diff --git a/x/wasm/keeper/proposal_handler.go b/x/wasm/keeper/proposal_handler.go
index 79f6a9fc30..ddc94a23bb 100644
--- a/x/wasm/keeper/proposal_handler.go
+++ b/x/wasm/keeper/proposal_handler.go
@@ -77,9 +77,11 @@ func handleInstantiateProposal(ctx sdk.Context, k types.ContractOpsKeeper, p typ
 	if err != nil {
 		return sdkerrors.Wrap(err, "run as address")
 	}
-	adminAddr, err := sdk.AccAddressFromBech32(p.Admin)
-	if err != nil {
-		return sdkerrors.Wrap(err, "admin")
+	var adminAddr sdk.AccAddress
+	if p.Admin != "" {
+		if adminAddr, err = sdk.AccAddressFromBech32(p.Admin); err != nil {
+			return sdkerrors.Wrap(err, "admin")
+		}
 	}
 
 	_, data, err := k.Instantiate(ctx, p.CodeID, runAsAddr, adminAddr, p.Msg, p.Label, p.Funds)
diff --git a/x/wasm/keeper/proposal_integration_test.go b/x/wasm/keeper/proposal_integration_test.go
index acf2e74f02..ea88f398d9 100644
--- a/x/wasm/keeper/proposal_integration_test.go
+++ b/x/wasm/keeper/proposal_integration_test.go
@@ -123,6 +123,80 @@ func TestInstantiateProposal(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NotEmpty(t, em.Events()[2].Attributes[0])
 }
 
+func TestInstantiateProposal_NoAdmin(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, keepers := CreateTestInput(t, false, "staking")
+	govKeeper, wasmKeeper := keepers.GovKeeper, keepers.WasmKeeper
+	wasmKeeper.SetParams(ctx, types.Params{
+		CodeUploadAccess:             types.AllowNobody,
+		InstantiateDefaultPermission: types.AccessTypeNobody,
+	})
+
+	wasmCode, err := ioutil.ReadFile("./testdata/hackatom.wasm")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.NoError(t, wasmKeeper.importCode(ctx, 1,
+		types.CodeInfoFixture(types.WithSHA256CodeHash(wasmCode)),
+		wasmCode),
+	)
+
+	var (
+		oneAddress sdk.AccAddress = bytes.Repeat([]byte{0x1}, types.ContractAddrLen)
+	)
+
+	// test invalid admin address
+	src := types.InstantiateContractProposalFixture(func(p *types.InstantiateContractProposal) {
+		p.CodeID = firstCodeID
+		p.RunAs = oneAddress.String()
+		p.Admin = "invalid"
+		p.Label = "testing"
+	})
+	_, err = govKeeper.SubmitProposal(ctx, src)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+
+	// test with no admin
+	src = types.InstantiateContractProposalFixture(func(p *types.InstantiateContractProposal) {
+		p.CodeID = firstCodeID
+		p.RunAs = oneAddress.String()
+		p.Admin = ""
+		p.Label = "testing"
+	})
+	em := sdk.NewEventManager()
+
+	// when stored
+	storedProposal, err := govKeeper.SubmitProposal(ctx, src)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// and proposal execute
+	handler := govKeeper.Router().GetRoute(storedProposal.ProposalRoute())
+	err = handler(ctx.WithEventManager(em), storedProposal.GetContent())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// then
+	contractAddr, err := sdk.AccAddressFromBech32("cosmos14hj2tavq8fpesdwxxcu44rty3hh90vhujrvcmstl4zr3txmfvw9s4hmalr")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	cInfo := wasmKeeper.GetContractInfo(ctx, contractAddr)
+	require.NotNil(t, cInfo)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint64(1), cInfo.CodeID)
+	assert.Equal(t, oneAddress.String(), cInfo.Creator)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", cInfo.Admin)
+	assert.Equal(t, "testing", cInfo.Label)
+	expHistory := []types.ContractCodeHistoryEntry{{
+		Operation: types.ContractCodeHistoryOperationTypeInit,
+		CodeID:    src.CodeID,
+		Updated:   types.NewAbsoluteTxPosition(ctx),
+		Msg:       src.Msg,
+	}}
+	assert.Equal(t, expHistory, wasmKeeper.GetContractHistory(ctx, contractAddr))
+	// and event
+	require.Len(t, em.Events(), 3, "%#v", em.Events())
+	require.Equal(t, types.EventTypeInstantiate, em.Events()[0].Type)
+	require.Equal(t, types.WasmModuleEventType, em.Events()[1].Type)
+	require.Equal(t, types.EventTypeGovContractResult, em.Events()[2].Type)
+	require.Len(t, em.Events()[2].Attributes, 1)
+	require.NotEmpty(t, em.Events()[2].Attributes[0])
+}
+
 func TestMigrateProposal(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, keepers := CreateTestInput(t, false, "staking")
 	govKeeper, wasmKeeper := keepers.GovKeeper, keepers.WasmKeeper