diff --git a/consensus/consensus.go b/consensus/consensus.go
index 4b01834fa..12ae7d8b4 100644
--- a/consensus/consensus.go
+++ b/consensus/consensus.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 package consensus // consensus
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -256,6 +257,9 @@ func New(host p2p.Host, ShardID uint32, leader p2p.Peer, blsPriKey *bls.SecretKe
 		consensus.priKey = blsPriKey
 		consensus.PubKey = blsPriKey.GetPublicKey()
 		utils.GetLogInstance().Info("my pubkey is", "pubkey", consensus.PubKey.SerializeToHexStr())
+	} else {
+		utils.GetLogInstance().Error("the bls key is nil")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("nil bls key, aborting")
 	}
 
 	// viewID has to be initialized as the height of the blockchain during initialization
diff --git a/node/node_handler_test.go b/node/node_handler_test.go
index 6f3b54dbf..c1aa5c982 100644
--- a/node/node_handler_test.go
+++ b/node/node_handler_test.go
@@ -12,14 +12,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestAddNewBlock(t *testing.T) {
-	pubKey := bls.RandPrivateKey().GetPublicKey()
+	blsKey := bls.RandPrivateKey()
+	pubKey := blsKey.GetPublicKey()
 	leader := p2p.Peer{IP: "127.0.0.1", Port: "9882", ConsensusPubKey: pubKey}
 	priKey, _, _ := utils.GenKeyP2P("127.0.0.1", "9902")
 	host, err := p2pimpl.NewHost(&leader, priKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("newhost failure: %v", err)
 	}
-	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, nil)
+	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, blsKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Cannot craeate consensus: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -37,14 +38,15 @@ func TestAddNewBlock(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestVerifyNewBlock(t *testing.T) {
-	pubKey := bls.RandPrivateKey().GetPublicKey()
+	blsKey := bls.RandPrivateKey()
+	pubKey := blsKey.GetPublicKey()
 	leader := p2p.Peer{IP: "127.0.0.1", Port: "8882", ConsensusPubKey: pubKey}
 	priKey, _, _ := utils.GenKeyP2P("127.0.0.1", "9902")
 	host, err := p2pimpl.NewHost(&leader, priKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("newhost failure: %v", err)
 	}
-	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, nil)
+	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, blsKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Cannot craeate consensus: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/node/node_test.go b/node/node_test.go
index cca7fc5d0..143bdb8b8 100644
--- a/node/node_test.go
+++ b/node/node_test.go
@@ -24,14 +24,15 @@ import (
 var testDBFactory = &shardchain.MemDBFactory{}
 
 func TestNewNode(t *testing.T) {
-	pubKey := bls2.RandPrivateKey().GetPublicKey()
+	blsKey := bls2.RandPrivateKey()
+	pubKey := blsKey.GetPublicKey()
 	leader := p2p.Peer{IP: "127.0.0.1", Port: "8882", ConsensusPubKey: pubKey}
 	priKey, _, _ := utils.GenKeyP2P("127.0.0.1", "9902")
 	host, err := p2pimpl.NewHost(&leader, priKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("newhost failure: %v", err)
 	}
-	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, nil)
+	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, blsKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Cannot craeate consensus: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -50,7 +51,8 @@ func TestNewNode(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestGetSyncingPeers(t *testing.T) {
-	pubKey := bls2.RandPrivateKey().GetPublicKey()
+	blsKey := bls2.RandPrivateKey()
+	pubKey := blsKey.GetPublicKey()
 	leader := p2p.Peer{IP: "127.0.0.1", Port: "8882", ConsensusPubKey: pubKey}
 	priKey, _, _ := utils.GenKeyP2P("127.0.0.1", "9902")
 	host, err := p2pimpl.NewHost(&leader, priKey)
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ func TestGetSyncingPeers(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("newhost failure: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, nil)
+	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, blsKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Cannot craeate consensus: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -92,7 +94,8 @@ func TestAddPeers(t *testing.T) {
 			ConsensusPubKey: pubKey2,
 		},
 	}
-	pubKey := bls2.RandPrivateKey().GetPublicKey()
+	blsKey := bls2.RandPrivateKey()
+	pubKey := blsKey.GetPublicKey()
 	leader := p2p.Peer{IP: "127.0.0.1", Port: "8982", ConsensusPubKey: pubKey}
 	validator := p2p.Peer{IP: "127.0.0.1", Port: "8985"}
 	priKey, _, _ := utils.GenKeyP2P("127.0.0.1", "9902")
@@ -100,7 +103,7 @@ func TestAddPeers(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("newhost failure: %v", err)
 	}
-	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, nil)
+	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, blsKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Cannot craeate consensus: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -138,7 +141,8 @@ func TestAddBeaconPeer(t *testing.T) {
 			PeerID:          "4567",
 		},
 	}
-	pubKey := bls2.RandPrivateKey().GetPublicKey()
+	blsKey := bls2.RandPrivateKey()
+	pubKey := blsKey.GetPublicKey()
 	leader := p2p.Peer{IP: "127.0.0.1", Port: "8982", ConsensusPubKey: pubKey}
 	validator := p2p.Peer{IP: "127.0.0.1", Port: "8985"}
 	priKey, _, _ := utils.GenKeyP2P("127.0.0.1", "9902")
@@ -146,7 +150,7 @@ func TestAddBeaconPeer(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("newhost failure: %v", err)
 	}
-	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, nil)
+	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, blsKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Cannot craeate consensus: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -212,7 +216,8 @@ func exitServer() {
 }
 
 func TestPingPongHandler(t *testing.T) {
-	pubKey := bls2.RandPrivateKey().GetPublicKey()
+	blsKey := bls2.RandPrivateKey()
+	pubKey := blsKey.GetPublicKey()
 	leader := p2p.Peer{IP: "127.0.0.1", Port: "8881", ConsensusPubKey: pubKey}
 	//   validator := p2p.Peer{IP: "127.0.0.1", Port: "9991"}
 	priKey, _, _ := utils.GenKeyP2P("127.0.0.1", "9902")
@@ -220,7 +225,7 @@ func TestPingPongHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("newhost failure: %v", err)
 	}
-	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, nil)
+	consensus, err := consensus.New(host, 0, leader, blsKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Cannot craeate consensus: %v", err)
 	}