diff --git a/store/cachemulti/store.go b/store/cachemulti/store.go
index 59a29c358cc5..43bb40ae76cd 100644
--- a/store/cachemulti/store.go
+++ b/store/cachemulti/store.go
@@ -141,13 +141,17 @@ func (cms Store) CacheMultiStoreWithVersion(_ int64) (types.CacheMultiStore, err
 
 // GetStore returns an underlying Store by key.
 func (cms Store) GetStore(key types.StoreKey) types.Store {
-	return cms.stores[key].(types.Store)
+	s := cms.stores[key]
+	if key == nil || s == nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("kv store with key %v has not been registered in stores", key))
+	}
+	return s.(types.Store)
 }
 
 // GetKVStore returns an underlying KVStore by key.
 func (cms Store) GetKVStore(key types.StoreKey) types.KVStore {
 	store := cms.stores[key]
-	if key == nil {
+	if key == nil || store == nil {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("kv store with key %v has not been registered in stores", key))
 	}
 	return store.(types.KVStore)
diff --git a/store/cachemulti/store_test.go b/store/cachemulti/store_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8747df9ef966
--- /dev/null
+++ b/store/cachemulti/store_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+package cachemulti
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/store/types"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestStoreGetKVStore(t *testing.T) {
+	require := require.New(t)
+
+	s := Store{stores: map[types.StoreKey]types.CacheWrap{}}
+	key := types.NewKVStoreKey("abc")
+	errMsg := fmt.Sprintf("kv store with key %v has not been registered in stores", key)
+
+	require.PanicsWithValue(errMsg,
+		func() { s.GetStore(key) })
+
+	require.PanicsWithValue(errMsg,
+		func() { s.GetKVStore(key) })
+}
diff --git a/store/rootmulti/store.go b/store/rootmulti/store.go
index 1ca43eae9d4e..536510914399 100644
--- a/store/rootmulti/store.go
+++ b/store/rootmulti/store.go
@@ -467,7 +467,11 @@ func (rs *Store) GetStore(key types.StoreKey) types.Store {
 // NOTE: The returned KVStore may be wrapped in an inter-block cache if it is
 // set on the root store.
 func (rs *Store) GetKVStore(key types.StoreKey) types.KVStore {
-	store := rs.stores[key].(types.KVStore)
+	s := rs.stores[key]
+	if s == nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("store does not exist for key: %s", key.Name()))
+	}
+	store := s.(types.KVStore)
 
 	if rs.TracingEnabled() {
 		store = tracekv.NewStore(store, rs.traceWriter, rs.traceContext)