diff --git a/packages/stargate/package.json b/packages/stargate/package.json
index 732e2325..26ed5950 100644
--- a/packages/stargate/package.json
+++ b/packages/stargate/package.json
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     "format-text": "prettier --write --prose-wrap always --print-width 80 \"./*.md\"",
     "lint": "eslint --max-warnings 0 \"**/*.{js,ts}\"",
     "lint-fix": "eslint --max-warnings 0 \"**/*.{js,ts}\" --fix",
-    "move-types": "shx rm -rf ./types/* && shx mv build/types/* ./types && rm -rf ./types/testdata && shx rm -f ./types/*.spec.d.ts",
+    "move-types": "shx rm -rf ./types/* && shx mv build/types/* ./types && rm -rf ./types/testdata && shx rm -f ./types/*.spec.d.ts && shx rm ./types/**/*.spec.d.ts",
     "format-types": "prettier --write --loglevel warn \"./types/**/*.d.ts\"",
     "prebuild": "shx rm -rf ./build",
     "build": "tsc && shx mkdir -p build/generated && shx cp ./src/generated/*.js ./build/generated && shx mkdir -p ./build/types/generated && shx cp ./src/generated/*.d.ts ./build/types/generated",
diff --git a/packages/stargate/src/queries/bank.spec.ts b/packages/stargate/src/queries/bank.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bb50bcd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/stargate/src/queries/bank.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { Client as TendermintClient } from "@cosmjs/tendermint-rpc";
+
+import { QueryClient } from "../queryclient";
+import { nonExistentAddress, pendingWithoutSimapp, simapp, unused } from "../testutils.spec";
+import { BankExtension, setupBankExtension } from "./bank";
+
+async function makeBankClient(rpcUrl: string): Promise<QueryClient & BankExtension> {
+  // TODO: tmClient is not owned by QueryClient but should be disconnected somehow (once we use WebSockets)
+  const tmClient = await TendermintClient.connect(rpcUrl);
+  return QueryClient.withExtensions(tmClient, setupBankExtension);
+}
+
+describe("BankExtension", () => {
+  describe("balance", () => {
+    it("works for different existing balances", async () => {
+      pendingWithoutSimapp();
+      const client = await makeBankClient(simapp.tendermintUrl);
+
+      const response1 = await client.bank.balance(unused.address, simapp.denomFee);
+      expect(response1).toEqual({
+        amount: unused.balanceFee,
+        denom: simapp.denomFee,
+      });
+      const response2 = await client.bank.balance(unused.address, simapp.denomStaking);
+      expect(response2).toEqual({
+        amount: unused.balanceStaking,
+        denom: simapp.denomStaking,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("returns null for non-existent balance", async () => {
+      pendingWithoutSimapp();
+      const client = await makeBankClient(simapp.tendermintUrl);
+
+      const response = await client.bank.balance(unused.address, "gintonic");
+      expect(response).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it("returns null for non-existent address", async () => {
+      pendingWithoutSimapp();
+      const client = await makeBankClient(simapp.tendermintUrl);
+
+      const response = await client.bank.balance(nonExistentAddress, simapp.denomFee);
+      expect(response).toBeNull();
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/stargate/src/queries/bank.ts b/packages/stargate/src/queries/bank.ts
index 29f4629d..b6a93a0d 100644
--- a/packages/stargate/src/queries/bank.ts
+++ b/packages/stargate/src/queries/bank.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,17 @@ import { Bech32, toAscii } from "@cosmjs/encoding";
 import { cosmos } from "../generated/codecimpl";
 import { QueryClient } from "../queryclient";
 
+/**
+ * Use this to convert a protobuf.js class to the interface (e.g. Coin to ICoin)
+ * in a ways that makes Jasmine's toEqual happy.
+ */
+function toObject<I extends O, O>(thing: I): O {
+  return { ...thing };
+}
+
 export interface BankExtension {
   readonly bank: {
-    readonly balance: (address: string, denom: string) => Promise<cosmos.ICoin>;
+    readonly balance: (address: string, denom: string) => Promise<cosmos.ICoin | null>;
     readonly unverified: {
       readonly balances: (address: string) => Promise<cosmos.ICoin[]>;
     };
@@ -36,7 +44,7 @@ export function setupBankExtension(base: QueryClient): BankExtension {
         const binAddress = Bech32.decode(address).data;
         const bankKey = Uint8Array.from([...toAscii("balances"), ...binAddress, ...toAscii(denom)]);
         const responseData = await base.queryVerified("bank", bankKey);
-        return cosmos.Coin.decode(responseData);
+        return responseData.length ? toObject(cosmos.Coin.decode(responseData)) : null;
       },
       unverified: {
         balances: async (address: string) => {
diff --git a/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.ts b/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.ts
index 6354e302..9cf168f6 100644
--- a/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.ts
+++ b/packages/stargate/src/stargateclient.ts
@@ -194,11 +194,7 @@ export class StargateClient {
 
   public async getBalance(address: string, searchDenom: string): Promise<Coin | null> {
     const balance = await this.queryClient.bank.balance(address, searchDenom);
-    if (!balance?.denom) {
-      return null;
-    } else {
-      return coinFromProto(balance);
-    }
+    return balance ? coinFromProto(balance) : null;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/stargate/types/queries/bank.d.ts b/packages/stargate/types/queries/bank.d.ts
index 4e626954..48cabf7d 100644
--- a/packages/stargate/types/queries/bank.d.ts
+++ b/packages/stargate/types/queries/bank.d.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { cosmos } from "../generated/codecimpl";
 import { QueryClient } from "../queryclient";
 export interface BankExtension {
   readonly bank: {
-    readonly balance: (address: string, denom: string) => Promise<cosmos.ICoin>;
+    readonly balance: (address: string, denom: string) => Promise<cosmos.ICoin | null>;
     readonly unverified: {
       readonly balances: (address: string) => Promise<cosmos.ICoin[]>;
     };