diff --git a/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/keeper.go b/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/keeper.go
index 1651eec5ec..60452f315b 100644
--- a/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/keeper.go
+++ b/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/keeper.go
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ func (k Keeper) GetPacketReceipt(ctx sdk.Context, portID, channelID string, sequ
 // SetPacketReceipt sets an empty packet receipt to the store
 func (k Keeper) SetPacketReceipt(ctx sdk.Context, portID, channelID string, sequence uint64) {
 	store := ctx.KVStore(k.storeKey)
-	store.Set(host.PacketReceiptKey(portID, channelID, sequence), []byte(""))
+	store.Set(host.PacketReceiptKey(portID, channelID, sequence), []byte{byte(1)})
 }
 
 // GetPacketCommitment gets the packet commitment hash from the store
diff --git a/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/keeper_test.go b/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/keeper_test.go
index fa24a66b9c..a9b7dd6cf1 100644
--- a/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/keeper_test.go
+++ b/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/keeper_test.go
@@ -166,12 +166,13 @@ func (suite KeeperTestSuite) TestGetAllPacketState() {
 	ack3 := types.NewPacketState(channelA1.PortID, channelA1.ID, 1, []byte("ack"))
 
 	// create channel 0 receipts
-	rec1 := types.NewPacketState(channelA0.PortID, channelA0.ID, 1, []byte(""))
-	rec2 := types.NewPacketState(channelA0.PortID, channelA0.ID, 2, []byte(""))
+	receipt := string([]byte{byte(1)})
+	rec1 := types.NewPacketState(channelA0.PortID, channelA0.ID, 1, []byte(receipt))
+	rec2 := types.NewPacketState(channelA0.PortID, channelA0.ID, 2, []byte(receipt))
 
 	// channel 1 receipts
-	rec3 := types.NewPacketState(channelA1.PortID, channelA1.ID, 1, []byte(""))
-	rec4 := types.NewPacketState(channelA1.PortID, channelA1.ID, 2, []byte(""))
+	rec3 := types.NewPacketState(channelA1.PortID, channelA1.ID, 1, []byte(receipt))
+	rec4 := types.NewPacketState(channelA1.PortID, channelA1.ID, 2, []byte(receipt))
 
 	// channel 0 packet commitments
 	comm1 := types.NewPacketState(channelA0.PortID, channelA0.ID, 1, []byte("hash"))
diff --git a/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/packet_test.go b/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/packet_test.go
index 62c8336212..232e687582 100644
--- a/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/packet_test.go
+++ b/x/ibc/core/04-channel/keeper/packet_test.go
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ func (suite *KeeperTestSuite) TestRecvPacket() {
 				} else {
 					suite.Require().Equal(uint64(1), nextSeqRecv, "sequence incremented for UNORDERED channel")
 					suite.Require().True(receiptStored, "packet receipt not stored after RecvPacket in UNORDERED channel")
-					suite.Require().Equal("", receipt, "packet receipt is not empty string")
+					suite.Require().Equal(string([]byte{byte(1)}), receipt, "packet receipt is not empty string")
 				}
 			} else {
 				suite.Require().Error(err)