diff --git a/store/types/store.go b/store/types/store.go
index bb628dd26922..37f583900909 100644
--- a/store/types/store.go
+++ b/store/types/store.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"io"
 
 	abci "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
-	tmstrings "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/strings"
 	dbm "github.com/tendermint/tm-db"
 
 	pruningtypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pruning/types"
@@ -64,7 +63,12 @@ func (s *StoreUpgrades) IsAdded(key string) bool {
 	if s == nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	return tmstrings.StringInSlice(key, s.Added)
+	for _, added := range s.Added {
+		if key == added {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 // IsDeleted returns true if the given key should be deleted
diff --git a/x/staking/keeper/msg_server.go b/x/staking/keeper/msg_server.go
index 3e4ad4417d1b..cf74b61ea02f 100644
--- a/x/staking/keeper/msg_server.go
+++ b/x/staking/keeper/msg_server.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 
 	"github.com/armon/go-metrics"
-	tmstrings "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/strings"
 
 	cryptotypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/types"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/telemetry"
@@ -70,7 +69,15 @@ func (k msgServer) CreateValidator(goCtx context.Context, msg *types.MsgCreateVa
 
 	cp := ctx.ConsensusParams()
 	if cp != nil && cp.Validator != nil {
-		if !tmstrings.StringInSlice(pk.Type(), cp.Validator.PubKeyTypes) {
+		pkType := pk.Type()
+		hasKeyType := false
+		for _, keyType := range cp.Validator.PubKeyTypes {
+			if pkType == keyType {
+				hasKeyType = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if !hasKeyType {
 			return nil, sdkerrors.Wrapf(
 				types.ErrValidatorPubKeyTypeNotSupported,
 				"got: %s, expected: %s", pk.Type(), cp.Validator.PubKeyTypes,