diff --git a/app/scripts/controllers/permissions/index.js b/app/scripts/controllers/permissions/index.js
index b33349063..97503ec78 100644
--- a/app/scripts/controllers/permissions/index.js
+++ b/app/scripts/controllers/permissions/index.js
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ export class PermissionsController {
 
     if (ethAccounts) {
 
-      await this.validatePermittedAccounts(finalizedAccounts)
+      this.validatePermittedAccounts(finalizedAccounts)
 
       if (!ethAccounts.caveats) {
         ethAccounts.caveats = []
@@ -354,16 +354,15 @@ export class PermissionsController {
    *
    * @param {string[]} accounts - An array of addresses.
    */
-  async validatePermittedAccounts (accounts) {
-
+  validatePermittedAccounts (accounts) {
     if (!Array.isArray(accounts) || accounts.length === 0) {
       throw new Error('Must provide non-empty array of account(s).')
     }
 
     // assert accounts exist
-    const allAccounts = await this.getKeyringAccounts()
+    const allIdentities = this._getIdentities()
     accounts.forEach((acc) => {
-      if (!allAccounts.includes(acc)) {
+      if (!allIdentities[acc]) {
         throw new Error(`Unknown account: ${acc}`)
       }
     })
diff --git a/test/unit/app/controllers/permissions/permissions-controller-test.js b/test/unit/app/controllers/permissions/permissions-controller-test.js
index ac3b54865..58cd0f552 100644
--- a/test/unit/app/controllers/permissions/permissions-controller-test.js
+++ b/test/unit/app/controllers/permissions/permissions-controller-test.js
@@ -389,26 +389,26 @@ describe('permissions controller', function () {
 
     it('throws error on non-array accounts', async function () {
 
-      await assert.rejects(
-        permController.validatePermittedAccounts(undefined),
+      await assert.throws(
+        () => permController.validatePermittedAccounts(undefined),
         ERRORS.validatePermittedAccounts.invalidParam(),
         'should throw on undefined'
       )
 
-      await assert.rejects(
-        permController.validatePermittedAccounts(false),
+      await assert.throws(
+        () => permController.validatePermittedAccounts(false),
         ERRORS.validatePermittedAccounts.invalidParam(),
         'should throw on false'
       )
 
-      await assert.rejects(
-        permController.validatePermittedAccounts(true),
+      await assert.throws(
+        () => permController.validatePermittedAccounts(true),
         ERRORS.validatePermittedAccounts.invalidParam(),
         'should throw on true'
       )
 
-      await assert.rejects(
-        permController.validatePermittedAccounts({}),
+      await assert.throws(
+        () => permController.validatePermittedAccounts({}),
         ERRORS.validatePermittedAccounts.invalidParam(),
         'should throw on non-array object'
       )
@@ -416,8 +416,8 @@ describe('permissions controller', function () {
 
     it('throws error on empty array of accounts', async function () {
 
-      await assert.rejects(
-        permController.validatePermittedAccounts([]),
+      await assert.throws(
+        () => permController.validatePermittedAccounts([]),
         ERRORS.validatePermittedAccounts.invalidParam(),
         'should throw on empty array'
       )
@@ -427,14 +427,14 @@ describe('permissions controller', function () {
 
       const keyringAccounts = await permController.getKeyringAccounts()
 
-      await assert.rejects(
-        permController.validatePermittedAccounts([DUMMY_ACCOUNT]),
+      await assert.throws(
+        () => permController.validatePermittedAccounts([DUMMY_ACCOUNT]),
         ERRORS.validatePermittedAccounts.nonKeyringAccount(DUMMY_ACCOUNT),
         'should throw on non-keyring account'
       )
 
-      await assert.rejects(
-        permController.validatePermittedAccounts(keyringAccounts.concat(DUMMY_ACCOUNT)),
+      await assert.throws(
+        () => permController.validatePermittedAccounts(keyringAccounts.concat(DUMMY_ACCOUNT)),
         ERRORS.validatePermittedAccounts.nonKeyringAccount(DUMMY_ACCOUNT),
         'should throw on non-keyring account with other accounts'
       )
@@ -444,18 +444,18 @@ describe('permissions controller', function () {
 
       const keyringAccounts = await permController.getKeyringAccounts()
 
-      await assert.doesNotReject(
-        permController.validatePermittedAccounts(keyringAccounts),
+      await assert.doesNotThrow(
+        () => permController.validatePermittedAccounts(keyringAccounts),
         'should not throw on all keyring accounts'
       )
 
-      await assert.doesNotReject(
-        permController.validatePermittedAccounts([ keyringAccounts[0] ]),
+      await assert.doesNotThrow(
+        () => permController.validatePermittedAccounts([ keyringAccounts[0] ]),
         'should not throw on single keyring account'
       )
 
-      await assert.doesNotReject(
-        permController.validatePermittedAccounts([ keyringAccounts[1] ]),
+      await assert.doesNotThrow(
+        () => permController.validatePermittedAccounts([ keyringAccounts[1] ]),
         'should not throw on single keyring account'
       )
     })