diff --git a/docs/proto/proto-docs.md b/docs/proto/proto-docs.md
index 53b0a27ff..810b9dc17 100644
--- a/docs/proto/proto-docs.md
+++ b/docs/proto/proto-docs.md
@@ -6729,7 +6729,8 @@ GenesisState represents the genesis state
 
 ### InflationRateRequest
 InflationRateRequest represents a message that queries the Axelar specific
-inflation RPC method.
+inflation RPC method. string is used for the validator address instead of
+bytes so that it's supported as an arg in the generated REST API
 
 
 | Field | Type | Label | Description |
diff --git a/proto/axelar/reward/v1beta1/query.proto b/proto/axelar/reward/v1beta1/query.proto
index b207634f6..74effb026 100644
--- a/proto/axelar/reward/v1beta1/query.proto
+++ b/proto/axelar/reward/v1beta1/query.proto
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ import "axelar/reward/v1beta1/params.proto";
 option (gogoproto.goproto_getters_all) = false;
 
 // InflationRateRequest represents a message that queries the Axelar specific
-// inflation RPC method.
+// inflation RPC method. string is used for the validator address instead of
+// bytes so that it's supported as an arg in the generated REST API
 message InflationRateRequest { string validator = 1; }
 
 message InflationRateResponse {
diff --git a/x/reward/client/cli/query.go b/x/reward/client/cli/query.go
index d207f8425..61a8cda57 100644
--- a/x/reward/client/cli/query.go
+++ b/x/reward/client/cli/query.go
@@ -46,10 +46,8 @@ func GetCmdInflationRate() *cobra.Command {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		if *validator != "" {
-			if _, err := sdk.ValAddressFromBech32(*validator); err != nil {
-				return sdkerrors.Wrap(err, "invalid validator address")
-			}
+		if _, err := sdk.ValAddressFromBech32(*validator); *validator != "" && err != nil {
+			return sdkerrors.Wrap(err, "invalid validator address")
 		}
 
 		queryClient := types.NewQueryServiceClient(clientCtx)
diff --git a/x/reward/keeper/grpc_query.go b/x/reward/keeper/grpc_query.go
index 14c18db0a..f7100cd0a 100644
--- a/x/reward/keeper/grpc_query.go
+++ b/x/reward/keeper/grpc_query.go
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ func (q Querier) InflationRate(c context.Context, req *types.InflationRateReques
 	keyManagementInflation := params.KeyMgmtRelativeInflationRate.Mul(baseInflation)
 
 	validator := sdk.ValAddress{}
-
-	// Get network inflation rate if no validator is specified
 	if req.Validator != "" {
 		var err error
 
@@ -55,6 +53,8 @@ func (q Querier) InflationRate(c context.Context, req *types.InflationRateReques
 		}
 
 		maintainers := q.nexus.GetChainMaintainers(ctx, chain)
+
+		// If no validator is specified, check if there are any maintainers to get the max network inflation rate
 		if len(validator) == 0 {
 			return len(maintainers) > 0
 		}
diff --git a/x/reward/types/query.pb.go b/x/reward/types/query.pb.go
index 684367f72..ba13d70d8 100644
--- a/x/reward/types/query.pb.go
+++ b/x/reward/types/query.pb.go
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ var _ = math.Inf
 const _ = proto.GoGoProtoPackageIsVersion3 // please upgrade the proto package
 
 // InflationRateRequest represents a message that queries the Axelar specific
-// inflation RPC method.
+// inflation RPC method. string is used for the validator address instead of
+// bytes so that it's supported as an arg in the generated REST API
 type InflationRateRequest struct {
 	Validator string `protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=validator,proto3" json:"validator,omitempty"`
 }