diff --git a/build/testing_flags.go b/build/testing_flags.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1f26121e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/testing_flags.go
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+package build
+
+var InsecurePoStValidation = false
diff --git a/chain/actors/actor_miner.go b/chain/actors/actor_miner.go
index b5442b1fa..853d048af 100644
--- a/chain/actors/actor_miner.go
+++ b/chain/actors/actor_miner.go
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ func (sma StorageMinerActor) ProveCommitSector(act *types.Actor, vmctx types.VMC
 	// Note: There must exist a unique index in the miner's sector set for each
 	// sector ID. The `faults`, `recovered`, and `done` parameters of the
 	// SubmitPoSt method express indices into this sector set.
-	nssroot, err := AddToSectorSet(ctx, vmctx.Storage(), self.Sectors, params.SectorID, us.Info.CommR, commD)
+	nssroot, err := AddToSectorSet(ctx, types.WrapStorage(vmctx.Storage()), self.Sectors, params.SectorID, us.Info.CommR, commD)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -593,8 +593,8 @@ func SectorIsUnique(ctx context.Context, s types.Storage, sroot cid.Cid, sid uin
 	return !found, nil
 }
 
-func AddToSectorSet(ctx context.Context, s types.Storage, ss cid.Cid, sectorID uint64, commR, commD []byte) (cid.Cid, ActorError) {
-	ssr, err := amt.LoadAMT(types.WrapStorage(s), ss)
+func AddToSectorSet(ctx context.Context, blks amt.Blocks, ss cid.Cid, sectorID uint64, commR, commD []byte) (cid.Cid, ActorError) {
+	ssr, err := amt.LoadAMT(blks, ss)
 	if err != nil {
 		return cid.Undef, aerrors.HandleExternalError(err, "could not load sector set node")
 	}
diff --git a/chain/gen/gen.go b/chain/gen/gen.go
index e0db5e1ec..741af0351 100644
--- a/chain/gen/gen.go
+++ b/chain/gen/gen.go
@@ -408,6 +408,7 @@ type ElectionPoStProver interface {
 }
 
 type eppProvider struct {
+	sectors []sectorbuilder.SectorInfo
 }
 
 func (epp *eppProvider) GenerateCandidates(ctx context.Context, eprand []byte) ([]sectorbuilder.EPostCandidate, error) {
@@ -422,7 +423,8 @@ func (epp *eppProvider) GenerateCandidates(ctx context.Context, eprand []byte) (
 }
 
 func (epp *eppProvider) ComputeProof(ctx context.Context, eprand []byte, winners []sectorbuilder.EPostCandidate) ([]byte, error) {
-	return []byte("this is an election post proof"), nil
+
+	return []byte("valid proof"), nil
 }
 
 func IsRoundWinner(ctx context.Context, ts *types.TipSet, round int64, miner address.Address, epp ElectionPoStProver, a MiningCheckAPI) (bool, *types.EPostProof, error) {
diff --git a/chain/gen/utils.go b/chain/gen/utils.go
index 38591870d..754275208 100644
--- a/chain/gen/utils.go
+++ b/chain/gen/utils.go
@@ -291,6 +291,15 @@ func SetupStorageMiners(ctx context.Context, cs *store.ChainStore, sroot cid.Cid
 		}
 		mstate.Power = types.NewInt(5000)
 
+		commD := make([]byte, 32)
+		commR := make([]byte, 32)
+		blks := amt.WrapBlockstore(cs.Blockstore())
+		nssroot, err := actors.AddToSectorSet(ctx, blks, mstate.Sectors, 1, commD, commR)
+		if err != nil {
+			return cid.Undef, xerrors.Errorf("failed to add fake sector to sector set: %w", err)
+		}
+		mstate.Sectors = nssroot
+
 		nstate, err := cst.Put(ctx, &mstate)
 		if err != nil {
 			return cid.Undef, err
diff --git a/chain/sync.go b/chain/sync.go
index af915cfba..8608e717d 100644
--- a/chain/sync.go
+++ b/chain/sync.go
@@ -478,6 +478,9 @@ var ErrTemporal = errors.New("temporal error")
 func (syncer *Syncer) ValidateBlock(ctx context.Context, b *types.FullBlock) error {
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "validateBlock")
 	defer span.End()
+	if build.InsecurePoStValidation {
+		log.Warn("insecure test validation is enabled, if you see this outside of a test, it is a severe bug!")
+	}
 
 	h := b.Header
 
@@ -634,6 +637,12 @@ func (syncer *Syncer) VerifyElectionPoStProof(ctx context.Context, h *types.Bloc
 		return xerrors.Errorf("getting election post sector set: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	if build.InsecurePoStValidation {
+		if string(h.EPostProof.Proof) == "valid proof" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return xerrors.Errorf("[TESTING] election post was invalid")
+	}
 	ok, err := sectorbuilder.VerifyPost(ctx, ssize, *sectorInfo, h.EPostProof.PostRand, h.EPostProof.Proof, winners, waddr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return xerrors.Errorf("failed to verify election post: %w", err)
diff --git a/chain/sync_test.go b/chain/sync_test.go
index c5cf21c1e..49e26774a 100644
--- a/chain/sync_test.go
+++ b/chain/sync_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/node/repo"
 )
 
+func init() {
+	build.InsecurePoStValidation = true
+}
+
 const source = 0
 
 func (tu *syncTestUtil) repoWithChain(t testing.TB, h int) (repo.Repo, []byte, []*store.FullTipSet) {
diff --git a/chain/types/vmcontext.go b/chain/types/vmcontext.go
index 388396881..5e2963483 100644
--- a/chain/types/vmcontext.go
+++ b/chain/types/vmcontext.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package types
 import (
 	"context"
 
-	amt "github.com/filecoin-project/go-amt-ipld"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-amt-ipld"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/actors/aerrors"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/address"
 	cid "github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ type storageWrapper struct {
 	s Storage
 }
 
-func (sw *storageWrapper) Put(i interface{}) (cid.Cid, error) {
-	c, err := sw.s.Put(i.(cbg.CBORMarshaler))
+func (sw *storageWrapper) Put(i cbg.CBORMarshaler) (cid.Cid, error) {
+	c, err := sw.s.Put(i)
 	if err != nil {
 		return cid.Undef, err
 	}
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ func (sw *storageWrapper) Put(i interface{}) (cid.Cid, error) {
 	return c, nil
 }
 
-func (sw *storageWrapper) Get(c cid.Cid, out interface{}) error {
-	if err := sw.s.Get(c, out.(cbg.CBORUnmarshaler)); err != nil {
+func (sw *storageWrapper) Get(c cid.Cid, out cbg.CBORUnmarshaler) error {
+	if err := sw.s.Get(c, out); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 676e52615..37ef67f4d 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/btcsuite/btcd v0.0.0-20190807005414-4063feeff79a // indirect
 	github.com/fatih/color v1.7.0 // indirect
 	github.com/filecoin-project/chain-validation v0.0.0-20191106200742-11986803c0f7
-	github.com/filecoin-project/go-amt-ipld v0.0.0-20190919045431-3650716fff16
+	github.com/filecoin-project/go-amt-ipld v0.0.0-20191122035745-59b9dfc0efc7
 	github.com/filecoin-project/go-bls-sigs v0.0.0-20190718224239-4bc4b8a7bbf8
 	github.com/filecoin-project/go-leb128 v0.0.0-20190212224330-8d79a5489543
 	github.com/filecoin-project/go-sectorbuilder v0.0.0-00010101000000-000000000000
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 3e34b558a..f095026ec 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ github.com/filecoin-project/chain-validation v0.0.0-20191106200742-11986803c0f7
 github.com/filecoin-project/chain-validation v0.0.0-20191106200742-11986803c0f7/go.mod h1:0/0/QUNqpF/jVzLHFncGeT3NvGPODBhGzQlNgzmoZew=
 github.com/filecoin-project/go-amt-ipld v0.0.0-20190919045431-3650716fff16 h1:NzojcJU1VbS6zdLG13JMYis/cQy/MrN3rxmZRq56jKA=
 github.com/filecoin-project/go-amt-ipld v0.0.0-20190919045431-3650716fff16/go.mod h1:lKjJYPg2kwbav5f78i5YA8kGccnZn18IySbpneXvaQs=
+github.com/filecoin-project/go-amt-ipld v0.0.0-20191122035745-59b9dfc0efc7 h1:lKSMm8Go6qI7+Dk3rWCNIh57wBOqVNJ21re/p7D58gc=
+github.com/filecoin-project/go-amt-ipld v0.0.0-20191122035745-59b9dfc0efc7/go.mod h1:lKjJYPg2kwbav5f78i5YA8kGccnZn18IySbpneXvaQs=
 github.com/filecoin-project/go-leb128 v0.0.0-20190212224330-8d79a5489543 h1:aMJGfgqe1QDhAVwxRg5fjCRF533xHidiKsugk7Vvzug=
 github.com/filecoin-project/go-leb128 v0.0.0-20190212224330-8d79a5489543/go.mod h1:mjrHv1cDGJWDlGmC0eDc1E5VJr8DmL9XMUcaFwiuKg8=
 github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.4.7 h1:IXs+QLmnXW2CcXuY+8Mzv/fWEsPGWxqefPtCP5CnV9I=
diff --git a/miner/miner.go b/miner/miner.go
index 47958bab1..56f78e5fe 100644
--- a/miner/miner.go
+++ b/miner/miner.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ type api struct {
 func NewMiner(api api) *Miner {
 	return &Miner{
 		api: api,
+		epp: nil,
 		waitFunc: func(ctx context.Context) error {
 			// Wait around for half the block time in case other parents come in
 			time.Sleep(build.BlockDelay * time.Second / 2)