diff --git a/types/context.go b/types/context.go
index 94f6be6ef8..72a9448474 100644
--- a/types/context.go
+++ b/types/context.go
@@ -393,6 +393,19 @@ func UnwrapSDKContext(ctx context.Context) Context {
 	return ctx.Value(SdkContextKey).(Context)
 }
 
+// TryUnwrapSDKContext attempts to retrieve a Context from a context.Context
+func TryUnwrapSDKContext(ctx context.Context) (Context, bool) {
+	if sdkCtx, ok := ctx.(Context); ok {
+		return sdkCtx, true
+	}
+	v := ctx.Value(SdkContextKey)
+	if v == nil {
+		return Context{}, false
+	}
+	c, ok := v.(Context)
+	return c, ok
+}
+
 // ToSDKEvidence takes comet evidence and returns sdk evidence
 func ToSDKEvidence(ev []abci.Misbehavior) []comet.Evidence {
 	evidence := make([]comet.Evidence, len(ev))
diff --git a/x/staking/keeper/genesis.go b/x/staking/keeper/genesis.go
index 0bb7e7eabd..a082b3207a 100644
--- a/x/staking/keeper/genesis.go
+++ b/x/staking/keeper/genesis.go
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@ func (k Keeper) InitGenesis(ctx context.Context, data *types.GenesisState) ([]ap
 	// initialized for the validator set e.g. with a one-block offset - the
 	// first TM block is at height 1, so state updates applied from
 	// genesis.json are in block 0.
-	sdkCtx := sdk.UnwrapSDKContext(ctx)
-	sdkCtx = sdkCtx.WithBlockHeight(1 - sdk.ValidatorUpdateDelay) // TODO: remove this need for WithBlockHeight
-	ctx = sdkCtx
+	if sdkCtx, ok := sdk.TryUnwrapSDKContext(ctx); ok {
+		// this munging of the context is not necessary for server/v2 code paths, `ok` will be false
+		sdkCtx = sdkCtx.WithBlockHeight(1 - sdk.ValidatorUpdateDelay) // TODO: remove this need for WithBlockHeight
+		ctx = sdkCtx
+	}
 
 	if err := k.Params.Set(ctx, data.Params); err != nil {
 		return nil, err