diff --git a/x/staking/migrations/v5/store.go b/x/staking/migrations/v5/store.go
index adc7a5c52a68..530de8538897 100644
--- a/x/staking/migrations/v5/store.go
+++ b/x/staking/migrations/v5/store.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"cosmossdk.io/store/prefix"
 	storetypes "cosmossdk.io/store/types"
 
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
+	"cosmossdk.io/core/codec"
 )
 
 func migrateDelegationsByValidatorIndex(store storetypes.KVStore) error {
diff --git a/x/staking/module.go b/x/staking/module.go
index d21b3c396848..6654e88b21e4 100644
--- a/x/staking/module.go
+++ b/x/staking/module.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"cosmossdk.io/x/staking/types"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
+	"cosmossdk.io/core/codec"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types/module"
 )
 
@@ -119,7 +119,11 @@ func (am AppModule) RegisterMigrations(mr appmodule.MigrationRegistrar) error {
 
 // DefaultGenesis returns default genesis state as raw bytes for the staking module.
 func (am AppModule) DefaultGenesis() json.RawMessage {
-	return am.cdc.MustMarshalJSON(types.DefaultGenesisState())
+	data, err := am.cdc.MarshalJSON(types.DefaultGenesisState())
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return data
 }
 
 // ValidateGenesis performs genesis state validation for the staking module.
@@ -135,7 +139,9 @@ func (am AppModule) ValidateGenesis(bz json.RawMessage) error {
 // InitGenesis performs genesis initialization for the staking module.
 func (am AppModule) InitGenesis(ctx context.Context, data json.RawMessage) ([]appmodule.ValidatorUpdate, error) {
 	var genesisState types.GenesisState
-	am.cdc.MustUnmarshalJSON(data, &genesisState)
+	if err := am.cdc.UnmarshalJSON(data, &genesisState); err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
 	return am.keeper.InitGenesis(ctx, &genesisState)
 }
 
diff --git a/x/staking/simulation/decoder.go b/x/staking/simulation/decoder.go
index fd7b09da7bc4..67d7d0845814 100644
--- a/x/staking/simulation/decoder.go
+++ b/x/staking/simulation/decoder.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"cosmossdk.io/math"
 	"cosmossdk.io/x/staking/types"
 
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
+	"cosmossdk.io/core/codec"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types/kv"
 )
@@ -30,8 +30,12 @@ func NewDecodeStore(cdc codec.Codec) func(kvA, kvB kv.Pair) string {
 		case bytes.Equal(kvA.Key[:1], types.ValidatorsKey):
 			var validatorA, validatorB types.Validator
 
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvA.Value, &validatorA)
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvB.Value, &validatorB)
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvA.Value, &validatorA); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvB.Value, &validatorB); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 
 			return fmt.Sprintf("%v\n%v", validatorA, validatorB)
 		case bytes.Equal(kvA.Key[:1], types.LastValidatorPowerKey),
@@ -42,45 +46,69 @@ func NewDecodeStore(cdc codec.Codec) func(kvA, kvB kv.Pair) string {
 		case bytes.Equal(kvA.Key[:1], types.DelegationKey):
 			var delegationA, delegationB types.Delegation
 
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvA.Value, &delegationA)
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvB.Value, &delegationB)
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvA.Value, &delegationA); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvB.Value, &delegationB); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 
 			return fmt.Sprintf("%v\n%v", delegationA, delegationB)
 		case bytes.Equal(kvA.Key[:1], types.UnbondingDelegationKey),
 			bytes.Equal(kvA.Key[:1], types.UnbondingDelegationByValIndexKey):
 			var ubdA, ubdB types.UnbondingDelegation
 
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvA.Value, &ubdA)
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvB.Value, &ubdB)
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvA.Value, &ubdA); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvB.Value, &ubdB); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 
 			return fmt.Sprintf("%v\n%v", ubdA, ubdB)
 		case bytes.Equal(kvA.Key[:1], types.RedelegationKey),
 			bytes.Equal(kvA.Key[:1], types.RedelegationByValSrcIndexKey):
 			var redA, redB types.Redelegation
 
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvA.Value, &redA)
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvB.Value, &redB)
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvA.Value, &redA); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvB.Value, &redB); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 
 			return fmt.Sprintf("%v\n%v", redA, redB)
 		case bytes.Equal(kvA.Key[:1], types.ParamsKey):
 			var paramsA, paramsB types.Params
 
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvA.Value, &paramsA)
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvB.Value, &paramsB)
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvA.Value, &paramsA); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvB.Value, &paramsB); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 
 			return fmt.Sprintf("%v\n%v", paramsA, paramsB)
 		case bytes.Equal(kvA.Key[:1], types.ValidatorConsPubKeyRotationHistoryKey):
 			var historyA, historyB types.ConsPubKeyRotationHistory
 
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvA.Value, &historyA)
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvB.Value, &historyB)
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvA.Value, &historyA); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvB.Value, &historyB); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 
 			return fmt.Sprintf("%v\n%v", historyA, historyB)
 		case bytes.Equal(kvA.Key[:1], types.ValidatorConsensusKeyRotationRecordQueueKey):
 			var historyA, historyB types.ValAddrsOfRotatedConsKeys
 
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvA.Value, &historyA)
-			cdc.MustUnmarshal(kvB.Value, &historyB)
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvA.Value, &historyA); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
+			if err := cdc.Unmarshal(kvB.Value, &historyB); err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 
 			return fmt.Sprintf("%v\n%v", historyA, historyB)
 		default:
diff --git a/x/staking/types/delegation.go b/x/staking/types/delegation.go
index c7754d9a8412..031cd14067c5 100644
--- a/x/staking/types/delegation.go
+++ b/x/staking/types/delegation.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"cosmossdk.io/core/address"
 	"cosmossdk.io/math"
 
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
+	"cosmossdk.io/core/codec"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 )
 
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ func NewDelegation(delegatorAddr, validatorAddr string, shares math.LegacyDec) D
 
 // MustMarshalDelegation returns the delegation bytes. Panics if fails
 func MustMarshalDelegation(cdc codec.BinaryCodec, delegation Delegation) []byte {
-	return cdc.MustMarshal(&delegation)
+	data, err := cdc.Marshal(&delegation)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return data
 }
 
 // MustUnmarshalDelegation return the unmarshaled delegation from bytes.
@@ -143,7 +147,11 @@ func (ubd *UnbondingDelegation) RemoveEntry(i int64) {
 
 // return the unbonding delegation
 func MustMarshalUBD(cdc codec.BinaryCodec, ubd UnbondingDelegation) []byte {
-	return cdc.MustMarshal(&ubd)
+	data, err := cdc.Marshal(&ubd)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return data
 }
 
 // unmarshal a unbonding delegation from a store value
@@ -234,7 +242,11 @@ func (red *Redelegation) RemoveEntry(i int64) {
 
 // MustMarshalRED returns the Redelegation bytes. Panics if fails.
 func MustMarshalRED(cdc codec.BinaryCodec, red Redelegation) []byte {
-	return cdc.MustMarshal(&red)
+	data, err := cdc.Marshal(&red)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return data
 }
 
 // MustUnmarshalRED unmarshals a redelegation from a store value. Panics if fails.