diff --git a/app/export.go b/app/export.go
index 826824275e..609a5abe38 100644
--- a/app/export.go
+++ b/app/export.go
@@ -26,10 +26,7 @@ func (app *App) ExportAppStateAndValidators(
 	height := app.LastBlockHeight() + 1
 	if forZeroHeight {
 		height = 0
-		err := app.prepForZeroHeightGenesis(ctx, jailAllowedAddrs)
-		if err != nil {
-			return servertypes.ExportedApp{}, err
-		}
+		app.prepForZeroHeightGenesis(ctx, jailAllowedAddrs)
 	}
 
 	genState := app.mm.ExportGenesis(ctx, app.appCodec)
@@ -39,21 +36,18 @@ func (app *App) ExportAppStateAndValidators(
 	}
 
 	validators, err := staking.WriteValidators(ctx, app.StakingKeeper)
-	if err != nil {
-		return servertypes.ExportedApp{}, err
-	}
 	return servertypes.ExportedApp{
 		AppState:        appState,
 		Validators:      validators,
 		Height:          height,
 		ConsensusParams: app.BaseApp.GetConsensusParams(ctx),
-	}, nil
+	}, err
 }
 
 // prepare for fresh start at zero height
 // NOTE zero height genesis is a temporary feature which will be deprecated
 //      in favour of export at a block height
-func (app *App) prepForZeroHeightGenesis(ctx sdk.Context, jailAllowedAddrs []string) error {
+func (app *App) prepForZeroHeightGenesis(ctx sdk.Context, jailAllowedAddrs []string) {
 	applyAllowedAddrs := false
 
 	// check if there is a allowed address list
@@ -78,20 +72,23 @@ func (app *App) prepForZeroHeightGenesis(ctx sdk.Context, jailAllowedAddrs []str
 
 	// withdraw all validator commission
 	app.StakingKeeper.IterateValidators(ctx, func(_ int64, val stakingtypes.ValidatorI) (stop bool) {
-		_, err := app.DistrKeeper.WithdrawValidatorCommission(ctx, val.GetOperator())
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
+		_, _ = app.DistrKeeper.WithdrawValidatorCommission(ctx, val.GetOperator())
 		return false
 	})
 
 	// withdraw all delegator rewards
 	dels := app.StakingKeeper.GetAllDelegations(ctx)
 	for _, delegation := range dels {
-		_, err := app.DistrKeeper.WithdrawDelegationRewards(ctx, delegation.GetDelegatorAddr(), delegation.GetValidatorAddr())
+		valAddr, err := sdk.ValAddressFromBech32(delegation.ValidatorAddress)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
+
+		delAddr, err := sdk.AccAddressFromBech32(delegation.DelegatorAddress)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		_, _ = app.DistrKeeper.WithdrawDelegationRewards(ctx, delAddr, valAddr)
 	}
 
 	// clear validator slash events
@@ -112,9 +109,7 @@ func (app *App) prepForZeroHeightGenesis(ctx sdk.Context, jailAllowedAddrs []str
 		feePool.CommunityPool = feePool.CommunityPool.Add(scraps...)
 		app.DistrKeeper.SetFeePool(ctx, feePool)
 
-		err := app.DistrKeeper.Hooks().AfterValidatorCreated(ctx, val.GetOperator())
-		if err != nil {
-			// we can panic here as we do not know how to handle invalid validator state
+		if err := app.DistrKeeper.Hooks().AfterValidatorCreated(ctx, val.GetOperator()); err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
 		return false
@@ -122,15 +117,16 @@ func (app *App) prepForZeroHeightGenesis(ctx sdk.Context, jailAllowedAddrs []str
 
 	// reinitialize all delegations
 	for _, del := range dels {
-		err := app.DistrKeeper.Hooks().BeforeDelegationCreated(ctx, del.GetDelegatorAddr(), del.GetValidatorAddr())
-		// note: these errors aren't handled by the cosmos-sdk,
+		valAddr, err := sdk.ValAddressFromBech32(del.ValidatorAddress)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			panic(err)
 		}
-		err = app.DistrKeeper.Hooks().AfterDelegationModified(ctx, del.GetDelegatorAddr(), del.GetValidatorAddr())
+		delAddr, err := sdk.AccAddressFromBech32(del.DelegatorAddress)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			panic(err)
 		}
+		_ = app.DistrKeeper.Hooks().BeforeDelegationCreated(ctx, delAddr, valAddr)
+		_ = app.DistrKeeper.Hooks().AfterDelegationModified(ctx, delAddr, valAddr)
 	}
 
 	// reset context height
@@ -163,7 +159,7 @@ func (app *App) prepForZeroHeightGenesis(ctx sdk.Context, jailAllowedAddrs []str
 	counter := int16(0)
 
 	for ; iter.Valid(); iter.Next() {
-		addr := sdk.ValAddress(iter.Key()[1:])
+		addr := sdk.ValAddress(stakingtypes.AddressFromValidatorsKey(iter.Key()))
 		validator, found := app.StakingKeeper.GetValidator(ctx, addr)
 		if !found {
 			panic("expected validator, not found")
@@ -180,8 +176,9 @@ func (app *App) prepForZeroHeightGenesis(ctx sdk.Context, jailAllowedAddrs []str
 
 	iter.Close()
 
-	if _, err := app.StakingKeeper.ApplyAndReturnValidatorSetUpdates(ctx); err != nil {
-		return err
+	_, err := app.StakingKeeper.ApplyAndReturnValidatorSetUpdates(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
 	/* Handle slashing state. */
@@ -195,6 +192,4 @@ func (app *App) prepForZeroHeightGenesis(ctx sdk.Context, jailAllowedAddrs []str
 			return false
 		},
 	)
-
-	return nil
 }