diff --git a/mod/consensus/pkg/cometbft/service/abci.go b/mod/consensus/pkg/cometbft/service/abci.go
index 5b4c1fb9b4..89609bb48f 100644
--- a/mod/consensus/pkg/cometbft/service/abci.go
+++ b/mod/consensus/pkg/cometbft/service/abci.go
@@ -112,34 +112,31 @@ func (s *Service[LoggerT]) InitChain(
 	}
 
 	// check validators
-	if len(resValidators) == 0 {
-		return nil, errors.New(
-			"application init chain handler returned no validators",
-		)
-	}
-	if len(req.Validators) != len(resValidators) {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
-			"len(RequestInitChain.Validators) != len(GenesisValidators) (%d != %d)",
-			len(req.Validators),
-			len(resValidators),
-		)
-	}
-
-	sort.Sort(cmtabci.ValidatorUpdates(req.Validators))
-
-	for i := range resValidators {
-		if req.Validators[i].Power != resValidators[i].Power {
-			return nil, errors.New("mismatched power")
-		}
-		if !bytes.Equal(
-			req.Validators[i].PubKeyBytes, resValidators[i].
-				PubKeyBytes) {
-			return nil, errors.New("mismatched pubkey bytes")
+	if len(req.Validators) > 0 {
+		if len(req.Validators) != len(resValidators) {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf(
+				"len(RequestInitChain.Validators) != len(GenesisValidators) (%d != %d)",
+				len(req.Validators),
+				len(resValidators),
+			)
 		}
 
-		if req.Validators[i].PubKeyType !=
-			resValidators[i].PubKeyType {
-			return nil, errors.New("mismatched pubkey types")
+		sort.Sort(cmtabci.ValidatorUpdates(req.Validators))
+
+		for i := range resValidators {
+			if req.Validators[i].Power != resValidators[i].Power {
+				return nil, errors.New("mismatched power")
+			}
+			if !bytes.Equal(
+				req.Validators[i].PubKeyBytes, resValidators[i].
+					PubKeyBytes) {
+				return nil, errors.New("mismatched pubkey bytes")
+			}
+
+			if req.Validators[i].PubKeyType !=
+				resValidators[i].PubKeyType {
+				return nil, errors.New("mismatched pubkey types")
+			}
 		}
 	}