diff --git a/app/app.go b/app/app.go
index d123548a..14706953 100644
--- a/app/app.go
+++ b/app/app.go
@@ -865,7 +865,7 @@ func NewApp(
 	pvKeyFile := filepath.Join(homePath, cast.ToString(appOpts.Get("priv_validator_key_file")))
 	vrfKeyFile := utils.PrivValidatorKeyFileToVRFKeyFile(pvKeyFile)
 	vrfKey, err := utils.LoadVRFKey(vrfKeyFile)
-	if vrfKey == nil || err != nil {
+	if err != nil {
 		// TO-DO if validator, panic
 		app.Logger().Info("failed to load vrf key")
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/app/utils/vrf_key.go b/app/utils/vrf_key.go
index 14704082..d71cca0d 100644
--- a/app/utils/vrf_key.go
+++ b/app/utils/vrf_key.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package utils
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -146,7 +145,7 @@ func (v *VRFKey) SignTransaction(
 	}
 
 	bytesToSign, err := authsigning.GetSignBytesAdapter(
-		context.Background(),
+		ctx,
 		txConfig.SignModeHandler(),
 		signMode,
 		signerData,
@@ -239,7 +238,7 @@ func LoadVRFKey(keyFilePath string) (*VRFKey, error) {
 
 func InitializeVRFKey(config *cfg.Config) (vrfPubKey sdkcrypto.PubKey, err error) {
 	pvKeyFile := config.PrivValidatorKeyFile()
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(pvKeyFile), 0o777); err != nil {
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(pvKeyFile), 0o755); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not create directory %q: %w", filepath.Dir(pvKeyFile), err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/x/randomness/keeper/abci.go b/x/randomness/keeper/abci.go
index 386e5626..41f812cf 100644
--- a/x/randomness/keeper/abci.go
+++ b/x/randomness/keeper/abci.go
@@ -86,10 +86,10 @@ func (h *ProposalHandler) PrepareProposalHandler(
 
 		stop := h.txSelector.SelectTxForProposal(ctx, uint64(req.MaxTxBytes), maxBlockGas, newSeedTx, newSeedTxBz)
 		if stop {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("max block gas exceeded by just new seed tx")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("max block gas or tx bytes exceeded by just new seed tx")
 		}
 
-		// perform mandatory checks on the other txs
+		// include txs in the proposal until max tx bytes or block gas limits are reached
 		for _, txBz := range req.Txs {
 			tx, err := h.txVerifier.TxDecode(txBz)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -235,7 +235,11 @@ func generateAndSignNewSeedTx(ctx sdk.Context, txConfig client.TxConfig, vrfSign
 		txsigning.SignMode_SIGN_MODE_DIRECT,
 		account,
 	)
-	if err := txBuilder.SetSignatures(sig); err != nil {
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	err = txBuilder.SetSignatures(sig)
+	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/x/staking/client/cli/tx.go b/x/staking/client/cli/tx.go
index 1c836b1f..cb02fe75 100644
--- a/x/staking/client/cli/tx.go
+++ b/x/staking/client/cli/tx.go
@@ -171,8 +171,7 @@ type TxCreateValidatorConfig struct {
 }
 
 func BuildCreateValidatorWithVRFMsg(clientCtx client.Context, config TxCreateValidatorConfig, txBldr tx.Factory, generateOnly bool, valCodec address.Codec) (tx.Factory, sdk.Msg, error) {
-	amounstStr := config.Amount
-	amount, err := sdk.ParseCoinNormalized(amounstStr)
+	amount, err := sdk.ParseCoinNormalized(config.Amount)
 	if err != nil {
 		return txBldr, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/x/staking/types/msg.go b/x/staking/types/msg.go
index 9de45f95..d6c2c9ae 100644
--- a/x/staking/types/msg.go
+++ b/x/staking/types/msg.go
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ var (
 	_ codectypes.UnpackInterfacesMessage = (*MsgCreateValidatorWithVRF)(nil)
 )
 
-// NewMsgCreateValidator creates a new MsgCreateValidator instance.
-// Delegator address and validator address are the same.
+// NewMsgCreateValidatorWithVRF creates a MsgCreateValidatorWithVRF instance.
 func NewMsgCreateValidatorWithVRF(
 	valAddr string, pubKey cryptotypes.PubKey, vrfPubKey cryptotypes.PubKey,
 	selfDelegation sdk.Coin, description types.Description, commission types.CommissionRates, minSelfDelegation math.Int,