diff --git a/x/genutil/collect.go b/x/genutil/collect.go
index d070f92c62f6..11b8db747d2b 100644
--- a/x/genutil/collect.go
+++ b/x/genutil/collect.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	cfg "github.com/cometbft/cometbft/config"
 
 	"cosmossdk.io/core/address"
-	stakingtypes "cosmossdk.io/x/staking/types"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
@@ -120,11 +119,12 @@ func CollectTxs(txJSONDecoder sdk.TxDecoder, moniker, genTxsDir string,
 		// genesis transactions must be single-message
 		msgs := genTx.GetMsgs()
 
-		// TODO abstract out staking message validation back to staking
-		msg := msgs[0].(*stakingtypes.MsgCreateValidator)
-
+		msg, ok := msgs[0].(msgWithMoniker)
+		if !ok {
+			return appGenTxs, persistentPeers, fmt.Errorf("expected msgWithMoniker, got %T", msgs[0])
+		}
 		// exclude itself from persistent peers
-		if msg.Description.Moniker != moniker {
+		if msg.GetMoniker() != moniker {
 			addressesIPs = append(addressesIPs, nodeAddrIP)
 		}
 	}
@@ -134,3 +134,8 @@ func CollectTxs(txJSONDecoder sdk.TxDecoder, moniker, genTxsDir string,
 
 	return appGenTxs, persistentPeers, nil
 }
+
+// MsgWithMoniker must have GetMoniker() method to use CollectTx
+type msgWithMoniker interface {
+	GetMoniker() string
+}
diff --git a/x/staking/types/msg.go b/x/staking/types/msg.go
index 782183ff0684..b68818275ddf 100644
--- a/x/staking/types/msg.go
+++ b/x/staking/types/msg.go
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ func (msg MsgCreateValidator) Validate(ac address.Codec) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// GetMoniker returns the moniker of the validator
+func (msg MsgCreateValidator) GetMoniker() string {
+	return msg.Description.GetMoniker()
+}
+
 // UnpackInterfaces implements UnpackInterfacesMessage.UnpackInterfaces
 func (msg MsgCreateValidator) UnpackInterfaces(unpacker gogoprotoany.AnyUnpacker) error {
 	var pubKey cryptotypes.PubKey