diff --git a/x/ibc/02-client/handler.go b/x/ibc/02-client/handler.go
index 8a9fe5883..398f59766 100644
--- a/x/ibc/02-client/handler.go
+++ b/x/ibc/02-client/handler.go
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ func HandleMsgCreateClient(ctx sdk.Context, k keeper.Keeper, msg exported.MsgCre
 
 	switch clientType {
 	case exported.Tendermint:
-		tmMsg, ok := msg.(ibctmtypes.MsgCreateClient)
+		tmMsg, ok := msg.(*ibctmtypes.MsgCreateClient)
 		if !ok {
-			return nil, sdkerrors.Wrapf(types.ErrInvalidClientType, "got %T, expected %T", msg, ibctmtypes.MsgCreateClient{})
+			return nil, sdkerrors.Wrapf(types.ErrInvalidClientType, "got %T, expected %T", msg, &ibctmtypes.MsgCreateClient{})
 		}
 		var err error
 
diff --git a/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/client_state.go b/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/client_state.go
index a9d0e2721..df4c58eb8 100644
--- a/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/client_state.go
+++ b/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/client_state.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ type ClientState struct {
 }
 
 // InitializeFromMsg creates a tendermint client state from a CreateClientMsg
-func InitializeFromMsg(msg MsgCreateClient) (ClientState, error) {
+func InitializeFromMsg(msg *MsgCreateClient) (ClientState, error) {
 	return Initialize(
 		msg.GetClientID(), msg.TrustLevel,
 		msg.TrustingPeriod, msg.UnbondingPeriod, msg.MaxClockDrift,
diff --git a/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/msgs.go b/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/msgs.go
index 6cc16c234..1e5f175b7 100644
--- a/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/msgs.go
+++ b/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/msgs.go
@@ -45,18 +45,18 @@ type MsgCreateClient struct {
 const TODO = "TODO"
 
 // dummy implementation of proto.Message
-func (msg MsgCreateClient) Reset()         {}
-func (msg MsgCreateClient) String() string { return TODO }
-func (msg MsgCreateClient) ProtoMessage()  {}
+func (msg *MsgCreateClient) Reset()         {}
+func (msg *MsgCreateClient) String() string { return TODO }
+func (msg *MsgCreateClient) ProtoMessage()  {}
 
 // NewMsgCreateClient creates a new MsgCreateClient instance
 func NewMsgCreateClient(
 	id string, header Header, trustLevel tmmath.Fraction,
 	trustingPeriod, unbondingPeriod, maxClockDrift time.Duration,
 	specs []*ics23.ProofSpec, signer sdk.AccAddress,
-) MsgCreateClient {
+) *MsgCreateClient {
 
-	return MsgCreateClient{
+	return &MsgCreateClient{
 		ClientID:        id,
 		Header:          header,
 		TrustLevel:      trustLevel,
@@ -157,13 +157,13 @@ type MsgUpdateClient struct {
 }
 
 // dummy implementation of proto.Message
-func (msg MsgUpdateClient) Reset()         {}
-func (msg MsgUpdateClient) String() string { return TODO }
-func (msg MsgUpdateClient) ProtoMessage()  {}
+func (msg *MsgUpdateClient) Reset()         {}
+func (msg *MsgUpdateClient) String() string { return TODO }
+func (msg *MsgUpdateClient) ProtoMessage()  {}
 
 // NewMsgUpdateClient creates a new MsgUpdateClient instance
-func NewMsgUpdateClient(id string, header Header, signer sdk.AccAddress) MsgUpdateClient {
-	return MsgUpdateClient{
+func NewMsgUpdateClient(id string, header Header, signer sdk.AccAddress) *MsgUpdateClient {
+	return &MsgUpdateClient{
 		ClientID: id,
 		Header:   header,
 		Signer:   signer,
diff --git a/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/msgs_test.go b/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/msgs_test.go
index 686dbfc2c..ddf20d9fe 100644
--- a/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/msgs_test.go
+++ b/x/ibc/07-tendermint/types/msgs_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func (suite *TendermintTestSuite) TestMsgCreateClientValidateBasic() {
 	invalidHeader.ValidatorSet = nil
 
 	cases := []struct {
-		msg     ibctmtypes.MsgCreateClient
+		msg     *ibctmtypes.MsgCreateClient
 		expPass bool
 		errMsg  string
 	}{
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func (suite *TendermintTestSuite) TestMsgUpdateClient() {
 	signer := sdk.AccAddress(privKey.PubKey().Address())
 
 	cases := []struct {
-		msg     ibctmtypes.MsgUpdateClient
+		msg     *ibctmtypes.MsgUpdateClient
 		expPass bool
 		errMsg  string
 	}{