diff --git a/core/src/libtx/slate.rs b/core/src/libtx/slate.rs
index c693af27a..febfbfafc 100644
--- a/core/src/libtx/slate.rs
+++ b/core/src/libtx/slate.rs
@@ -351,8 +351,8 @@ impl Slate {
 	/// Verifies any messages in the slate's participant data match their signatures
 	pub fn verify_messages(&self, secp: &secp::Secp256k1) -> Result<(), Error> {
 		for p in self.participant_data.iter() {
-			if let Some(m) = p.message.clone() {
-				let hashed = blake2b(secp::constants::MESSAGE_SIZE, &[], &m.as_bytes()[..]);
+			if let Some(msg) = p.message.clone() {
+				let hashed = blake2b(secp::constants::MESSAGE_SIZE, &[], &msg.as_bytes()[..]);
 				let m = secp::Message::from_slice(&hashed.as_bytes())?;
 				if !aggsig::verify_single(
 					secp,
@@ -363,9 +363,14 @@ impl Slate {
 					Some(&p.public_blind_excess),
 					false,
 				) {
+					error!("verify_messages - participant message doesn't match signature. Message: \"{}\"",
+						   String::from_utf8_lossy(&msg.as_bytes()[..]));
 					return Err(ErrorKind::Signature(
 						"Optional participant messages do not match signatures".to_owned(),
 					))?;
+				} else {
+					info!("verify_messages - signature verified ok. Participant message: \"{}\"",
+						  String::from_utf8_lossy(&msg.as_bytes()[..]));
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/wallet/src/command.rs b/wallet/src/command.rs
index 35d9b9fc3..a59daecc2 100644
--- a/wallet/src/command.rs
+++ b/wallet/src/command.rs
@@ -282,6 +282,10 @@ pub fn receive(
 	let adapter = FileWalletCommAdapter::new();
 	let mut slate = adapter.receive_tx_async(&args.input)?;
 	controller::foreign_single_use(wallet, |api| {
+		if let Err(e) = api.verify_slate_messages(&slate) {
+			error!("Error validating participant messages: {}", e);
+			return Err(e);
+		}
 		api.receive_tx(&mut slate, Some(&g_args.account), args.message.clone())?;
 		Ok(())
 	})?;
diff --git a/wallet/src/libwallet/api.rs b/wallet/src/libwallet/api.rs
index a253a1de3..279307a48 100644
--- a/wallet/src/libwallet/api.rs
+++ b/wallet/src/libwallet/api.rs
@@ -830,6 +830,14 @@ where
 		res
 	}
 
+	/// Verifies all messages in the slate match their public keys
+	pub fn verify_slate_messages(&mut self, slate: &Slate) -> Result<(), Error> {
+		error!("verify_slate_messages - enter");
+		let secp = Secp256k1::with_caps(ContextFlag::VerifyOnly);
+		slate.verify_messages(&secp)?;
+		Ok(())
+	}
+
 	/// Receive a transaction from a sender
 	pub fn receive_tx(
 		&mut self,