diff --git a/packages/cosmwasm-stargate/src/signingcosmwasmclient.ts b/packages/cosmwasm-stargate/src/signingcosmwasmclient.ts
index 02b0c765..7ce59df0 100644
--- a/packages/cosmwasm-stargate/src/signingcosmwasmclient.ts
+++ b/packages/cosmwasm-stargate/src/signingcosmwasmclient.ts
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ export class SigningCosmWasmClient extends CosmWasmClient {
     return new SigningCosmWasmClient(tmClient, signer, options);
   }
 
-  private constructor(
+  protected constructor(
     tmClient: Tendermint34Client,
     signer: OfflineSigner,
     options: SigningCosmWasmClientOptions,
diff --git a/packages/stargate/src/signingstargateclient.ts b/packages/stargate/src/signingstargateclient.ts
index b12e65d5..0732a8b6 100644
--- a/packages/stargate/src/signingstargateclient.ts
+++ b/packages/stargate/src/signingstargateclient.ts
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ export class SigningStargateClient extends StargateClient {
     return new SigningStargateClient(undefined, signer, options);
   }
 
-  private constructor(
+  protected constructor(
     tmClient: Tendermint34Client | undefined,
     signer: OfflineSigner,
     options: SigningStargateClientOptions,