diff --git a/client/grpc/cmtservice/block.go b/client/grpc/cmtservice/block.go
index 9b2ca6bb0c9c..1575626fa629 100644
--- a/client/grpc/cmtservice/block.go
+++ b/client/grpc/cmtservice/block.go
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
 )
 
+func getBlockHeight(ctx context.Context, clientCtx client.Context) (int64, error) {
+	status, err := getNodeStatus(ctx, clientCtx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	height := status.SyncInfo.LatestBlockHeight
+	return height, nil
+}
+
 func getBlock(ctx context.Context, clientCtx client.Context, height *int64) (*coretypes.ResultBlock, error) {
 	// get the node
 	node, err := clientCtx.GetNode()
diff --git a/client/grpc/cmtservice/service.go b/client/grpc/cmtservice/service.go
index 8740c0d8f117..39e17ce1a9dc 100644
--- a/client/grpc/cmtservice/service.go
+++ b/client/grpc/cmtservice/service.go
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/baseapp"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/rpc"
 	codectypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec/types"
+	cryptocodec "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/codec"
 	cryptotypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/types"
+	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 	qtypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types/query"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/version"
 )
@@ -80,12 +81,12 @@ func (s queryServer) GetLatestBlock(ctx context.Context, _ *GetLatestBlockReques
 
 // GetBlockByHeight implements ServiceServer.GetBlockByHeight
 func (s queryServer) GetBlockByHeight(ctx context.Context, req *GetBlockByHeightRequest) (*GetBlockByHeightResponse, error) {
-	chainHeight, err := rpc.GetChainHeight(s.clientCtx)
+	blockHeight, err := getBlockHeight(ctx, s.clientCtx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if req.Height > chainHeight {
+	if req.Height > blockHeight {
 		return nil, status.Error(codes.InvalidArgument, "requested block height is bigger then the chain length")
 	}
 
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ func (s queryServer) GetLatestValidatorSet(ctx context.Context, req *GetLatestVa
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return validatorsOutput(ctx, s.clientCtx, nil, page, limit)
+	return ValidatorsOutput(ctx, s.clientCtx, nil, page, limit)
 }
 
 func (m *GetLatestValidatorSetResponse) UnpackInterfaces(unpacker codectypes.AnyUnpacker) error {
@@ -130,16 +131,16 @@ func (s queryServer) GetValidatorSetByHeight(ctx context.Context, req *GetValida
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	chainHeight, err := rpc.GetChainHeight(s.clientCtx)
+	blockHeight, err := getBlockHeight(ctx, s.clientCtx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, status.Error(codes.Internal, "failed to parse chain height")
 	}
 
-	if req.Height > chainHeight {
+	if req.Height > blockHeight {
 		return nil, status.Error(codes.InvalidArgument, "requested block height is bigger then the chain length")
 	}
 
-	r, err := validatorsOutput(ctx, s.clientCtx, &req.Height, page, limit)
+	r, err := ValidatorsOutput(ctx, s.clientCtx, &req.Height, page, limit)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -151,8 +152,8 @@ func (s queryServer) GetValidatorSetByHeight(ctx context.Context, req *GetValida
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func validatorsOutput(ctx context.Context, cctx client.Context, height *int64, page, limit int) (*GetLatestValidatorSetResponse, error) {
-	vs, err := rpc.GetValidators(ctx, cctx, height, &page, &limit)
+func ValidatorsOutput(ctx context.Context, clientCtx client.Context, height *int64, page, limit int) (*GetLatestValidatorSetResponse, error) {
+	vs, err := getValidators(ctx, clientCtx, height, page, limit)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -161,18 +162,22 @@ func validatorsOutput(ctx context.Context, cctx client.Context, height *int64, p
 		BlockHeight: vs.BlockHeight,
 		Validators:  make([]*Validator, len(vs.Validators)),
 		Pagination: &qtypes.PageResponse{
-			Total: vs.Total,
+			Total: uint64(vs.Total),
 		},
 	}
 
 	for i, v := range vs.Validators {
-		anyPub, err := codectypes.NewAnyWithValue(v.PubKey)
+		pk, err := cryptocodec.FromCmtPubKeyInterface(v.PubKey)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		anyPub, err := codectypes.NewAnyWithValue(pk)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
 		resp.Validators[i] = &Validator{
-			Address:          v.Address.String(),
+			Address:          sdk.ConsAddress(v.Address).String(),
 			ProposerPriority: v.ProposerPriority,
 			PubKey:           anyPub,
 			VotingPower:      v.VotingPower,
diff --git a/client/grpc/cmtservice/validator.go b/client/grpc/cmtservice/validator.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5b81d2bc4cac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/grpc/cmtservice/validator.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package cmtservice
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	coretypes "github.com/cometbft/cometbft/rpc/core/types"
+
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
+)
+
+func getValidators(ctx context.Context, clientCtx client.Context, height *int64, page, limit int) (*coretypes.ResultValidators, error) {
+	node, err := clientCtx.GetNode()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return node.Validators(ctx, height, &page, &limit)
+}
diff --git a/client/rpc/validators.go b/client/rpc/validators.go
index 55c2262a8881..7facee4259d4 100644
--- a/client/rpc/validators.go
+++ b/client/rpc/validators.go
@@ -1,24 +1,16 @@
 package rpc
 
 import (
-	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 
-	cmttypes "github.com/cometbft/cometbft/types"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/flags"
-	cryptocodec "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/codec"
-	cryptotypes "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/types"
-	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/grpc/cmtservice"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types/query"
 )
 
-// TODO these next two functions feel kinda hacky based on their placement
-
 // ValidatorCommand returns the validator set for a given height
 func ValidatorCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
@@ -49,12 +41,12 @@ func ValidatorCommand() *cobra.Command {
 			page, _ := cmd.Flags().GetInt(flags.FlagPage)
 			limit, _ := cmd.Flags().GetInt(flags.FlagLimit)
 
-			result, err := GetValidators(cmd.Context(), clientCtx, height, &page, &limit)
+			response, err := cmtservice.ValidatorsOutput(cmd.Context(), clientCtx, height, page, limit)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			return clientCtx.PrintObjectLegacy(result)
+			return clientCtx.PrintProto(response)
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -65,84 +57,3 @@ func ValidatorCommand() *cobra.Command {
 
 	return cmd
 }
-
-// Validator output
-type ValidatorOutput struct {
-	Address          sdk.ConsAddress    `json:"address"`
-	PubKey           cryptotypes.PubKey `json:"pub_key"`
-	ProposerPriority int64              `json:"proposer_priority"`
-	VotingPower      int64              `json:"voting_power"`
-}
-
-// Validators at a certain height output in bech32 format
-type ResultValidatorsOutput struct {
-	BlockHeight int64             `json:"block_height"`
-	Validators  []ValidatorOutput `json:"validators"`
-	Total       uint64            `json:"total"`
-}
-
-func (rvo ResultValidatorsOutput) String() string {
-	var b strings.Builder
-
-	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "block height: %d\n", rvo.BlockHeight)
-	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "total count: %d\n", rvo.Total)
-
-	for _, val := range rvo.Validators {
-		fmt.Fprintf(&b, `
-  Address:          %s
-  Pubkey:           %s
-  ProposerPriority: %d
-  VotingPower:      %d
-		`,
-			val.Address, val.PubKey, val.ProposerPriority, val.VotingPower,
-		)
-	}
-
-	return b.String()
-}
-
-func validatorOutput(validator *cmttypes.Validator) (ValidatorOutput, error) {
-	pk, err := cryptocodec.FromCmtPubKeyInterface(validator.PubKey)
-	if err != nil {
-		return ValidatorOutput{}, err
-	}
-
-	return ValidatorOutput{
-		Address:          sdk.ConsAddress(validator.Address),
-		PubKey:           pk,
-		ProposerPriority: validator.ProposerPriority,
-		VotingPower:      validator.VotingPower,
-	}, nil
-}
-
-// GetValidators from client
-func GetValidators(ctx context.Context, clientCtx client.Context, height *int64, page, limit *int) (ResultValidatorsOutput, error) {
-	// get the node
-	node, err := clientCtx.GetNode()
-	if err != nil {
-		return ResultValidatorsOutput{}, err
-	}
-
-	validatorsRes, err := node.Validators(ctx, height, page, limit)
-	if err != nil {
-		return ResultValidatorsOutput{}, err
-	}
-
-	total := validatorsRes.Total
-	if validatorsRes.Total < 0 {
-		total = 0
-	}
-	out := ResultValidatorsOutput{
-		BlockHeight: validatorsRes.BlockHeight,
-		Validators:  make([]ValidatorOutput, len(validatorsRes.Validators)),
-		Total:       uint64(total),
-	}
-	for i := 0; i < len(validatorsRes.Validators); i++ {
-		out.Validators[i], err = validatorOutput(validatorsRes.Validators[i])
-		if err != nil {
-			return out, err
-		}
-	}
-
-	return out, nil
-}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/gov/query.go b/tests/e2e/gov/query.go
index 40e3d3aa27a9..a600649d67b2 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/gov/query.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/gov/query.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func (s *E2ETestSuite) TestCmdProposer() {
 				fmt.Sprintf("--%s=json", flags.FlagOutput),
 			},
 			false,
-			fmt.Sprintf("{\"proposal_id\":\"%s\",\"proposer\":\"%s\"}", "1", val.Address.String()),
+			fmt.Sprintf("{\"proposal_id\":%d,\"proposer\":\"%s\"}", 1, val.Address.String()),
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/x/gov/client/cli/query.go b/x/gov/client/cli/query.go
index 9ef1dbf729a9..a6c1538c0ac0 100644
--- a/x/gov/client/cli/query.go
+++ b/x/gov/client/cli/query.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cli
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 
@@ -59,7 +60,11 @@ func GetCmdQueryProposer() *cobra.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			return clientCtx.PrintObjectLegacy(prop)
+			output, err := json.Marshal(prop)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			return clientCtx.PrintRaw(output)
 		},
 	}