diff --git a/modules/core/04-channel/v2/keeper/msg_server.go b/modules/core/04-channel/v2/keeper/msg_server.go
index c4623150ea1..6bda4404531 100644
--- a/modules/core/04-channel/v2/keeper/msg_server.go
+++ b/modules/core/04-channel/v2/keeper/msg_server.go
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ func (k *Keeper) CreateChannel(goCtx context.Context, msg *types.MsgCreateChanne
 func (k *Keeper) RegisterCounterparty(goCtx context.Context, msg *types.MsgRegisterCounterparty) (*types.MsgRegisterCounterpartyResponse, error) {
 	ctx := sdk.UnwrapSDKContext(goCtx)
 
+	channel, ok := k.GetChannel(ctx, msg.ChannelId)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, errorsmod.Wrapf(types.ErrChannelNotFound, "channel must exist for channel id %s", msg.ChannelId)
+	}
+
 	creator, found := k.GetCreator(ctx, msg.ChannelId)
 	if !found {
 		return nil, errorsmod.Wrap(ibcerrors.ErrUnauthorized, "channel creator must be set")
@@ -47,11 +52,6 @@ func (k *Keeper) RegisterCounterparty(goCtx context.Context, msg *types.MsgRegis
 		return nil, errorsmod.Wrapf(ibcerrors.ErrUnauthorized, "channel creator (%s) must match signer (%s)", creator, msg.Signer)
 	}
 
-	channel, ok := k.GetChannel(ctx, msg.ChannelId)
-	if !ok {
-		return nil, errorsmod.Wrapf(types.ErrInvalidChannel, "channel must exist for channel id %s", msg.ChannelId)
-	}
-
 	channel.CounterpartyChannelId = msg.CounterpartyChannelId
 	k.SetChannel(ctx, msg.ChannelId, channel)
 	// Delete client creator from state as it is not needed after this point.
diff --git a/modules/core/04-channel/v2/keeper/msg_server_test.go b/modules/core/04-channel/v2/keeper/msg_server_test.go
index b4b5d8c71c4..2fa079e1e1f 100644
--- a/modules/core/04-channel/v2/keeper/msg_server_test.go
+++ b/modules/core/04-channel/v2/keeper/msg_server_test.go
@@ -52,9 +52,10 @@ func (suite *KeeperTestSuite) TestRegisterCounterparty() {
 		{
 			"failure: channel must already exist",
 			func() {
+				suite.chainA.App.GetIBCKeeper().ChannelKeeperV2.DeleteCreator(suite.chainA.GetContext(), path.EndpointA.ChannelID)
 				suite.chainA.App.GetIBCKeeper().ChannelKeeperV2.ChannelStore(suite.chainA.GetContext(), path.EndpointA.ChannelID).Delete([]byte(channeltypesv2.ChannelKey))
 			},
-			channeltypesv2.ErrInvalidChannel,
+			channeltypesv2.ErrChannelNotFound,
 		},
 	}