diff --git a/pkg/config/protocol_config.go b/pkg/config/protocol_config.go
index 943ad6791..6dc745504 100644
--- a/pkg/config/protocol_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/protocol_config.go
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ func (p *ProtocolConfiguration) Validate() error {
 	}
 	var arr = make([]heightNumber, 0, len(p.CommitteeHistory))
 	for h, n := range p.CommitteeHistory {
+		if n == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid CommitteeHistory: bad members count (%d) for height %d", n, h)
+		}
 		if int(n) > len(p.StandbyCommittee) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("too small StandbyCommittee for required number of committee members at %d", h)
 		}
@@ -148,6 +151,9 @@ func (p *ProtocolConfiguration) Validate() error {
 	}
 	arr = arr[:0]
 	for h, n := range p.ValidatorsHistory {
+		if n == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid ValidatorsHistory: bad members count (%d) for height %d", n, h)
+		}
 		if int(n) > len(p.StandbyCommittee) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("too small StandbyCommittee for required number of validators at %d", h)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/config/protocol_config_test.go b/pkg/config/protocol_config_test.go
index 05731813b..c95a2fc1a 100644
--- a/pkg/config/protocol_config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/protocol_config_test.go
@@ -110,6 +110,28 @@ func TestProtocolConfigurationValidation(t *testing.T) {
 		ValidatorsHistory: map[uint32]uint32{0: 4, 100: 4},
 	}
 	require.Error(t, p.Validate())
+	p = &ProtocolConfiguration{
+		StandbyCommittee: []string{
+			"02b3622bf4017bdfe317c58aed5f4c753f206b7db896046fa7d774bbc4bf7f8dc2",
+			"02103a7f7dd016558597f7960d27c516a4394fd968b9e65155eb4b013e4040406e",
+			"03d90c07df63e690ce77912e10ab51acc944b66860237b608c4f8f8309e71ee699",
+			"02a7bc55fe8684e0119768d104ba30795bdcc86619e864add26156723ed185cd62",
+		},
+		CommitteeHistory:  map[uint32]uint32{0: 0, 100: 4},
+		ValidatorsHistory: map[uint32]uint32{0: 1, 100: 4},
+	}
+	require.Error(t, p.Validate())
+	p = &ProtocolConfiguration{
+		StandbyCommittee: []string{
+			"02b3622bf4017bdfe317c58aed5f4c753f206b7db896046fa7d774bbc4bf7f8dc2",
+			"02103a7f7dd016558597f7960d27c516a4394fd968b9e65155eb4b013e4040406e",
+			"03d90c07df63e690ce77912e10ab51acc944b66860237b608c4f8f8309e71ee699",
+			"02a7bc55fe8684e0119768d104ba30795bdcc86619e864add26156723ed185cd62",
+		},
+		CommitteeHistory:  map[uint32]uint32{0: 1, 100: 4},
+		ValidatorsHistory: map[uint32]uint32{0: 0, 100: 4},
+	}
+	require.Error(t, p.Validate())
 	p = &ProtocolConfiguration{
 		Hardforks: map[string]uint32{
 			"Unknown": 123, // Unknown hard-fork.