diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 91c780402..a178e5c36 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -134,29 +134,36 @@ func (cfg *Config) SetRoot(root string) *Config {
 // ValidateBasic performs basic validation (checking param bounds, etc.) and
 // returns an error if any check fails.
 func (cfg *Config) ValidateBasic() error {
+	var errs error
 
-	if err := cfg.Abci.ValidateBasic(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error in [abci] section: %w", err)
-	}
 	if err := cfg.BaseConfig.ValidateBasic(); err != nil {
-		return err
+		errs = multierror.Append(errs, err)
+	}
+
+	// ignore [abci] section on seed nodes
+	if cfg.Mode != ModeSeed {
+		if err := cfg.Abci.ValidateBasic(); err != nil {
+			errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("error in [abci] section: %w", err))
+		}
 	}
+
 	if err := cfg.RPC.ValidateBasic(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error in [rpc] section: %w", err)
+		errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("error in [rpc] section: %w", err))
 	}
 	if err := cfg.Mempool.ValidateBasic(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error in [mempool] section: %w", err)
+		errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("error in [mempool] section: %w", err))
 	}
 	if err := cfg.StateSync.ValidateBasic(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error in [statesync] section: %w", err)
+		errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("error in [statesync] section: %w", err))
 	}
 	if err := cfg.Consensus.ValidateBasic(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error in [consensus] section: %w", err)
+		errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("error in [consensus] section: %w", err))
 	}
 	if err := cfg.Instrumentation.ValidateBasic(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error in [instrumentation] section: %w", err)
+		errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("error in [instrumentation] section: %w", err))
 	}
-	return nil
+
+	return errs
 }
 
 func (cfg *Config) DeprecatedFieldWarning() error {
@@ -466,6 +473,11 @@ func TestAbciConfig() *AbciConfig {
 func (cfg *AbciConfig) ValidateBasic() error {
 	var err error
 
+	if cfg == nil {
+		err = multierror.Append(err, errors.New("[abci] config section is nil"))
+		return err
+	}
+
 	for key := range cfg.Other {
 		err = multierror.Append(err, fmt.Errorf("unknown field: %s", key))
 	}
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index a86ab8463..5833f00e1 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,65 @@ func TestConfigValidateBasic(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(t, cfg.ValidateBasic())
 }
 
+func TestAbciConfigValidation(t *testing.T) {
+	type testCase struct {
+		name string
+		*AbciConfig
+		expectErr string // empty when no error, or error message to expect
+	}
+	// negative test cases that should fail on validator, but pass on seeds
+	invalidCases := []testCase{
+		{
+			name:      "no abci config",
+			expectErr: "",
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "unexpected data",
+			AbciConfig: &AbciConfig{Other: map[string]interface{}{"foo": "bar"}},
+			expectErr:  "",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "invalid transport",
+			AbciConfig: &AbciConfig{
+				Transport: "invalid",
+				Address:   "tcp://127.0.0.1:1234",
+			},
+			expectErr: "",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "missing address",
+			AbciConfig: &AbciConfig{
+				Transport: "invalid",
+				Address:   "",
+			},
+			expectErr: "",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range invalidCases {
+		tc := tc
+
+		t.Run(tc.name+" on validator", func(t *testing.T) {
+			cfg := DefaultConfig()
+			cfg.Mode = ModeValidator
+			cfg.Abci = nil
+
+			err := cfg.ValidateBasic()
+			if tc.expectErr != "" {
+				assert.ErrorContains(t, err, tc.expectErr)
+			}
+		})
+		t.Run(tc.name+" on seed", func(t *testing.T) {
+			cfg := DefaultConfig()
+			cfg.Mode = ModeSeed
+			cfg.Abci = nil
+
+			err := cfg.ValidateBasic()
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestTLSConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 	cfg := DefaultConfig()
 	cfg.SetRoot("/home/user")