diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index 4a70f5b92..73192944c 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -588,12 +588,14 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) updateToState(state *sm.State) {
 }
 
 func (cs *ConsensusState) setPrivValidatorIndex() {
-	// TODO: just return -1 for not found
-	valIdx, val := cs.state.Validators.GetByAddress(cs.privValidator.GetAddress())
-	if val == nil {
-		cs.privValidatorIndex = -1
-	} else {
-		cs.privValidatorIndex = valIdx
+	if cs.privValidator != nil {
+		// TODO: just return -1 for not found
+		valIdx, val := cs.state.Validators.GetByAddress(cs.privValidator.GetAddress())
+		if val == nil {
+			cs.privValidatorIndex = -1
+		} else {
+			cs.privValidatorIndex = valIdx
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/types/validator.go b/types/validator.go
index ae297112b..479824e62 100644
--- a/types/validator.go
+++ b/types/validator.go
@@ -102,11 +102,6 @@ func RandValidator(randPower bool, minPower int64) (*Validator, *PrivValidator)
 	if randPower {
 		votePower += int64(RandUint32())
 	}
-	val := &Validator{
-		Address:     privVal.Address,
-		PubKey:      privVal.PubKey,
-		VotingPower: votePower,
-		Accum:       0,
-	}
+	val := NewValidator(privVal.PubKey, votePower)
 	return val, privVal
 }
diff --git a/types/validator_set_test.go b/types/validator_set_test.go
index a94a4ebbf..9107e77e5 100644
--- a/types/validator_set_test.go
+++ b/types/validator_set_test.go
@@ -16,12 +16,9 @@ func randPubKey() crypto.PubKeyEd25519 {
 }
 
 func randValidator_() *Validator {
-	return &Validator{
-		Address:     RandBytes(20),
-		PubKey:      randPubKey(),
-		VotingPower: RandInt64(),
-		Accum:       RandInt64(),
-	}
+	val := NewValidator(randPubKey(), RandInt64())
+	val.Accum = RandInt64()
+	return val
 }
 
 func randValidatorSet(numValidators int) *ValidatorSet {
@@ -147,10 +144,7 @@ func BenchmarkValidatorSetCopy(b *testing.B) {
 	for i := 0; i < 1000; i++ {
 		privKey := crypto.GenPrivKeyEd25519()
 		pubKey := privKey.PubKey().(crypto.PubKeyEd25519)
-		val := &Validator{
-			Address: pubKey.Address(),
-			PubKey:  pubKey,
-		}
+		val := NewValidator(pubKey, 0)
 		if !vset.Add(val) {
 			panic("Failed to add validator")
 		}