diff --git a/modules/apps/29-fee/ibc_middleware.go b/modules/apps/29-fee/ibc_middleware.go
index 072f6dd041d..21808a09786 100644
--- a/modules/apps/29-fee/ibc_middleware.go
+++ b/modules/apps/29-fee/ibc_middleware.go
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ func (im IBCMiddleware) OnAcknowledgementPacket(
 		return im.app.OnAcknowledgementPacket(ctx, packet, acknowledgement, relayer)
 	}
 
-	ack := &types.IncentivizedAcknowledgement{}
+	 var ack types.IncentivizedAcknowledgement
 	if err := types.ModuleCdc.UnmarshalJSON(acknowledgement, ack); err != nil {
 		return sdkerrors.Wrapf(err, "cannot unmarshal ICS-29 incentivized packet acknowledgement: %v", ack)
 	}