diff --git a/cmd/harmony/main.go b/cmd/harmony/main.go
index c9c4ec1ea..a90faf628 100644
--- a/cmd/harmony/main.go
+++ b/cmd/harmony/main.go
@@ -453,20 +453,13 @@ func main() {
 	if *nodeType == "validator" {
 		setupInitialAccount()
 		if *stakingFlag {
-			var blsPubKey shard.BlsPublicKey
-			pubKey := nodeconfig.GetDefaultConfig().ConsensusPubKey
-			if err := blsPubKey.FromLibBLSPublicKey(pubKey); err != nil {
-				_, _ = fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr,
-					"ERROR cannot convert libbls pubkey to internal form: %s",
-					err)
+			shardID, err := nodeconfig.GetDefaultConfig().ShardIDFromConsensusKey()
+			if err != nil {
+				_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr,
+					"ERROR cannot determine shard to join: %s", err)
 				os.Exit(1)
 			}
-			// Use the number of shards as of staking epoch.
-			chainConfig := nodeconfig.NetworkType(*networkType).ChainConfig()
-			stakingEpochShardConfig := shard.Schedule.InstanceForEpoch(chainConfig.StakingEpoch)
-			numShardsBig := big.NewInt(int64(stakingEpochShardConfig.NumShards()))
-			shardIDBig := new(big.Int).Mod(blsPubKey.Big(), numShardsBig)
-			initialAccount.ShardID = uint32(shardIDBig.Uint64())
+			initialAccount.ShardID = shardID
 		}
 	}
 	fmt.Printf("%s mode; node key %s -> shard %d\n",
diff --git a/internal/configs/node/config.go b/internal/configs/node/config.go
index 45441c9ea..75908ee04 100644
--- a/internal/configs/node/config.go
+++ b/internal/configs/node/config.go
@@ -6,13 +6,16 @@ package nodeconfig
 import (
 	"crypto/ecdsa"
 	"fmt"
+	"math/big"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/harmony-one/bls/ffi/go/bls"
 	p2p_crypto "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-crypto"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 
 	shardingconfig "github.com/harmony-one/harmony/internal/configs/sharding"
 	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/internal/params"
+	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/shard"
 )
 
 // Role defines a role of a node.
@@ -271,6 +274,21 @@ func SetShardingSchedule(schedule shardingconfig.Schedule) {
 	}
 }
 
+// ShardIDFromConsensusKey returns the shard ID statically determined from the
+// consensus key.
+func (conf *ConfigType) ShardIDFromConsensusKey() (uint32, error) {
+	var pubKey shard.BlsPublicKey
+	if err := pubKey.FromLibBLSPublicKey(conf.ConsensusPubKey); err != nil {
+		return 0, errors.Wrapf(err,
+			"cannot convert libbls public key %s to internal form",
+			conf.ConsensusPubKey.SerializeToHexStr())
+	}
+	epoch := conf.networkType.ChainConfig().StakingEpoch
+	numShards := conf.shardingSchedule.InstanceForEpoch(epoch).NumShards()
+	shardID := new(big.Int).Mod(pubKey.Big(), big.NewInt(int64(numShards)))
+	return uint32(shardID.Uint64()), nil
+}
+
 // ChainConfig returns the chain configuration for the network type.
 func (t NetworkType) ChainConfig() params.ChainConfig {
 	switch t {