diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ef76166f..1fdba398 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,11 +6,16 @@ and this project adheres to
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- @cosmjs/tendermint-rpc: fix node info check to accept empty string on channels
+  field ([#1591])
+
 ### Changed
 
 - @cosmjs/stargate, @cosmjs/cosmwasm-stargate: Synchronize the default gas
-multiplier value between the `signAndBroadcast` and `signAndBroadcastSync`
-methods so that it is equal to 1.4 everywhere. ([#1584])
+  multiplier value between the `signAndBroadcast` and `signAndBroadcastSync`
+  methods so that it is equal to 1.4 everywhere. ([#1584])
 
 ## [0.32.3] - 2024-03-08
 
diff --git a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/comet38/adaptor/responses.ts b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/comet38/adaptor/responses.ts
index d540481c..a83de829 100644
--- a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/comet38/adaptor/responses.ts
+++ b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/comet38/adaptor/responses.ts
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ function decodeNodeInfo(data: RpcNodeInfo): responses.NodeInfo {
     listenAddr: assertNotEmpty(data.listen_addr),
     network: assertNotEmpty(data.network),
     version: assertString(data.version), // Can be empty (https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/issues/7963)
-    channels: assertNotEmpty(data.channels),
+    channels: assertString(data.channels), // can be empty
     moniker: assertNotEmpty(data.moniker),
     other: dictionaryToStringMap(data.other),
     protocolVersion: {
diff --git a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/tendermint37/adaptor/responses.ts b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/tendermint37/adaptor/responses.ts
index 70d13caf..3b1f10e3 100644
--- a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/tendermint37/adaptor/responses.ts
+++ b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/tendermint37/adaptor/responses.ts
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ function decodeNodeInfo(data: RpcNodeInfo): responses.NodeInfo {
     listenAddr: assertNotEmpty(data.listen_addr),
     network: assertNotEmpty(data.network),
     version: assertString(data.version), // Can be empty (https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/issues/7963)
-    channels: assertNotEmpty(data.channels),
+    channels: assertString(data.channels), // can be empty
     moniker: assertNotEmpty(data.moniker),
     other: dictionaryToStringMap(data.other),
     protocolVersion: {