diff --git a/x/tx/CHANGELOG.md b/x/tx/CHANGELOG.md
index 54a09a50e7..951ee0b521 100644
--- a/x/tx/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/x/tx/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ Since v0.13.0, x/tx follows Cosmos SDK semver: https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-
 
 * SDK v0.53.x support.
 * [#23708](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/23708) Add unordered transaction support.
+* [#24409](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/24409) Fallback to injected resolver for placeholder descriptors.
 
 ## [v0.13.8](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/releases/tag/x/tx/v0.13.8) - 2025-01-28
 
diff --git a/x/tx/decode/unknown.go b/x/tx/decode/unknown.go
index acc994f87a..3a30ef8987 100644
--- a/x/tx/decode/unknown.go
+++ b/x/tx/decode/unknown.go
@@ -96,6 +96,17 @@ func doRejectUnknownFields(
 		if fieldMessage == nil {
 			continue
 		}
+		// if a message descriptor is a placeholder resolve it using the injected resolver.
+		// this can happen when a descriptor has been registered in the
+		// "google.golang.org/protobuf" resgistry but not in "github.com/cosmos/gogoproto".
+		// fixes: https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/issues/22574
+		if fieldMessage.IsPlaceholder() {
+			gogoDesc, err := resolver.FindDescriptorByName(fieldMessage.FullName())
+			if err != nil {
+				return hasUnknownNonCriticals, fmt.Errorf("could not resolve placeholder descriptor: %v: %w", fieldMessage, err)
+			}
+			fieldMessage = gogoDesc.(protoreflect.MessageDescriptor)
+		}
 
 		// consume length prefix of nested message
 		_, o := protowire.ConsumeVarint(fieldBytes)