diff --git a/x/gov/codec.go b/x/gov/codec.go
index 6df535449b..10fecb3bcd 100644
--- a/x/gov/codec.go
+++ b/x/gov/codec.go
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
 )
 
+var msgCdc = codec.New()
+
 // Register concrete types on codec codec
 func RegisterCodec(cdc *codec.Codec) {
-
 	cdc.RegisterConcrete(MsgSubmitProposal{}, "cosmos-sdk/MsgSubmitProposal", nil)
 	cdc.RegisterConcrete(MsgDeposit{}, "cosmos-sdk/MsgDeposit", nil)
 	cdc.RegisterConcrete(MsgVote{}, "cosmos-sdk/MsgVote", nil)
@@ -15,4 +16,6 @@ func RegisterCodec(cdc *codec.Codec) {
 	cdc.RegisterConcrete(&TextProposal{}, "gov/TextProposal", nil)
 }
 
-var msgCdc = codec.New()
+func init() {
+	RegisterCodec(msgCdc)
+}
diff --git a/x/gov/msgs_test.go b/x/gov/msgs_test.go
index 3c44721372..a9fa883966 100644
--- a/x/gov/msgs_test.go
+++ b/x/gov/msgs_test.go
@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@ func TestMsgSubmitProposal(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestMsgDepositGetSignBytes(t *testing.T) {
+	addr := sdk.AccAddress("addr1")
+	msg := NewMsgDeposit(addr, 0, coinsPos)
+	res := msg.GetSignBytes()
+
+	expected := `{"type":"cosmos-sdk/MsgDeposit","value":{"amount":[{"amount":"1000","denom":"stake"}],"depositor":"cosmos1v9jxgu33kfsgr5","proposal_id":"0"}}`
+	require.Equal(t, expected, string(res))
+}
+
 // test ValidateBasic for MsgDeposit
 func TestMsgDeposit(t *testing.T) {
 	_, addrs, _, _ := mock.CreateGenAccounts(1, sdk.Coins{})