diff --git a/types/validator_set.go b/types/validator_set.go
index b97cc9d5c..b8e0c847f 100644
--- a/types/validator_set.go
+++ b/types/validator_set.go
@@ -910,9 +910,7 @@ func (vals *ValidatorSet) ToProto() (*tmproto.ValidatorSet, error) {
 	if vals == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("nil validator set") // validator set should never be nil
 	}
-	if err := vals.ValidateBasic(); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("validator set failed basic: %w", err)
-	}
+
 	vp := new(tmproto.ValidatorSet)
 	valsProto := make([]*tmproto.Validator, len(vals.Validators))
 	for i := 0; i < len(vals.Validators); i++ {
@@ -963,7 +961,7 @@ func ValidatorSetFromProto(vp *tmproto.ValidatorSet) (*ValidatorSet, error) {
 
 	vals.totalVotingPower = vp.GetTotalVotingPower()
 
-	return vals, nil
+	return vals, vals.ValidateBasic()
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------