diff --git a/scripts/genesis/ValidatorManager.ts b/scripts/genesis/ValidatorManager.ts
index 2c35fac2..713546cd 100644
--- a/scripts/genesis/ValidatorManager.ts
+++ b/scripts/genesis/ValidatorManager.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,13 @@ export const schemaValidatorManager = z
   })
   .strict()
   .superRefine((data, ctx) => {
+    if (!data.validators.some((validator) => validator.votingPower > 0n)) {
+      ctx.addIssue({
+        code: z.ZodIssueCode.custom,
+        path: ['validators'],
+        message: 'At least one validator must have positive voting power',
+      })
+    }
     // Verify the public keys are unique.
     const publicKeySet = new Set()
     for (const validator of data.validators) {
diff --git a/tests/unit/validator-manager-genesis-validation.test.ts b/tests/unit/validator-manager-genesis-validation.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4ab6d5fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/validator-manager-genesis-validation.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+// Copyright 2026 Circle Internet Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import { expect } from 'chai'
+import { schemaValidatorManager } from '../../scripts/genesis/ValidatorManager'
+
+const REGISTRY_ADMIN = '0x1111111111111111111111111111111111111111'
+const PVM_ADMIN = '0x2222222222222222222222222222222222222222'
+const OWNER = '0x3333333333333333333333333333333333333333'
+const PAUSER = '0x4444444444444444444444444444444444444444'
+const REGISTERER = '0x5555555555555555555555555555555555555555'
+const CONTROLLER_A = '0x6666666666666666666666666666666666666666'
+const CONTROLLER_B = '0x7777777777777777777777777777777777777777'
+
+const PUBLIC_KEY_A = `0x${'11'.repeat(32)}`
+const PUBLIC_KEY_B = `0x${'22'.repeat(32)}`
+
+const validator = (publicKey: string, controller: string, votingPower: bigint) => ({
+  publicKey,
+  votingPower,
+  controllers: [
+    {
+      address: controller,
+      votingPowerLimit: 100n,
+    },
+  ],
+})
+
+const configWithValidators = (validators: ReturnType<typeof validator>[]) => ({
+  proxy: {
+    admin: REGISTRY_ADMIN,
+  },
+  validators,
+  PermissionedValidatorManager: {
+    proxy: {
+      admin: PVM_ADMIN,
+    },
+    owner: OWNER,
+    pauser: PAUSER,
+    validatorRegisterers: [REGISTERER],
+  },
+})
+
+describe('ValidatorManager genesis validator-set validation', () => {
+  it('rejects an empty validator set', () => {
+    const result = schemaValidatorManager.safeParse(configWithValidators([]))
+
+    expect(result.success).to.be.false
+  })
+
+  it('rejects a validator set with no positive voting power', () => {
+    const result = schemaValidatorManager.safeParse(
+      configWithValidators([validator(PUBLIC_KEY_A, CONTROLLER_A, 0n), validator(PUBLIC_KEY_B, CONTROLLER_B, 0n)]),
+    )
+
+    expect(result.success).to.be.false
+  })
+
+  it('accepts a validator set with positive voting power', () => {
+    const result = schemaValidatorManager.safeParse(configWithValidators([validator(PUBLIC_KEY_A, CONTROLLER_A, 20n)]))
+
+    expect(result.success).to.be.true
+  })
+
+  it('accepts zero-power validators when another validator has positive power', () => {
+    const result = schemaValidatorManager.safeParse(
+      configWithValidators([validator(PUBLIC_KEY_A, CONTROLLER_A, 0n), validator(PUBLIC_KEY_B, CONTROLLER_B, 20n)]),
+    )
+
+    expect(result.success).to.be.true
+  })
+})