diff --git a/app/app.go b/app/app.go
index dd8d489c84..812de3cf09 100644
--- a/app/app.go
+++ b/app/app.go
@@ -219,19 +219,24 @@ func NewApp(
 		app.BlockedAddrs(),
 	)
 
-	skeeper := stakingkeeper.NewKeeper(
-		appCodec,
-		app.keys[stakingtypes.StoreKey],
-		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct,
-		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank,
-		app.GetSubspace(stakingtypes.ModuleName),
-	)
+	// allocation of staking keeper is scoped deliberately,
+	// so it's being referenced by pointer within modules that need it
+	{
+		skeeper := stakingkeeper.NewKeeper(
+			appCodec,
+			app.keys[stakingtypes.StoreKey],
+			app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct,
+			app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank,
+			app.GetSubspace(stakingtypes.ModuleName),
+		)
+		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking = &skeeper
+	}
 
 	app.Keepers.Cosmos.Mint = mintkeeper.NewKeeper(
 		appCodec,
 		app.keys[minttypes.StoreKey],
 		app.GetSubspace(minttypes.ModuleName),
-		&skeeper,
+		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking,
 		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct,
 		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank,
 		authtypes.FeeCollectorName,
@@ -243,7 +248,7 @@ func NewApp(
 		app.GetSubspace(distrtypes.ModuleName),
 		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct,
 		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank,
-		&skeeper,
+		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking,
 		authtypes.FeeCollectorName,
 		app.ModuleAccountAddrs(),
 	)
@@ -251,10 +256,19 @@ func NewApp(
 	app.Keepers.Cosmos.Slashing = slashingkeeper.NewKeeper(
 		appCodec,
 		app.keys[slashingtypes.StoreKey],
-		&skeeper,
+		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking,
 		app.GetSubspace(slashingtypes.ModuleName),
 	)
 
+	// register the staking hooks
+	// NOTE: stakingKeeper above is passed by reference, so that it will contain these hooks
+	app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking.SetHooks(
+		stakingtypes.NewMultiStakingHooks(
+			app.Keepers.Cosmos.Distr.Hooks(),
+			app.Keepers.Cosmos.Slashing.Hooks(),
+		),
+	)
+
 	app.Keepers.Cosmos.Crisis = crisiskeeper.NewKeeper(
 		app.GetSubspace(crisistypes.ModuleName),
 		invCheckPeriod,
@@ -262,15 +276,12 @@ func NewApp(
 		authtypes.FeeCollectorName,
 	)
 
-	app.Keepers.Cosmos.Upgrade = upgradekeeper.NewKeeper(skipUpgradeHeights, app.keys[upgradetypes.StoreKey], appCodec, homePath, app.BaseApp)
-
-	// register the staking hooks
-	// NOTE: stakingKeeper above is passed by reference, so that it will contain these hooks
-	app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking = *skeeper.SetHooks(
-		stakingtypes.NewMultiStakingHooks(
-			app.Keepers.Cosmos.Distr.Hooks(),
-			app.Keepers.Cosmos.Slashing.Hooks(),
-		),
+	app.Keepers.Cosmos.Upgrade = upgradekeeper.NewKeeper(
+		skipUpgradeHeights,
+		app.keys[upgradetypes.StoreKey],
+		appCodec,
+		homePath,
+		app.BaseApp,
 	)
 
 	// register IBC Keeper
@@ -309,7 +320,7 @@ func NewApp(
 		app.GetSubspace(govtypes.ModuleName),
 		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct,
 		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank,
-		&skeeper,
+		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking,
 		govRouter,
 	)
 
@@ -339,7 +350,7 @@ func NewApp(
 	evidenceKeeper := evidencekeeper.NewKeeper(
 		appCodec,
 		app.keys[evidencetypes.StoreKey],
-		&app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking,
+		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking,
 		app.Keepers.Cosmos.Slashing,
 	)
 
@@ -368,7 +379,7 @@ func NewApp(
 			// mint.NewAppModule(appCodec, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Mint, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct, nil),
 			slashing.NewAppModule(appCodec, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Slashing, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking),
 			distr.NewAppModule(appCodec, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Distr, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking),
-			staking.NewAppModule(appCodec, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank),
+			staking.NewAppModule(appCodec, *app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank),
 			upgrade.NewAppModule(app.Keepers.Cosmos.Upgrade),
 			evidence.NewAppModule(app.Keepers.Cosmos.Evidence),
 			ibc.NewAppModule(app.Keepers.Cosmos.IBC),
@@ -414,7 +425,7 @@ func NewApp(
 			mint.NewAppModule(appCodec, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Mint, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct),
 			// todo akash-network/support#4
 			// mint.NewAppModule(appCodec, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Mint, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct, nil),
-			staking.NewAppModule(appCodec, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank),
+			staking.NewAppModule(appCodec, *app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank),
 			distr.NewAppModule(appCodec, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Distr, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking),
 			slashing.NewAppModule(appCodec, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Slashing, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Acct, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Bank, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking),
 			params.NewAppModule(app.Keepers.Cosmos.Params),
diff --git a/app/decorators/min_commision.go b/app/decorators/min_commision.go
index 8603681f9f..9fd47dced9 100644
--- a/app/decorators/min_commision.go
+++ b/app/decorators/min_commision.go
@@ -36,10 +36,11 @@ func (min *MinCommissionDecorator) AnteHandle(ctx sdk.Context, tx sdk.Tx, simula
 
 func (min *MinCommissionDecorator) isValidMsg(ctx sdk.Context, m sdk.Msg) error {
 	var rate sdk.Dec
+	var maxRate *sdk.Dec
 
 	switch msg := m.(type) {
 	case *stakingtypes.MsgCreateValidator:
-
+		maxRate = &msg.Commission.MaxRate
 		rate = msg.Commission.Rate
 	case *stakingtypes.MsgEditValidator:
 		// if commission rate is nil, it means only
@@ -62,6 +63,10 @@ func (min *MinCommissionDecorator) isValidMsg(ctx sdk.Context, m sdk.Msg) error
 		return sdkerrors.Wrap(sdkerrors.ErrUnauthorized, fmt.Sprintf("commission can't be lower than %s%%", minRate))
 	}
 
+	if maxRate != nil && maxRate.LT(minRate) {
+		return sdkerrors.Wrap(sdkerrors.ErrUnauthorized, fmt.Sprintf("commission max rate can't be lower than %s%%", minRate))
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/app/export.go b/app/export.go
index 807d6196bf..e86f20b398 100644
--- a/app/export.go
+++ b/app/export.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func (app *AkashApp) ExportAppStateAndValidators(
 		return servertypes.ExportedApp{}, err
 	}
 
-	validators, err := staking.WriteValidators(ctx, app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking)
+	validators, err := staking.WriteValidators(ctx, *app.Keepers.Cosmos.Staking)
 	if err != nil {
 		return servertypes.ExportedApp{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/app/types/app.go b/app/types/app.go
index 73d19a496c..c74147118a 100644
--- a/app/types/app.go
+++ b/app/types/app.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ type AppKeepers struct {
 		FeeGrant             feegrantkeeper.Keeper
 		Bank                 bankkeeper.Keeper
 		Cap                  *capabilitykeeper.Keeper
-		Staking              stakingkeeper.Keeper
+		Staking              *stakingkeeper.Keeper
 		Slashing             slashingkeeper.Keeper
 		Mint                 mintkeeper.Keeper
 		Distr                distrkeeper.Keeper