diff --git a/baseapp/baseapp.go b/baseapp/baseapp.go
index c37fae72c..5552d1c01 100644
--- a/baseapp/baseapp.go
+++ b/baseapp/baseapp.go
@@ -561,31 +561,37 @@ func handleQueryCustom(app *BaseApp, path []string, req abci.RequestQuery) (res
 		return sdk.ErrUnknownRequest(fmt.Sprintf("no custom querier found for route %s", path[1])).QueryResult()
 	}
 
+	// when a client did not provide a query height, manually inject the latest
+	if req.Height == 0 {
+		req.Height = app.LastBlockHeight()
+	}
+
+	cacheMS, err := app.cms.CacheMultiStoreWithVersion(req.Height)
+	if err != nil {
+		return sdk.ErrInternal(
+			fmt.Sprintf(
+				"failed to load state at height %d; %s (latest height: %d)",
+				req.Height, err, app.LastBlockHeight(),
+			),
+		).QueryResult()
+	}
+
 	// cache wrap the commit-multistore for safety
 	ctx := sdk.NewContext(
-		app.cms.CacheMultiStore(), app.checkState.ctx.BlockHeader(), true, app.logger,
+		cacheMS, app.checkState.ctx.BlockHeader(), true, app.logger,
 	).WithMinGasPrices(app.minGasPrices)
 
-	if req.Height > 0 {
-		cacheMS, err := app.cms.CacheMultiStoreWithVersion(req.Height)
-		if err != nil {
-			return sdk.ErrInternal(fmt.Sprintf("failed to load state at height %d; %s", req.Height, err)).QueryResult()
-		}
-
-		ctx = ctx.WithMultiStore(cacheMS)
-	}
-
 	// Passes the rest of the path as an argument to the querier.
 	//
 	// For example, in the path "custom/gov/proposal/test", the gov querier gets
 	// []string{"proposal", "test"} as the path.
-	resBytes, err := querier(ctx, path[2:], req)
-	if err != nil {
+	resBytes, queryErr := querier(ctx, path[2:], req)
+	if queryErr != nil {
 		return abci.ResponseQuery{
-			Code:      uint32(err.Code()),
-			Codespace: string(err.Codespace()),
+			Code:      uint32(queryErr.Code()),
+			Codespace: string(queryErr.Codespace()),
 			Height:    req.Height,
-			Log:       err.ABCILog(),
+			Log:       queryErr.ABCILog(),
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/client/context/query.go b/client/context/query.go
index 2dc8ab217..87f96aece 100644
--- a/client/context/query.go
+++ b/client/context/query.go
@@ -81,16 +81,6 @@ func (ctx CLIContext) query(path string, key cmn.HexBytes) (res []byte, height i
 		return res, height, err
 	}
 
-	// When a client did not provide a query height, manually query for it so it can
-	// be injected downstream into responses.
-	if ctx.Height == 0 {
-		status, err := node.Status()
-		if err != nil {
-			return res, height, err
-		}
-		ctx = ctx.WithHeight(status.SyncInfo.LatestBlockHeight)
-	}
-
 	opts := rpcclient.ABCIQueryOptions{
 		Height: ctx.Height,
 		Prove:  !ctx.TrustNode,
diff --git a/client/rpc/block.go b/client/rpc/block.go
index b8581a32b..6e3ea231f 100644
--- a/client/rpc/block.go
+++ b/client/rpc/block.go
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ func getBlock(cliCtx context.CLIContext, height *int64) ([]byte, error) {
 	if cliCtx.Indent {
 		return codec.Cdc.MarshalJSONIndent(res, "", "  ")
 	}
+
 	return codec.Cdc.MarshalJSON(res)
 }
 
@@ -76,10 +77,12 @@ func GetChainHeight(cliCtx context.CLIContext) (int64, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return -1, err
 	}
+
 	status, err := node.Status()
 	if err != nil {
 		return -1, err
 	}
+
 	height := status.SyncInfo.LatestBlockHeight
 	return height, nil
 }
@@ -104,6 +107,7 @@ func printBlock(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
 	fmt.Println(string(output))
 	return nil
 }
@@ -114,27 +118,32 @@ func printBlock(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 func BlockRequestHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		vars := mux.Vars(r)
+
 		height, err := strconv.ParseInt(vars["height"], 10, 64)
 		if err != nil {
 			rest.WriteErrorResponse(w, http.StatusBadRequest,
 				"couldn't parse block height. Assumed format is '/block/{height}'.")
 			return
 		}
+
 		chainHeight, err := GetChainHeight(cliCtx)
 		if err != nil {
 			rest.WriteErrorResponse(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, "failed to parse chain height")
 			return
 		}
+
 		if height > chainHeight {
 			rest.WriteErrorResponse(w, http.StatusNotFound, "requested block height is bigger then the chain length")
 			return
 		}
+
 		output, err := getBlock(cliCtx, &height)
 		if err != nil {
 			rest.WriteErrorResponse(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, err.Error())
 			return
 		}
-		rest.PostProcessResponse(w, cliCtx, output)
+
+		rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, output)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -147,6 +156,6 @@ func LatestBlockRequestHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 			return
 		}
 
-		rest.PostProcessResponse(w, cliCtx, output)
+		rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, output)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/client/rpc/status.go b/client/rpc/status.go
index 1b47fea20..330d595d5 100644
--- a/client/rpc/status.go
+++ b/client/rpc/status.go
@@ -64,7 +64,9 @@ func printNodeStatus(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-type nodeInfoResponse struct {
+// NodeInfoResponse defines a response type that contains node status and version
+// information.
+type NodeInfoResponse struct {
 	p2p.DefaultNodeInfo `json:"node_info"`
 
 	ApplicationVersion version.Info `json:"application_version"`
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ func NodeInfoRequestHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 			return
 		}
 
-		resp := nodeInfoResponse{
+		resp := NodeInfoResponse{
 			DefaultNodeInfo:    status.NodeInfo,
 			ApplicationVersion: version.NewInfo(),
 		}
@@ -87,7 +89,8 @@ func NodeInfoRequestHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 	}
 }
 
-type syncingResponse struct {
+// SyncingResponse defines a response type that contains node syncing information.
+type SyncingResponse struct {
 	Syncing bool `json:"syncing"`
 }
 
@@ -100,6 +103,6 @@ func NodeSyncingRequestHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 			return
 		}
 
-		rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, syncingResponse{Syncing: status.SyncInfo.CatchingUp})
+		rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, SyncingResponse{Syncing: status.SyncInfo.CatchingUp})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/util.go b/tests/util.go
index 4ca219285..bde6a82eb 100644
--- a/tests/util.go
+++ b/tests/util.go
@@ -68,10 +68,10 @@ func waitForHeightTM(height int64, url string) {
 			panic(err)
 		}
 
-		if resBlock.Block != nil &&
-			resBlock.Block.Height >= height {
+		if resBlock.Block != nil && resBlock.Block.Height >= height {
 			return
 		}
+
 		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
 	}
 }
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ func StatusOK(statusCode int) bool {
 func waitForHeight(height int64, url string) {
 	var res *http.Response
 	var err error
+
 	for {
 		// Since this is in a testing file we are accepting nolint to be passed
 		res, err = http.Get(url) //nolint:gosec
@@ -107,21 +108,20 @@ func waitForHeight(height int64, url string) {
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
-		err = res.Body.Close()
-		if err != nil {
+
+		if err = res.Body.Close(); err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
 
 		var resultBlock ctypes.ResultBlock
-		err = cdc.UnmarshalJSON(body, &resultBlock)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err = cdc.UnmarshalJSON(body, &resultBlock); err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
 
-		if resultBlock.Block != nil &&
-			resultBlock.Block.Height >= height {
+		if resultBlock.Block != nil && resultBlock.Block.Height >= height {
 			return
 		}
+
 		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/types/rest/rest.go b/types/rest/rest.go
index c356f07e1..bcaaba62d 100644
--- a/types/rest/rest.go
+++ b/types/rest/rest.go
@@ -232,6 +232,8 @@ func ParseQueryHeightOrReturnBadRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, cliCtx context.CL
 		if height > 0 {
 			cliCtx = cliCtx.WithHeight(height)
 		}
+	} else {
+		cliCtx = cliCtx.WithHeight(0)
 	}
 
 	return cliCtx, true
diff --git a/x/auth/client/rest/broadcast.go b/x/auth/client/rest/broadcast.go
index 9aff327fb..e7609194c 100644
--- a/x/auth/client/rest/broadcast.go
+++ b/x/auth/client/rest/broadcast.go
@@ -48,6 +48,6 @@ func BroadcastTxRequest(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 			return
 		}
 
-		rest.PostProcessResponse(w, cliCtx, res)
+		rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, res)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/x/auth/client/rest/encode.go b/x/auth/client/rest/encode.go
index c1b7f739f..e2d9f4fea 100644
--- a/x/auth/client/rest/encode.go
+++ b/x/auth/client/rest/encode.go
@@ -45,6 +45,6 @@ func EncodeTxRequestHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 		txBytesBase64 := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(txBytes)
 
 		response := EncodeResp{Tx: txBytesBase64}
-		rest.PostProcessResponse(w, cliCtx, response)
+		rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, response)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/x/auth/client/rest/query.go b/x/auth/client/rest/query.go
index daf4d34e2..d4a1a32f8 100644
--- a/x/auth/client/rest/query.go
+++ b/x/auth/client/rest/query.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 
 // query accountREST Handler
 func QueryAccountRequestHandlerFn(storeName string, cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
-
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		vars := mux.Vars(r)
 		bech32addr := vars["address"]
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ func QueryTxsRequestHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 		}
 
 		if len(r.Form) == 0 {
-			rest.PostProcessResponse(w, cliCtx, txs)
+			rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, txs)
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ func QueryTxsRequestHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 			return
 		}
 
-		rest.PostProcessResponse(w, cliCtx, searchResult)
+		rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, searchResult)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -131,6 +130,6 @@ func QueryTxRequestHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 			rest.WriteErrorResponse(w, http.StatusNotFound, fmt.Sprintf("no transaction found with hash %s", hashHexStr))
 		}
 
-		rest.PostProcessResponse(w, cliCtx, output)
+		rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, output)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/x/bank/client/rest/query.go b/x/bank/client/rest/query.go
index 1341445cf..97bb16df3 100644
--- a/x/bank/client/rest/query.go
+++ b/x/bank/client/rest/query.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 
 // query accountREST Handler
 func QueryBalancesRequestHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
-
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 		vars := mux.Vars(r)
diff --git a/x/genutil/client/rest/query.go b/x/genutil/client/rest/query.go
index 157384dca..4f0f318aa 100644
--- a/x/genutil/client/rest/query.go
+++ b/x/genutil/client/rest/query.go
@@ -37,5 +37,5 @@ func QueryGenesisTxs(cliCtx context.CLIContext, w http.ResponseWriter) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	rest.PostProcessResponse(w, cliCtx, genTxs)
+	rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, genTxs)
 }
diff --git a/x/staking/client/rest/query.go b/x/staking/client/rest/query.go
index eb59ca108..e0eabd870 100644
--- a/x/staking/client/rest/query.go
+++ b/x/staking/client/rest/query.go
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func delegatorTxsHandlerFn(cliCtx context.CLIContext) http.HandlerFunc {
 			return
 		}
 
-		rest.PostProcessResponse(w, cliCtx, res)
+		rest.PostProcessResponseBare(w, cliCtx, res)
 	}
 }