diff --git a/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/connection_test.go b/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/connection_test.go
index ff2aa08d4a66..93891cbea12e 100644
--- a/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/connection_test.go
+++ b/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/connection_test.go
@@ -12,12 +12,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	chainID       = "gaiamainnet"
-	connectionID  = "connectionidone"
-	clientID      = "clientidone"
-	connectionID2 = "connectionidtwo"
-	clientID2     = "clientidtwo"
-	clientHeight  = clienttypes.NewHeight(0, 6)
+	chainID             = "gaiamainnet"
+	connectionID        = "connectionidone"
+	clientID            = "clientidone"
+	connectionID2       = "connectionidtwo"
+	clientID2           = "clientidtwo"
+	invalidConnectionID = "(invalidConnectionID)"
+	clientHeight        = clienttypes.NewHeight(0, 6)
 )
 
 func TestConnectionValidateBasic(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/genesis.go b/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/genesis.go
index 9b155a368b05..58b21678c299 100644
--- a/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/genesis.go
+++ b/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/genesis.go
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ func (gs GenesisState) Validate() error {
 		if err := host.ClientIdentifierValidator(conPaths.ClientId); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("invalid client connection path %d: %w", i, err)
 		}
-		for _, path := range conPaths.Paths {
-			if err := host.PathValidator(path); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("invalid client connection path %d: %w", i, err)
+		for _, connectionID := range conPaths.Paths {
+			if err := host.ConnectionIdentifierValidator(connectionID); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("invalid client connection ID (%s) in connection paths %d: %w", connectionID, i, err)
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/genesis_test.go b/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/genesis_test.go
index 8080f49d5c80..6290a98a9ff4 100644
--- a/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/genesis_test.go
+++ b/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types/genesis_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types"
 	commitmenttypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/core/23-commitment/types"
-	host "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/core/24-host"
 	ibctesting "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/testing"
 )
 
@@ -30,7 +29,7 @@ func TestValidateGenesis(t *testing.T) {
 					types.NewIdentifiedConnection(connectionID, types.NewConnectionEnd(types.INIT, clientID, types.Counterparty{clientID2, connectionID2, commitmenttypes.NewMerklePrefix([]byte("prefix"))}, []*types.Version{ibctesting.ConnectionVersion})),
 				},
 				[]types.ConnectionPaths{
-					{clientID, []string{host.ConnectionPath(connectionID)}},
+					{clientID, []string{connectionID}},
 				},
 			),
 			expPass: true,
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ func TestValidateGenesis(t *testing.T) {
 					types.NewIdentifiedConnection(connectionID, types.NewConnectionEnd(types.INIT, "(CLIENTIDONE)", types.Counterparty{clientID, connectionID, commitmenttypes.NewMerklePrefix([]byte("prefix"))}, []*types.Version{ibctesting.ConnectionVersion})),
 				},
 				[]types.ConnectionPaths{
-					{clientID, []string{host.ConnectionPath(connectionID)}},
+					{clientID, []string{connectionID}},
 				},
 			),
 			expPass: false,
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ func TestValidateGenesis(t *testing.T) {
 					types.NewIdentifiedConnection(connectionID, types.NewConnectionEnd(types.INIT, clientID, types.Counterparty{clientID2, connectionID2, commitmenttypes.NewMerklePrefix([]byte("prefix"))}, []*types.Version{ibctesting.ConnectionVersion})),
 				},
 				[]types.ConnectionPaths{
-					{"(CLIENTIDONE)", []string{host.ConnectionPath(connectionID)}},
+					{"(CLIENTIDONE)", []string{connectionID}},
 				},
 			),
 			expPass: false,
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ func TestValidateGenesis(t *testing.T) {
 					types.NewIdentifiedConnection(connectionID, types.NewConnectionEnd(types.INIT, clientID, types.Counterparty{clientID2, connectionID2, commitmenttypes.NewMerklePrefix([]byte("prefix"))}, []*types.Version{ibctesting.ConnectionVersion})),
 				},
 				[]types.ConnectionPaths{
-					{clientID, []string{connectionID}},
+					{clientID, []string{invalidConnectionID}},
 				},
 			),
 			expPass: false,
diff --git a/x/ibc/core/24-host/validate.go b/x/ibc/core/24-host/validate.go
index bbfafbee75d2..d589223f58da 100644
--- a/x/ibc/core/24-host/validate.go
+++ b/x/ibc/core/24-host/validate.go
@@ -112,14 +112,3 @@ func NewPathValidator(idValidator ValidateFn) ValidateFn {
 		return nil
 	}
 }
-
-// PathValidator takes in path string and validates with default identifier rules:
-// path consists of `/`-separated valid identifiers,
-// each identifier is between 1-64 characters and contains only alphanumeric and some allowed
-// special characters (see IsValidID).
-func PathValidator(path string) error {
-	f := NewPathValidator(func(path string) error {
-		return nil
-	})
-	return f(path)
-}
diff --git a/x/ibc/core/24-host/validate_test.go b/x/ibc/core/24-host/validate_test.go
index 41dd5167d9a4..40987bd15714 100644
--- a/x/ibc/core/24-host/validate_test.go
+++ b/x/ibc/core/24-host/validate_test.go
@@ -73,7 +73,12 @@ func TestPathValidator(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
-		err := PathValidator(tc.id)
+		f := NewPathValidator(func(path string) error {
+			return nil
+		})
+
+		err := f(tc.id)
+
 		if tc.expPass {
 			seps := strings.Count(tc.id, "/")
 			require.Equal(t, 1, seps)
diff --git a/x/ibc/core/genesis_test.go b/x/ibc/core/genesis_test.go
index a14669faaa9b..d435cf85667a 100644
--- a/x/ibc/core/genesis_test.go
+++ b/x/ibc/core/genesis_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	connectiontypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/core/03-connection/types"
 	channeltypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/core/04-channel/types"
 	commitmenttypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/core/23-commitment/types"
-	host "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/core/24-host"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/core/exported"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/core/types"
 	ibctmtypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/ibc/light-clients/07-tendermint/types"
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ func (suite *IBCTestSuite) TestValidateGenesis() {
 				ClientGenesis: clienttypes.NewGenesisState(
 					[]clienttypes.IdentifiedClientState{
 						clienttypes.NewIdentifiedClientState(
-							clientID, ibctmtypes.NewClientState(suite.chainA.ChainID, ibctmtypes.DefaultTrustLevel, ibctesting.TrustingPeriod, ibctesting.UnbondingPeriod, ibctesting.MaxClockDrift, clientHeight,  commitmenttypes.GetSDKSpecs(), ibctesting.UpgradePath, false, false),
+							clientID, ibctmtypes.NewClientState(suite.chainA.ChainID, ibctmtypes.DefaultTrustLevel, ibctesting.TrustingPeriod, ibctesting.UnbondingPeriod, ibctesting.MaxClockDrift, clientHeight, commitmenttypes.GetSDKSpecs(), ibctesting.UpgradePath, false, false),
 						),
 						clienttypes.NewIdentifiedClientState(
 							exported.Localhost, localhosttypes.NewClientState("chaindID", clientHeight),
@@ -104,7 +103,7 @@ func (suite *IBCTestSuite) TestValidateGenesis() {
 						connectiontypes.NewIdentifiedConnection(connectionID, connectiontypes.NewConnectionEnd(connectiontypes.INIT, clientID, connectiontypes.NewCounterparty(clientID2, connectionID2, commitmenttypes.NewMerklePrefix([]byte("prefix"))), []*connectiontypes.Version{ibctesting.ConnectionVersion})),
 					},
 					[]connectiontypes.ConnectionPaths{
-						connectiontypes.NewConnectionPaths(clientID, []string{host.ConnectionPath(connectionID)}),
+						connectiontypes.NewConnectionPaths(clientID, []string{connectionID}),
 					},
 				),
 				ChannelGenesis: channeltypes.NewGenesisState(
@@ -144,7 +143,7 @@ func (suite *IBCTestSuite) TestValidateGenesis() {
 				ClientGenesis: clienttypes.NewGenesisState(
 					[]clienttypes.IdentifiedClientState{
 						clienttypes.NewIdentifiedClientState(
-							clientID, ibctmtypes.NewClientState(suite.chainA.ChainID, ibctmtypes.DefaultTrustLevel, ibctesting.TrustingPeriod, ibctesting.UnbondingPeriod, ibctesting.MaxClockDrift, clientHeight,  commitmenttypes.GetSDKSpecs(), ibctesting.UpgradePath, false, false),
+							clientID, ibctmtypes.NewClientState(suite.chainA.ChainID, ibctmtypes.DefaultTrustLevel, ibctesting.TrustingPeriod, ibctesting.UnbondingPeriod, ibctesting.MaxClockDrift, clientHeight, commitmenttypes.GetSDKSpecs(), ibctesting.UpgradePath, false, false),
 						),
 						clienttypes.NewIdentifiedClientState(
 							exported.Localhost, localhosttypes.NewClientState("(chaindID)", clienttypes.ZeroHeight()),
@@ -167,7 +166,7 @@ func (suite *IBCTestSuite) TestValidateGenesis() {
 						connectiontypes.NewIdentifiedConnection(connectionID, connectiontypes.NewConnectionEnd(connectiontypes.INIT, "(CLIENTIDONE)", connectiontypes.NewCounterparty(clientID, connectionID2, commitmenttypes.NewMerklePrefix([]byte("prefix"))), []*connectiontypes.Version{connectiontypes.NewVersion("1.1", nil)})),
 					},
 					[]connectiontypes.ConnectionPaths{
-						connectiontypes.NewConnectionPaths(clientID, []string{host.ConnectionPath(connectionID)}),
+						connectiontypes.NewConnectionPaths(clientID, []string{connectionID}),
 					},
 				),
 			},
@@ -216,7 +215,7 @@ func (suite *IBCTestSuite) TestInitGenesis() {
 				ClientGenesis: clienttypes.NewGenesisState(
 					[]clienttypes.IdentifiedClientState{
 						clienttypes.NewIdentifiedClientState(
-							clientID, ibctmtypes.NewClientState(suite.chainA.ChainID, ibctmtypes.DefaultTrustLevel, ibctesting.TrustingPeriod, ibctesting.UnbondingPeriod, ibctesting.MaxClockDrift, clientHeight,  commitmenttypes.GetSDKSpecs(), ibctesting.UpgradePath, false, false),
+							clientID, ibctmtypes.NewClientState(suite.chainA.ChainID, ibctmtypes.DefaultTrustLevel, ibctesting.TrustingPeriod, ibctesting.UnbondingPeriod, ibctesting.MaxClockDrift, clientHeight, commitmenttypes.GetSDKSpecs(), ibctesting.UpgradePath, false, false),
 						),
 						clienttypes.NewIdentifiedClientState(
 							exported.Localhost, localhosttypes.NewClientState("chaindID", clientHeight),
@@ -243,7 +242,7 @@ func (suite *IBCTestSuite) TestInitGenesis() {
 						connectiontypes.NewIdentifiedConnection(connectionID, connectiontypes.NewConnectionEnd(connectiontypes.INIT, clientID, connectiontypes.NewCounterparty(clientID2, connectionID2, commitmenttypes.NewMerklePrefix([]byte("prefix"))), []*connectiontypes.Version{ibctesting.ConnectionVersion})),
 					},
 					[]connectiontypes.ConnectionPaths{
-						connectiontypes.NewConnectionPaths(clientID, []string{host.ConnectionPath(connectionID)}),
+						connectiontypes.NewConnectionPaths(clientID, []string{connectionID}),
 					},
 				),
 				ChannelGenesis: channeltypes.NewGenesisState(