diff --git a/types/params_test.go b/types/params_test.go
index 606731037..f19ed001b 100644
--- a/types/params_test.go
+++ b/types/params_test.go
@@ -19,11 +19,13 @@ var (
 
 func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []struct {
+		name   string
 		params ConsensusParams
 		valid  bool
 	}{
 		// test block params
 		{
+			name: "block params valid",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:   1,
 				evidenceAge:  2,
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			valid: true,
 		},
 		{
+			name: "block params invalid MaxBytes",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:   0,
 				evidenceAge:  2,
@@ -40,6 +43,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			valid: false,
 		},
 		{
+			name: "block params large MaxBytes",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:   47 * 1024 * 1024,
 				evidenceAge:  2,
@@ -48,6 +52,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			valid: true,
 		},
 		{
+			name: "block params small MaxBytes",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:   10,
 				evidenceAge:  2,
@@ -56,6 +61,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			valid: true,
 		},
 		{
+			name: "block params 100MB MaxBytes",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:   100 * 1024 * 1024,
 				evidenceAge:  2,
@@ -64,6 +70,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			valid: true,
 		},
 		{
+			name: "block params MaxBytes too large",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:   101 * 1024 * 1024,
 				evidenceAge:  2,
@@ -72,14 +79,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			valid: false,
 		},
 		{
-			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
-				blockBytes:   1024 * 1024 * 1024,
-				evidenceAge:  2,
-				precision:    1,
-				messageDelay: 1}),
-			valid: false,
-		},
-		{
+			name: "block params 1GB MaxBytes",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:   1024 * 1024 * 1024,
 				evidenceAge:  2,
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		// test evidence params
 		{
+			name: "evidence MaxAge and MaxBytes 0",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:       1,
 				evidenceAge:      0,
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			valid: false,
 		},
 		{
+			name: "evidence MaxBytes greater than Block.MaxBytes",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:       1,
 				evidenceAge:      2,
@@ -107,6 +109,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			valid: false,
 		},
 		{
+			name: "evidence size below Block.MaxBytes",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:       1000,
 				evidenceAge:      2,
@@ -116,6 +119,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			valid: true,
 		},
 		{
+			name: "evidence MaxAgeDuration < 0",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				blockBytes:       1,
 				evidenceAge:      -1,
@@ -124,8 +128,8 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 				messageDelay:     1}),
 			valid: false,
 		},
-		// test no pubkey type provided
 		{
+			name: "no pubkey types",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				evidenceAge:  2,
 				pubkeyTypes:  []string{},
@@ -133,8 +137,8 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 				messageDelay: 1}),
 			valid: false,
 		},
-		// test invalid pubkey type provided
 		{
+			name: "invalid pubkey types",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				evidenceAge:  2,
 				pubkeyTypes:  []string{"potatoes make good pubkeys"},
@@ -142,8 +146,8 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 				messageDelay: 1}),
 			valid: false,
 		},
-		// test invalid pubkey type provided
 		{
+			name: "negative MessageDelay",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				evidenceAge:  2,
 				precision:    1,
@@ -151,6 +155,7 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 			valid: false,
 		},
 		{
+			name: "negative Precision",
 			params: makeParams(makeParamsArgs{
 				evidenceAge:  2,
 				precision:    -1,
@@ -159,11 +164,13 @@ func TestConsensusParamsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for i, tc := range testCases {
-		if tc.valid {
-			assert.NoErrorf(t, tc.params.ValidateConsensusParams(), "expected no error for valid params (#%d)", i)
-		} else {
-			assert.Errorf(t, tc.params.ValidateConsensusParams(), "expected error for non valid params (#%d)", i)
-		}
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if tc.valid {
+				assert.NoErrorf(t, tc.params.ValidateConsensusParams(), "expected no error for valid params (#%d)", i)
+			} else {
+				assert.Errorf(t, tc.params.ValidateConsensusParams(), "expected error for non valid params (#%d)", i)
+			}
+		})
 	}
 }
 
@@ -175,18 +182,34 @@ type makeParamsArgs struct {
 	pubkeyTypes         []string
 	precision           time.Duration
 	messageDelay        time.Duration
-	propose             time.Duration
-	proposeDelta        time.Duration
-	vote                time.Duration
-	voteDelta           time.Duration
-	commit              time.Duration
 	bypassCommitTimeout bool
+
+	propose      *time.Duration
+	proposeDelta *time.Duration
+	vote         *time.Duration
+	voteDelta    *time.Duration
+	commit       *time.Duration
 }
 
 func makeParams(args makeParamsArgs) ConsensusParams {
 	if args.pubkeyTypes == nil {
 		args.pubkeyTypes = valEd25519
 	}
+	if args.propose == nil {
+		args.propose = durationPtr(1)
+	}
+	if args.proposeDelta == nil {
+		args.proposeDelta = durationPtr(1)
+	}
+	if args.vote == nil {
+		args.vote = durationPtr(1)
+	}
+	if args.voteDelta == nil {
+		args.voteDelta = durationPtr(1)
+	}
+	if args.commit == nil {
+		args.commit = durationPtr(1)
+	}
 	return ConsensusParams{
 		Block: BlockParams{
 			MaxBytes: args.blockBytes,