diff --git a/consensus/reactor_test.go b/consensus/reactor_test.go
index fcf22ddd6..f3d88e1e6 100644
--- a/consensus/reactor_test.go
+++ b/consensus/reactor_test.go
@@ -225,6 +225,16 @@ func (m *mockEvidencePool) Update(block *types.Block, state sm.State) {
 	m.height++
 }
 func (m *mockEvidencePool) IsCommitted(types.Evidence) bool { return false }
+func (m *mockEvidencePool) IsPending(evidence types.Evidence) bool {
+	if m.height > 0 {
+		for _, e := range m.ev {
+			if e.Equal(evidence) {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
 
 //------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/state/helpers_test.go b/state/helpers_test.go
index a85e35748..c60a4b4dd 100644
--- a/state/helpers_test.go
+++ b/state/helpers_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ func (m mockEvPoolAlwaysCommitted) PendingEvidence(int64) []types.Evidence { ret
 func (m mockEvPoolAlwaysCommitted) AddEvidence(types.Evidence) error       { return nil }
 func (m mockEvPoolAlwaysCommitted) Update(*types.Block, sm.State)          {}
 func (m mockEvPoolAlwaysCommitted) IsCommitted(types.Evidence) bool        { return true }
+func (m mockEvPoolAlwaysCommitted) IsPending(types.Evidence) bool          { return false }
 
 func newTestApp() proxy.AppConns {
 	app := &testApp{}
diff --git a/state/services.go b/state/services.go
index a30956bdc..b6fb33722 100644
--- a/state/services.go
+++ b/state/services.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ type EvidencePool interface {
 	Update(*types.Block, State)
 	// IsCommitted indicates if this evidence was already marked committed in another block.
 	IsCommitted(types.Evidence) bool
+	IsPending(types.Evidence) bool
 }
 
 // MockEvidencePool is an empty implementation of EvidencePool, useful for testing.
@@ -52,3 +53,4 @@ func (m MockEvidencePool) PendingEvidence(int64) []types.Evidence { return nil }
 func (m MockEvidencePool) AddEvidence(types.Evidence) error       { return nil }
 func (m MockEvidencePool) Update(*types.Block, State)             {}
 func (m MockEvidencePool) IsCommitted(types.Evidence) bool        { return false }
+func (m MockEvidencePool) IsPending(types.Evidence) bool          { return false }
diff --git a/state/validation.go b/state/validation.go
index e1e577e5c..aecfd42c8 100644
--- a/state/validation.go
+++ b/state/validation.go
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ func validateBlock(evidencePool EvidencePool, stateDB dbm.DB, state State, block
 			if evidencePool.IsCommitted(ev) {
 				return types.NewErrEvidenceInvalid(ev, errors.New("evidence was already committed"))
 			}
+			if evidencePool.IsPending(ev) {
+				return nil
+			}
 		}
 		if err := VerifyEvidence(stateDB, state, ev, &block.Header); err != nil {
 			return types.NewErrEvidenceInvalid(ev, err)