diff --git a/x/staking/commands/commands.go b/x/staking/commands/commands.go
index 7c9cacf69d..c2830d3951 100644
--- a/x/staking/commands/commands.go
+++ b/x/staking/commands/commands.go
@@ -53,19 +53,30 @@ func (co commander) bondTxCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	stake, err := sdk.ParseCoin(viper.GetString(flagStake))
+	stakeString := viper.GetString(flagStake)
+	if len(stakeString) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("specify coins to bond with --stake")
+	}
+
+	valString := viper.GetString(flagValidator)
+	if len(valString) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("specify pubkey to bond to with --validator")
+	}
+
+	stake, err := sdk.ParseCoin(stakeString)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	rawPubKey, err := hex.DecodeString(viper.GetString(flagValidator))
+	// TODO: bech32 ...
+	rawPubKey, err := hex.DecodeString(valString)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	var pubKey crypto.PubKeyEd25519
-	copy(pubKey[:], rawPubKey)
+	var pubKeyEd crypto.PubKeyEd25519
+	copy(pubKeyEd[:], rawPubKey)
 
-	msg := staking.NewBondMsg(from, stake, pubKey.Wrap())
+	msg := staking.NewBondMsg(from, stake, pubKeyEd.Wrap())
 
 	return co.sendMsg(msg)
 }
diff --git a/x/staking/mapper.go b/x/staking/mapper.go
index 355ccc3d6a..7f155d00a1 100644
--- a/x/staking/mapper.go
+++ b/x/staking/mapper.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ func (sm StakingMapper) deleteBondInfo(ctx sdk.Context, addr sdk.Address) {
 }
 
 func (sm StakingMapper) Bond(ctx sdk.Context, addr sdk.Address, pubKey crypto.PubKey, power int64) (int64, sdk.Error) {
+
 	bi := sm.getBondInfo(ctx, addr)
 	if bi.isEmpty() {
 		bi = bondInfo{
diff --git a/x/staking/types.go b/x/staking/types.go
index 263b8630d8..9bbf425c7c 100644
--- a/x/staking/types.go
+++ b/x/staking/types.go
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ func (msg BondMsg) ValidateBasic() sdk.Error {
 		return ErrEmptyStake()
 	}
 
+	if msg.PubKey.Empty() {
+		return sdk.ErrInvalidPubKey("BondMsg.PubKey must not be empty")
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }