diff --git a/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/statecouchdb/statecouchdb.go b/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/statecouchdb/statecouchdb.go
index 359122ad1ff..e7a42c985de 100644
--- a/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/statecouchdb/statecouchdb.go
+++ b/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/statecouchdb/statecouchdb.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"unicode/utf8"
 
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/common/flogging"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb"
@@ -113,6 +114,14 @@ func (vdb *VersionedDB) Close() {
 	// no need to close db since a shared couch instance is used
 }
 
+// ValidateKey implements method in VersionedDB interface
+func (vdb *VersionedDB) ValidateKey(key string) error {
+	if !utf8.ValidString(key) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Key should be a valid utf8 string: [%x]", key)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // GetState implements method in VersionedDB interface
 func (vdb *VersionedDB) GetState(namespace string, key string) (*statedb.VersionedValue, error) {
 	logger.Debugf("GetState(). ns=%s, key=%s", namespace, key)
diff --git a/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/statedb.go b/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/statedb.go
index 8641df83416..7d3bcbc5a0f 100644
--- a/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/statedb.go
+++ b/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/statedb.go
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ type VersionedDB interface {
 	// GetLatestSavePoint returns the height of the highest transaction upto which
 	// the state db is consistent
 	GetLatestSavePoint() (*version.Height, error)
+	// ValidateKey tests whether the key is supported by the db implementation.
+	// For instance, leveldb supports any bytes for the key while the couchdb supports only valid utf-8 string
+	ValidateKey(key string) error
 	// Open opens the db
 	Open() error
 	// Close closes the db
diff --git a/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/stateleveldb/stateleveldb.go b/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/stateleveldb/stateleveldb.go
index 89fa413b077..c16f3da6d66 100644
--- a/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/stateleveldb/stateleveldb.go
+++ b/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/statedb/stateleveldb/stateleveldb.go
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ func (vdb *versionedDB) Close() {
 	// do nothing because shared db is used
 }
 
+// ValidateKey implements method in VersionedDB interface
+func (vdb *versionedDB) ValidateKey(key string) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 // GetState implements method in VersionedDB interface
 func (vdb *versionedDB) GetState(namespace string, key string) (*statedb.VersionedValue, error) {
 	logger.Debugf("GetState(). ns=%s, key=%s", namespace, key)
diff --git a/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/txmgr/lockbasedtxmgr/lockbased_tx_simulator.go b/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/txmgr/lockbasedtxmgr/lockbased_tx_simulator.go
index 3f8d4458b1b..e03bdaf7dbc 100644
--- a/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/txmgr/lockbasedtxmgr/lockbased_tx_simulator.go
+++ b/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/txmgr/lockbasedtxmgr/lockbased_tx_simulator.go
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ func (s *lockBasedTxSimulator) GetState(ns string, key string) ([]byte, error) {
 // SetState implements method in interface `ledger.TxSimulator`
 func (s *lockBasedTxSimulator) SetState(ns string, key string, value []byte) error {
 	s.helper.checkDone()
+	if err := s.helper.txmgr.db.ValidateKey(key); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	s.rwsetBuilder.AddToWriteSet(ns, key, value)
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/txmgr/lockbasedtxmgr/txmgr_test.go b/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/txmgr/lockbasedtxmgr/txmgr_test.go
index f6da11fe60c..3c1521cd832 100644
--- a/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/txmgr/lockbasedtxmgr/txmgr_test.go
+++ b/core/ledger/kvledger/txmgmt/txmgr/lockbasedtxmgr/txmgr_test.go
@@ -587,26 +587,37 @@ func testExecuteQuery(t *testing.T, env testEnv) {
 
 	itr, err := queryExecuter.ExecuteQuery("ns1", queryString)
 	testutil.AssertNoError(t, err, "Error upon ExecuteQuery()")
-
 	counter := 0
 	for {
 		queryRecord, _ := itr.Next()
 		if queryRecord == nil {
 			break
 		}
-
 		//Unmarshal the document to Asset structure
 		assetResp := &Asset{}
 		json.Unmarshal(queryRecord.(*queryresult.KV).Value, &assetResp)
-
 		//Verify the owner retrieved matches
 		testutil.AssertEquals(t, assetResp.Owner, "bob")
-
 		counter++
-
 	}
-
 	//Ensure the query returns 3 documents
 	testutil.AssertEquals(t, counter, 3)
+}
 
+func TestValidateKey(t *testing.T) {
+	nonUTF8Key := string([]byte{0xff, 0xff})
+	dummyValue := []byte("dummyValue")
+	for _, testEnv := range testEnvs {
+		testLedgerID := "TestValidateKey"
+		testEnv.init(t, testLedgerID)
+		txSimulator, _ := testEnv.getTxMgr().NewTxSimulator()
+		err := txSimulator.SetState("ns1", nonUTF8Key, dummyValue)
+		if testEnv.getName() == levelDBtestEnvName {
+			testutil.AssertNoError(t, err, "")
+		}
+		if testEnv.getName() == couchDBtestEnvName {
+			testutil.AssertError(t, err, "")
+		}
+		testEnv.cleanup()
+	}
 }