diff --git a/x/distribution/types/errors.go b/x/distribution/types/errors.go
index 808d3f86b7..0ce6a76d88 100644
--- a/x/distribution/types/errors.go
+++ b/x/distribution/types/errors.go
@@ -16,4 +16,5 @@ var (
 	ErrEmptyProposalRecipient  = errors.Register(ModuleName, 11, "invalid community pool spend proposal recipient")
 	ErrNoValidatorExists       = errors.Register(ModuleName, 12, "validator does not exist")
 	ErrNoDelegationExists      = errors.Register(ModuleName, 13, "delegation does not exist")
+	ErrInvalidProposalContent  = errors.Register(ModuleName, 14, "invalid proposal content")
 )
diff --git a/x/distribution/types/proposal.go b/x/distribution/types/proposal.go
index 847bdd382f..257e546dcc 100644
--- a/x/distribution/types/proposal.go
+++ b/x/distribution/types/proposal.go
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package types
 
 import (
-	govtypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/gov/types/v1beta1"
+	"strings"
+
+	errorsmod "cosmossdk.io/errors"
 )
 
 // GetTitle returns the title of a community pool spend proposal.
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ func (csp *CommunityPoolSpendProposal) ProposalType() string { return "Community
 
 // ValidateBasic runs basic stateless validity checks
 func (csp *CommunityPoolSpendProposal) ValidateBasic() error {
-	err := govtypes.ValidateAbstract(csp)
+	err := validateAbstract(csp)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -31,3 +33,30 @@ func (csp *CommunityPoolSpendProposal) ValidateBasic() error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// validateAbstract is semantically duplicated from x/gov/types/v1beta1/proposal.go to avoid a cyclic dependency
+// between these two modules, x/distribution and x/gov.
+// See: https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/blob/4a6a1e3cb8de459891cb0495052589673d14ef51/x/gov/types/v1beta1/proposal.go#L196-L214
+func validateAbstract(c *CommunityPoolSpendProposal) error {
+	const (
+		MaxTitleLength       = 140
+		MaxDescriptionLength = 10000
+	)
+	title := c.GetTitle()
+	if len(strings.TrimSpace(title)) == 0 {
+		return errorsmod.Wrap(ErrInvalidProposalContent, "proposal title cannot be blank")
+	}
+	if len(title) > MaxTitleLength {
+		return errorsmod.Wrapf(ErrInvalidProposalContent, "proposal title is longer than max length of %d", MaxTitleLength)
+	}
+
+	description := c.GetDescription()
+	if len(description) == 0 {
+		return errorsmod.Wrap(ErrInvalidProposalContent, "proposal description cannot be blank")
+	}
+	if len(description) > MaxDescriptionLength {
+		return errorsmod.Wrapf(ErrInvalidProposalContent, "proposal description is longer than max length of %d", MaxDescriptionLength)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}