diff --git a/x/protocolpool/keeper/genesis.go b/x/protocolpool/keeper/genesis.go
index bd29d4afce16..2af4fb7ad15b 100644
--- a/x/protocolpool/keeper/genesis.go
+++ b/x/protocolpool/keeper/genesis.go
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ func (k Keeper) InitGenesis(ctx context.Context, data *types.GenesisState) error
 	}
 	for _, budget := range data.Budget {
 		// Validate StartTime
-		if budget.StartTime.IsZero() || budget.StartTime == nil {
+		if budget.StartTime == nil || budget.StartTime.IsZero() {
 			budget.StartTime = &currentTime
 		}
 		// ignore budget with start time < currentTime
-		if budget.StartTime != nil && budget.StartTime.Before(currentTime) {
+		if budget.StartTime.Before(currentTime) {
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/x/protocolpool/keeper/keeper.go b/x/protocolpool/keeper/keeper.go
index abac09d30841..53c49a3a5b85 100644
--- a/x/protocolpool/keeper/keeper.go
+++ b/x/protocolpool/keeper/keeper.go
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ func (k Keeper) withdrawContinuousFund(ctx context.Context, recipient sdk.AccAdd
 		if errors.Is(err, collections.ErrNotFound) {
 			return sdk.Coin{}, fmt.Errorf("no continuous fund found for recipient: %s", recipient.String())
 		}
+		return sdk.Coin{}, fmt.Errorf("get continuous fund failed for recipient: %s", recipient.String())
 	}
 	if cf.Expiry != nil && cf.Expiry.Before(sdkCtx.HeaderInfo().Time) {
 		return sdk.Coin{}, fmt.Errorf("cannot withdraw continuous funds: continuous fund expired for recipient: %s", recipient.String())
@@ -412,10 +413,8 @@ func (k Keeper) validateContinuousFund(ctx context.Context, msg types.MsgCreateC
 
 	// Validate expiry
 	currentTime := sdk.UnwrapSDKContext(ctx).BlockTime()
-	if msg.Expiry != nil {
-		if msg.Expiry.Compare(currentTime) == -1 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("expiry time cannot be less than the current block time")
-		}
+	if msg.Expiry != nil && msg.Expiry.Compare(currentTime) == -1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("expiry time cannot be less than the current block time")
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/x/protocolpool/keeper/msg_server.go b/x/protocolpool/keeper/msg_server.go
index 475378a6f35f..8f3965e3af3e 100644
--- a/x/protocolpool/keeper/msg_server.go
+++ b/x/protocolpool/keeper/msg_server.go
@@ -190,10 +190,8 @@ func (k MsgServer) CancelContinuousFund(ctx context.Context, msg *types.MsgCance
 
 	// withdraw funds if any are allocated
 	withdrawnFunds, err := k.withdrawRecipientFunds(ctx, recipient)
-	if err != nil {
-		if !errorspkg.Is(err, types.ErrNoRecipientFund) {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error while withdrawing already allocated funds for recipient %s: %v", msg.RecipientAddress, err)
-		}
+	if err != nil && !errorspkg.Is(err, types.ErrNoRecipientFund) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error while withdrawing already allocated funds for recipient %s: %v", msg.RecipientAddress, err)
 	}
 
 	if err := k.ContinuousFund.Remove(ctx, recipient); err != nil {