpcClient): Promise<string> {
@@ -53,7 +61,10 @@ export class Client {
   private readonly p: Params;
   private readonly r: Responses;
 
-  public constructor(client: RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor) {
+  /**
+   * Use `Client.connect` or `Client.create` to create an instance.
+   */
+  private constructor(client: RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor) {
     this.client = client;
     this.p = adaptor.params;
     this.r = adaptor.responses;
diff --git a/packages/tendermint-rpc/types/client.d.ts b/packages/tendermint-rpc/types/client.d.ts
index 5612c85392..ab3d3ec834 100644
--- a/packages/tendermint-rpc/types/client.d.ts
+++ b/packages/tendermint-rpc/types/client.d.ts
@@ -12,13 +12,18 @@ export declare class Client {
   static connect(url: string): Promise<Client>;
   /**
    * Creates a new Tendermint client given an RPC client.
+   *
+   * If the adaptor is not set, an auto-detection is performed.
    */
-  static create(rpcClient: RpcClient): Promise<Client>;
+  static create(rpcClient: RpcClient, adaptor?: Adaptor): Promise<Client>;
   private static detectVersion;
   private readonly client;
   private readonly p;
   private readonly r;
-  constructor(client: RpcClient, adaptor: Adaptor);
+  /**
+   * Use `Client.connect` or `Client.create` to create an instance.
+   */
+  private constructor();
   disconnect(): void;
   abciInfo(): Promise<responses.AbciInfoResponse>;
   abciQuery(params: requests.AbciQueryParams): Promise<responses.AbciQueryResponse>;