diff --git a/src/BribeInitiative.sol b/src/BribeInitiative.sol
index e71f26f..6c13040 100644
--- a/src/BribeInitiative.sol
+++ b/src/BribeInitiative.sol
@@ -88,19 +88,19 @@ contract BribeInitiative is IInitiative, IBribeInitiative {
             lqtyAllocationByUserAtEpoch[_user].getItem(_prevLQTYAllocationEpoch);
 
         require(
-            lqtyAllocation.value != 0 && _prevLQTYAllocationEpoch <= _epoch
-                && (lqtyAllocation.next > _epoch || lqtyAllocation.next == 0),
+            _prevLQTYAllocationEpoch <= _epoch && (lqtyAllocation.next > _epoch || lqtyAllocation.next == 0),
             "BribeInitiative: invalid-prev-lqty-allocation-epoch"
         );
         DoubleLinkedList.Item memory totalLQTYAllocation =
             totalLQTYAllocationByEpoch.getItem(_prevTotalLQTYAllocationEpoch);
         require(
-            totalLQTYAllocation.value != 0 && _prevTotalLQTYAllocationEpoch <= _epoch
+            _prevTotalLQTYAllocationEpoch <= _epoch
                 && (totalLQTYAllocation.next > _epoch || totalLQTYAllocation.next == 0),
             "BribeInitiative: invalid-prev-total-lqty-allocation-epoch"
         );
 
         (uint88 totalLQTY, uint120 totalAverageTimestamp) = _decodeLQTYAllocation(totalLQTYAllocation.value);
+        require(totalLQTY > 0, "BribeInitiative: total-lqty-allocation-zero");
 
         // NOTE: SCALING!!! | The timestamp will work until type(uint32).max | After which the math will eventually overflow
         uint120 scaledEpochEnd = (
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ contract BribeInitiative is IInitiative, IBribeInitiative {
         uint240 totalVotes = governance.lqtyToVotes(totalLQTY, scaledEpochEnd, totalAverageTimestamp);
         if (totalVotes != 0) {
             (uint88 lqty, uint120 averageTimestamp) = _decodeLQTYAllocation(lqtyAllocation.value);
+            require(lqty > 0, "BribeInitiative: lqty-allocation-zero");
 
             /// @audit Governance Invariant
             assert(averageTimestamp <= scaledEpochEnd);
diff --git a/test/BribeInitiative.t.sol b/test/BribeInitiative.t.sol
index 6d9e301..990bab8 100644
--- a/test/BribeInitiative.t.sol
+++ b/test/BribeInitiative.t.sol
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ contract BribeInitiativeTest is Test {
         // user2 should receive no bribes if they try to claim
         claimEpoch = governance.epoch() - 1; // claim for epoch 3
         prevAllocationEpoch = governance.epoch() - 1; // epoch 3
-        (boldAmount, bribeTokenAmount) = _claimBribe(user2, claimEpoch, prevAllocationEpoch, prevAllocationEpoch);
+        (boldAmount, bribeTokenAmount) = _claimBribe(user2, claimEpoch, prevAllocationEpoch, prevAllocationEpoch, true);
         assertEq(boldAmount, 0, "vetoer receives bold bribe amount");
         assertEq(bribeTokenAmount, 0, "vetoer receives bribe amount");
     }
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ contract BribeInitiativeTest is Test {
         epochs[0].epoch = governance.epoch() - 1;
         epochs[0].prevLQTYAllocationEpoch = governance.epoch() - 2;
         epochs[0].prevTotalLQTYAllocationEpoch = governance.epoch() - 2;
-        vm.expectRevert("BribeInitiative: invalid-prev-total-lqty-allocation-epoch");
+        vm.expectRevert("BribeInitiative: total-lqty-allocation-zero");
         (uint256 boldAmount, uint256 bribeTokenAmount) = bribeInitiative.claimBribes(epochs);
         vm.stopPrank();
 
diff --git a/test/BribeInitiativeAllocate.t.sol b/test/BribeInitiativeAllocate.t.sol
index 3653a68..05dd8fe 100644
--- a/test/BribeInitiativeAllocate.t.sol
+++ b/test/BribeInitiativeAllocate.t.sol
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ contract BribeInitiativeAllocateTest is Test {
         claimData[0].epoch = 2;
         claimData[0].prevLQTYAllocationEpoch = 2;
         claimData[0].prevTotalLQTYAllocationEpoch = 2;
+        vm.expectRevert("BribeInitiative: total-lqty-allocation-zero");
         (uint256 boldAmount, uint256 bribeTokenAmount) = bribeInitiative.claimBribes(claimData);
         assertEq(boldAmount, 0, "boldAmount nonzero");
         assertEq(bribeTokenAmount, 0, "bribeTokenAmount nonzero");
@@ -707,6 +708,7 @@ contract BribeInitiativeAllocateTest is Test {
         claimData[0].epoch = 1;
         claimData[0].prevLQTYAllocationEpoch = 1;
         claimData[0].prevTotalLQTYAllocationEpoch = 1;
+        vm.expectRevert("BribeInitiative: lqty-allocation-zero");
         (uint256 boldAmount, uint256 bribeTokenAmount) = bribeInitiative.claimBribes(claimData);
         assertEq(boldAmount, 0);
         assertEq(bribeTokenAmount, 0);