diff --git a/internal/consensus/state.go b/internal/consensus/state.go
index 74e07ca9d..b96c9cecb 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/state.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/state.go
@@ -1452,11 +1452,7 @@ func (cs *State) enterPrevote(ctx context.Context, height int64, round int32) {
 }
 
 func (cs *State) proposalIsTimely() bool {
-	sp := types.SynchronyParams{
-		Precision:    cs.state.ConsensusParams.Synchrony.Precision,
-		MessageDelay: cs.state.ConsensusParams.Synchrony.MessageDelay,
-	}
-
+	sp := cs.state.ConsensusParams.Synchrony.SynchronyParamsOrDefaults()
 	return cs.Proposal.IsTimely(cs.ProposalReceiveTime, sp, cs.Round)
 }
 
@@ -1482,6 +1478,7 @@ func (cs *State) defaultDoPrevote(ctx context.Context, height int64, round int32
 		return
 	}
 
+	sp := cs.state.ConsensusParams.Synchrony.SynchronyParamsOrDefaults()
 	if cs.Proposal.POLRound == -1 && cs.LockedRound == -1 && !cs.proposalIsTimely() {
 		logger.Debug("prevote step: Proposal is not timely; prevoting nil",
 			"proposed",
@@ -1489,9 +1486,9 @@ func (cs *State) defaultDoPrevote(ctx context.Context, height int64, round int32
 			"received",
 			tmtime.Canonical(cs.ProposalReceiveTime).Format(time.RFC3339Nano),
 			"msg_delay",
-			cs.state.ConsensusParams.Synchrony.MessageDelay,
+			sp.MessageDelay,
 			"precision",
-			cs.state.ConsensusParams.Synchrony.Precision)
+			sp.Precision)
 		cs.signAddVote(ctx, tmproto.PrevoteType, nil, types.PartSetHeader{})
 		return
 	}
@@ -2667,11 +2664,12 @@ func repairWalFile(src, dst string) error {
 }
 
 func (cs *State) proposeTimeout(round int32) time.Duration {
-	p := cs.state.ConsensusParams.Timeout.Propose
+	tp := cs.state.ConsensusParams.Timeout.TimeoutParamsOrDefaults()
+	p := tp.Propose
 	if cs.config.UnsafeProposeTimeoutOverride != 0 {
 		p = cs.config.UnsafeProposeTimeoutOverride
 	}
-	pd := cs.state.ConsensusParams.Timeout.ProposeDelta
+	pd := tp.ProposeDelta
 	if cs.config.UnsafeProposeTimeoutDeltaOverride != 0 {
 		pd = cs.config.UnsafeProposeTimeoutDeltaOverride
 	}
@@ -2681,11 +2679,12 @@ func (cs *State) proposeTimeout(round int32) time.Duration {
 }
 
 func (cs *State) voteTimeout(round int32) time.Duration {
-	v := cs.state.ConsensusParams.Timeout.Vote
+	tp := cs.state.ConsensusParams.Timeout.TimeoutParamsOrDefaults()
+	v := tp.Vote
 	if cs.config.UnsafeVoteTimeoutOverride != 0 {
 		v = cs.config.UnsafeVoteTimeoutOverride
 	}
-	vd := cs.state.ConsensusParams.Timeout.VoteDelta
+	vd := tp.VoteDelta
 	if cs.config.UnsafeVoteTimeoutDeltaOverride != 0 {
 		vd = cs.config.UnsafeVoteTimeoutDeltaOverride
 	}
@@ -2711,12 +2710,8 @@ func (cs *State) bypassCommitTimeout() bool {
 
 func (cs *State) calculateProposalTimestampDifferenceMetric() {
 	if cs.Proposal != nil && cs.Proposal.POLRound == -1 {
-		tp := types.SynchronyParams{
-			Precision:    cs.state.ConsensusParams.Synchrony.Precision,
-			MessageDelay: cs.state.ConsensusParams.Synchrony.MessageDelay,
-		}
-
-		isTimely := cs.Proposal.IsTimely(cs.ProposalReceiveTime, tp, cs.Round)
+		sp := cs.state.ConsensusParams.Synchrony.SynchronyParamsOrDefaults()
+		isTimely := cs.Proposal.IsTimely(cs.ProposalReceiveTime, sp, cs.Round)
 		cs.metrics.ProposalTimestampDifference.With("is_timely", fmt.Sprintf("%t", isTimely)).
 			Observe(cs.ProposalReceiveTime.Sub(cs.Proposal.Timestamp).Seconds())
 	}
diff --git a/internal/rpc/core/consensus.go b/internal/rpc/core/consensus.go
index b30209b38..f10f37ebc 100644
--- a/internal/rpc/core/consensus.go
+++ b/internal/rpc/core/consensus.go
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ func (env *Environment) ConsensusParams(ctx context.Context, heightPtr *int64) (
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	consensusParams.Synchrony = consensusParams.Synchrony.SynchronyParamsOrDefaults()
+	consensusParams.Timeout = consensusParams.Timeout.TimeoutParamsOrDefaults()
+
 	return &coretypes.ResultConsensusParams{
 		BlockHeight:     height,
 		ConsensusParams: consensusParams}, nil
diff --git a/types/params.go b/types/params.go
index be9217fa3..c0e5e3a00 100644
--- a/types/params.go
+++ b/types/params.go
@@ -147,7 +147,22 @@ func DefaultSynchronyParams() SynchronyParams {
 		Precision:    505 * time.Millisecond,
 		MessageDelay: 12 * time.Second,
 	}
+}
+
+// SynchronyParamsOrDefaults returns the SynchronyParams, filling in any zero values
+// with the Tendermint defined default values.
+func (s SynchronyParams) SynchronyParamsOrDefaults() SynchronyParams {
+	// TODO: Remove this method and all uses once development on v0.37 begins.
+	// See: https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint/issues/8187
 
+	defaults := DefaultSynchronyParams()
+	if s.Precision == 0 {
+		s.Precision = defaults.Precision
+	}
+	if s.MessageDelay == 0 {
+		s.MessageDelay = defaults.MessageDelay
+	}
+	return s
 }
 
 func DefaultTimeoutParams() TimeoutParams {
@@ -161,6 +176,31 @@ func DefaultTimeoutParams() TimeoutParams {
 	}
 }
 
+// TimeoutParamsOrDefaults returns the SynchronyParams, filling in any zero values
+// with the Tendermint defined default values.
+func (t TimeoutParams) TimeoutParamsOrDefaults() TimeoutParams {
+	// TODO: Remove this method and all uses once development on v0.37 begins.
+	// See: https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint/issues/8187
+
+	defaults := DefaultTimeoutParams()
+	if t.Propose == 0 {
+		t.Propose = defaults.Propose
+	}
+	if t.ProposeDelta == 0 {
+		t.ProposeDelta = defaults.ProposeDelta
+	}
+	if t.Vote == 0 {
+		t.Vote = defaults.Vote
+	}
+	if t.VoteDelta == 0 {
+		t.VoteDelta = defaults.VoteDelta
+	}
+	if t.Commit == 0 {
+		t.Commit = defaults.Commit
+	}
+	return t
+}
+
 // ProposeTimeout returns the amount of time to wait for a proposal.
 func (t TimeoutParams) ProposeTimeout(round int32) time.Duration {
 	return time.Duration(