diff --git a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
index 59d5a478e..be18a8804 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
@@ -22,9 +22,11 @@ Friendly reminder, we have a [bug bounty program](https://hackerone.com/tendermi
 
 ### IMPROVEMENTS
 
-- [privval] `NewSignerDialerEndpoint` can now be given `SignerServiceEndpointOption` (@erikgrinaker)
+- [privval] \#5434 `NewSignerDialerEndpoint` can now be given `SignerServiceEndpointOption` (@erikgrinaker)
 
 - [config] \#5433 `statesync.rpc_servers` is now properly set when writing the configuration file (@erikgrinaker)
 
 ### BUG FIXES
 
+- [privval] \#5441 Fix faulty ping message encoding causing nil message errors in logs (@erikgrinaker)
+
diff --git a/privval/msgs.go b/privval/msgs.go
index b7a95dbfe..bcfed629b 100644
--- a/privval/msgs.go
+++ b/privval/msgs.go
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ func mustWrapMsg(pb proto.Message) privvalproto.Message {
 	case *privvalproto.SignProposalRequest:
 		msg.Sum = &privvalproto.Message_SignProposalRequest{SignProposalRequest: pb}
 	case *privvalproto.PingRequest:
-		msg.Sum = &privvalproto.Message_PingRequest{}
+		msg.Sum = &privvalproto.Message_PingRequest{PingRequest: pb}
 	case *privvalproto.PingResponse:
-		msg.Sum = &privvalproto.Message_PingResponse{}
+		msg.Sum = &privvalproto.Message_PingResponse{PingResponse: pb}
 	default:
-		panic(fmt.Errorf("unknown message type %T", msg))
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("unknown message type %T", pb))
 	}
 
 	return msg
diff --git a/privval/msgs_test.go b/privval/msgs_test.go
index 61b809b2f..f6f1681db 100644
--- a/privval/msgs_test.go
+++ b/privval/msgs_test.go
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ func TestPrivvalVectors(t *testing.T) {
 		msg      proto.Message
 		expBytes string
 	}{
-		{"ping request", &privproto.PingRequest{}, ""},
-		{"ping response", &privproto.PingResponse{}, ""},
+		{"ping request", &privproto.PingRequest{}, "3a00"},
+		{"ping response", &privproto.PingResponse{}, "4200"},
 		{"pubKey request", &privproto.PubKeyRequest{}, "0a00"},
 		{"pubKey response", &privproto.PubKeyResponse{PubKey: &ppk, Error: nil}, "12240a220a20556a436f1218d30942efe798420f51dc9b6a311b929c578257457d05c5fcf230"},
 		{"pubKey response with error", &privproto.PubKeyResponse{PubKey: nil, Error: remoteError}, "121212100801120c697427732061206572726f72"},