diff --git a/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof.go b/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof.go
index 47568361da8..b098fd0cd3f 100644
--- a/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof.go
+++ b/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ var (
 
 //----------------------------------------
 
+// Contract: Left and Right can never both be set. Will result in a empty `[]` roothash
 type proofInnerNode struct {
 	Height  int8   `json:"height"`
 	Size    int64  `json:"size"`
@@ -62,6 +63,10 @@ func (pin proofInnerNode) Hash(childHash []byte) []byte {
 		err = amino.EncodeVarint(buf, pin.Version)
 	}
 
+	if len(pin.Left) > 0 && len(pin.Right) > 0 {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("both left and right child hashes are set"))
+	}
+
 	if len(pin.Left) == 0 {
 		if err == nil {
 			err = amino.EncodeByteSlice(buf, childHash)
diff --git a/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof_forgery_test.go b/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof_forgery_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a742ad40fcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof_forgery_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+package iavl_test
+
+import (
+	"encoding/hex"
+	"math/rand"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/gnolang/gno/tm2/pkg/crypto/tmhash"
+	"github.com/gnolang/gno/tm2/pkg/db"
+	"github.com/gnolang/gno/tm2/pkg/iavl"
+)
+
+func TestProofForgery(t *testing.T) {
+	source := rand.NewSource(0)
+	r := rand.New(source)
+	cacheSize := 0
+	tree := iavl.NewMutableTree(db.NewMemDB(), cacheSize)
+
+	// two keys only
+	keys := []byte{0x11, 0x32}
+	values := make([][]byte, len(keys))
+	// make random values and insert into tree
+	for i, ikey := range keys {
+		key := []byte{ikey}
+		v := r.Intn(255)
+		values[i] = []byte{byte(v)}
+		tree.Set(key, values[i])
+	}
+
+	// get root
+	root := tree.WorkingHash()
+	// use the rightmost kv pair in the tree so the inner nodes will populate left
+	k := []byte{keys[1]}
+	v := values[1]
+
+	val, proof, err := tree.GetWithProof(k)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = proof.Verify(root)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	err = proof.VerifyItem(k, val)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// ------------------- FORGE PROOF -------------------
+
+	forgedPayloadBytes := decodeHex(t, "0xabcd")
+	forgedValueHash := tmhash.Sum(forgedPayloadBytes)
+	// make a forgery of the proof by adding:
+	// - a new leaf node to the right
+	// - an empty inner node
+	// - a right entry in the path
+	_, proof2, _ := tree.GetWithProof(k)
+	forgedNode := proof2.Leaves[0]
+	forgedNode.Key = []byte{0xFF}
+	forgedNode.ValueHash = forgedValueHash
+	proof2.Leaves = append(proof2.Leaves, forgedNode)
+	proof2.InnerNodes = append(proof2.InnerNodes, iavl.PathToLeaf{})
+	// figure out what hash we need via https://twitter.com/samczsun/status/1578181160345034752
+	proof2.LeftPath[0].Right = decodeHex(t, "82C36CED85E914DAE8FDF6DD11FD5833121AA425711EB126C470CE28FF6623D5")
+
+	rootHashValid := proof.ComputeRootHash()
+	verifyErr := proof.Verify(rootHashValid)
+	require.NoError(t, verifyErr, "should verify")
+
+	// forged proofs now should make ComputeRootHash() and Verify() panic
+	var rootHashForged []byte
+	require.Panics(t, func() { rootHashForged = proof2.ComputeRootHash() }, "ComputeRootHash must panic if both left and right are set")
+	require.Panics(t, func() { proof2.Verify(rootHashForged) }, "forged proof should not verify")
+	require.Panics(t, func() { proof2.Verify(rootHashValid) }, "verify (tentatively forged) proof2 two fails with valid proof")
+
+	{
+		// legit node verifies against legit proof (expected)
+		verifyErr = proof.VerifyItem(k, v)
+		require.NoError(t, verifyErr, "valid proof should verify")
+		// forged node fails to verify against legit proof (expected)
+		verifyErr = proof.VerifyItem(forgedNode.Key, forgedPayloadBytes)
+		require.Error(t, verifyErr, "forged proof should fail to verify")
+	}
+	{
+		// legit node fails to verify against forged proof (expected)
+		verifyErr = proof2.VerifyItem(k, v)
+		require.Error(t, verifyErr, "valid proof should verify, but has a forged sister node")
+
+		// forged node fails to verify against forged proof (previously this succeeded!)
+		verifyErr = proof2.VerifyItem(forgedNode.Key, forgedPayloadBytes)
+		require.Error(t, verifyErr, "forged proof should fail verify")
+	}
+}
+
+func decodeHex(t *testing.T, str string) []byte {
+	t.Helper()
+	if strings.HasPrefix(str, "0x") {
+		str = str[2:]
+	}
+	b, err := hex.DecodeString(str)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unable to decode string, %v", err)
+	}
+	return b
+}
diff --git a/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof_test.go b/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof_test.go
index 87f3329bb80..f67ea45b00a 100644
--- a/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof_test.go
+++ b/tm2/pkg/iavl/proof_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package iavl
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@ func verifyProof(t *testing.T, proof *RangeProof, root []byte) {
 		}
 		// may be invalid... errors are okay
 		if err == nil {
-			assert.Errorf(t, badProof.Verify(root),
+			assert.Errorf(t, rangeProofVerify(badProof, root),
 				"Proof was still valid after a random mutation:\n%X\n%X",
 				proofBytes, badProofBytes)
 		}
@@ -239,6 +240,16 @@ func verifyProof(t *testing.T, proof *RangeProof, root []byte) {
 
 // ----------------------------------------
 
+func rangeProofVerify(rangeProof *RangeProof, root []byte) (namedError error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if e := recover(); e != nil {
+			namedError = errors.New(e.(string))
+		}
+	}()
+	namedError = rangeProof.Verify(root)
+	return
+}
+
 func flatten(bzz [][]byte) (res []byte) {
 	for _, bz := range bzz {
 		res = append(res, bz...)