diff --git a/baseapp/baseapp.go b/baseapp/baseapp.go
index ef3bbc3c79..12dbf85d39 100644
--- a/baseapp/baseapp.go
+++ b/baseapp/baseapp.go
@@ -64,9 +64,10 @@ type BaseApp struct {
 	// See methods setCheckState and setDeliverState.
 	// .valUpdates accumulate in DeliverTx and are reset in BeginBlock.
 	// QUESTION: should we put valUpdates in the deliverState.ctx?
-	checkState   *state           // for CheckTx
-	deliverState *state           // for DeliverTx
-	valUpdates   []abci.Validator // cached validator changes from DeliverTx
+	checkState       *state           // for CheckTx
+	deliverState     *state           // for DeliverTx
+	valUpdates       []abci.Validator // cached validator changes from DeliverTx
+	absentValidators []int32          // absent validators from begin block
 }
 
 var _ abci.Application = (*BaseApp)(nil)
@@ -383,6 +384,8 @@ func (app *BaseApp) BeginBlock(req abci.RequestBeginBlock) (res abci.ResponseBeg
 	if app.beginBlocker != nil {
 		res = app.beginBlocker(app.deliverState.ctx, req)
 	}
+	// set the absent validators for addition to context in deliverTx
+	app.absentValidators = req.AbsentValidators
 	return
 }
 
@@ -492,6 +495,7 @@ func (app *BaseApp) runTx(mode runTxMode, txBytes []byte, tx sdk.Tx) (result sdk
 		ctx = app.checkState.ctx.WithTxBytes(txBytes)
 	} else {
 		ctx = app.deliverState.ctx.WithTxBytes(txBytes)
+		ctx = ctx.WithAbsentValidators(app.absentValidators)
 	}
 
 	// Simulate a DeliverTx for gas calculation
diff --git a/types/context.go b/types/context.go
index 4ab0a5d093..cde4ce194e 100644
--- a/types/context.go
+++ b/types/context.go
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ const (
 	contextKeyTxBytes
 	contextKeyLogger
 	contextKeyGasMeter
+	contextKeyAbsentValidators
 )
 
 // NOTE: Do not expose MultiStore.
@@ -160,6 +161,9 @@ func (c Context) Logger() log.Logger {
 func (c Context) GasMeter() GasMeter {
 	return c.Value(contextKeyGasMeter).(GasMeter)
 }
+func (c Context) AbsentValidators() []int32 {
+	return c.Value(contextKeyAbsentValidators).([]int32)
+}
 func (c Context) WithMultiStore(ms MultiStore) Context {
 	return c.withValue(contextKeyMultiStore, ms)
 }
@@ -185,6 +189,9 @@ func (c Context) WithLogger(logger log.Logger) Context {
 func (c Context) WithGasMeter(meter GasMeter) Context {
 	return c.withValue(contextKeyGasMeter, meter)
 }
+func (c Context) WithAbsentValidators(AbsentValidators []int32) Context {
+	return c.withValue(contextKeyAbsentValidators, AbsentValidators)
+}
 
 // Cache the multistore and return a new cached context. The cached context is
 // written to the context when writeCache is called.