diff --git a/x/stake/handler_test.go b/x/stake/handler_test.go
index 4e7ec48448..d813794919 100644
--- a/x/stake/handler_test.go
+++ b/x/stake/handler_test.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func TestIncrementsMsgDelegate(t *testing.T) {
 	msgDelegate := newTestMsgDelegate(bondAmount, delegatorAddr, candidateAddr)
 	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
 		got := handleMsgDelegate(ctx, msgDelegate, keeper)
-		assert.True(t, got.IsOK(), "expected msg %d to be ok, got %v", i, got)
+		require.True(t, got.IsOK(), "expected msg %d to be ok, got %v", i, got)
 
 		//Check that the accounts and the bond account have the appropriate values
 		candidates := keeper.GetCandidates(ctx, 100)
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ func TestIncrementsMsgDelegate(t *testing.T) {
 		expectedDelegator := initBond - expectedBond
 		gotBonded := candidates[0].Liabilities.Evaluate()
 		gotDelegator := accMapper.GetAccount(ctx, delegatorAddr).GetCoins().AmountOf(params.BondDenom)
-		assert.Equal(t, expectedBond, gotBonded, "i: %v, %v, %v", i, expectedBond, gotBonded)
-		assert.Equal(t, expectedDelegator, gotDelegator, "i: %v, %v, %v", i, expectedDelegator, gotDelegator) // XXX fix
+		require.Equal(t, expectedBond, gotBonded, "i: %v, %v, %v", i, expectedBond, gotBonded)
+		require.Equal(t, expectedDelegator, gotDelegator, "i: %v, %v, %v", i, expectedDelegator, gotDelegator) // XXX fix
 	}
 }
 
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func TestIncrementsMsgUnbond(t *testing.T) {
 	numUnbonds := 5
 	for i := 0; i < numUnbonds; i++ {
 		got := handleMsgUnbond(ctx, msgUnbond, keeper)
-		assert.True(t, got.IsOK(), "expected msg %d to be ok, got %v", i, got)
+		require.True(t, got.IsOK(), "expected msg %d to be ok, got %v", i, got)
 
 		//Check that the accounts and the bond account have the appropriate values
 		candidate, found := keeper.GetCandidate(ctx, candidateAddr)
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ func TestIncrementsMsgUnbond(t *testing.T) {
 		gotBonded := candidate.Liabilities.Evaluate()
 		gotDelegator := accMapper.GetAccount(ctx, delegatorAddr).GetCoins().AmountOf(params.BondDenom)
 
-		assert.Equal(t, expectedBond, gotBonded, "%v, %v", expectedBond, gotBonded)
-		assert.Equal(t, expectedDelegator, gotDelegator, "%v, %v", expectedDelegator, gotDelegator)
+		require.Equal(t, expectedBond, gotBonded, "%v, %v", expectedBond, gotBonded)
+		require.Equal(t, expectedDelegator, gotDelegator, "%v, %v", expectedDelegator, gotDelegator)
 	}
 
 	// these are more than we have bonded now
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func TestIncrementsMsgUnbond(t *testing.T) {
 		unbondShares := strconv.Itoa(int(c))
 		msgUnbond := NewMsgUnbond(delegatorAddr, candidateAddr, unbondShares)
 		got = handleMsgUnbond(ctx, msgUnbond, keeper)
-		assert.False(t, got.IsOK(), "expected unbond msg to fail")
+		require.False(t, got.IsOK(), "expected unbond msg to fail")
 	}
 
 	leftBonded := initBond - unbondShares*int64(numUnbonds)
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func TestMultipleMsgDeclareCandidacy(t *testing.T) {
 	for i, candidateAddr := range candidateAddrs {
 		msgDeclareCandidacy := newTestMsgDeclareCandidacy(candidateAddr, pks[i], 10)
 		got := handleMsgDeclareCandidacy(ctx, msgDeclareCandidacy, keeper)
-		assert.True(t, got.IsOK(), "expected msg %d to be ok, got %v", i, got)
+		require.True(t, got.IsOK(), "expected msg %d to be ok, got %v", i, got)
 
 		//Check that the account is bonded
 		candidates := keeper.GetCandidates(ctx, 100)
@@ -156,9 +156,9 @@ func TestMultipleMsgDeclareCandidacy(t *testing.T) {
 		val := candidates[i]
 		balanceExpd := initBond - 10
 		balanceGot := accMapper.GetAccount(ctx, val.Address).GetCoins().AmountOf(params.BondDenom)
-		assert.Equal(t, i+1, len(candidates), "expected %d candidates got %d, candidates: %v", i+1, len(candidates), candidates)
-		assert.Equal(t, 10, int(val.Liabilities.Evaluate()), "expected %d shares, got %d", 10, val.Liabilities)
-		assert.Equal(t, balanceExpd, balanceGot, "expected account to have %d, got %d", balanceExpd, balanceGot)
+		require.Equal(t, i+1, len(candidates), "expected %d candidates got %d, candidates: %v", i+1, len(candidates), candidates)
+		require.Equal(t, 10, int(val.Liabilities.Evaluate()), "expected %d shares, got %d", 10, val.Liabilities)
+		require.Equal(t, balanceExpd, balanceGot, "expected account to have %d, got %d", balanceExpd, balanceGot)
 	}
 
 	// unbond them all
@@ -167,19 +167,19 @@ func TestMultipleMsgDeclareCandidacy(t *testing.T) {
 		require.True(t, found)
 		msgUnbond := NewMsgUnbond(candidateAddr, candidateAddr, "10") // self-delegation
 		got := handleMsgUnbond(ctx, msgUnbond, keeper)
-		assert.True(t, got.IsOK(), "expected msg %d to be ok, got %v", i, got)
+		require.True(t, got.IsOK(), "expected msg %d to be ok, got %v", i, got)
 
 		//Check that the account is unbonded
 		candidates := keeper.GetCandidates(ctx, 100)
-		assert.Equal(t, len(candidateAddrs)-(i+1), len(candidates),
+		require.Equal(t, len(candidateAddrs)-(i+1), len(candidates),
 			"expected %d candidates got %d", len(candidateAddrs)-(i+1), len(candidates))
 
 		candidatePost, found := keeper.GetCandidate(ctx, candidateAddr)
 		require.True(t, found)
 		balanceExpd := initBond
 		balanceGot := accMapper.GetAccount(ctx, candidatePre.Address).GetCoins().AmountOf(params.BondDenom)
-		assert.Nil(t, candidatePost, "expected nil candidate retrieve, got %d", 0, candidatePost)
-		assert.Equal(t, balanceExpd, balanceGot, "expected account to have %d, got %d", balanceExpd, balanceGot)
+		require.Nil(t, candidatePost, "expected nil candidate retrieve, got %d", 0, candidatePost)
+		require.Equal(t, balanceExpd, balanceGot, "expected account to have %d, got %d", balanceExpd, balanceGot)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func TestMultipleMsgDelegate(t *testing.T) {
 		//Check that the account is bonded
 		bond, found := keeper.getDelegatorBond(ctx, delegatorAddr, candidateAddr)
 		require.True(t, found)
-		assert.NotNil(t, bond, "expected delegatee bond %d to exist", bond)
+		require.NotNil(t, bond, "expected delegatee bond %d to exist", bond)
 	}
 
 	// unbond them all
diff --git a/x/stake/keeper_test.go b/x/stake/keeper_test.go
index 8f5184ad9f..883ffcd177 100644
--- a/x/stake/keeper_test.go
+++ b/x/stake/keeper_test.go
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ func TestPool(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestInitGenesis(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx, _, keeper := createTestInput(t, nil, false, 0)
+	ctx, _, keeper := createTestInput(t, false, 0)
 	jsonStr := `{
   "params": {
     "inflation_rate_change": {"num": 13, "denom": 100},