diff --git a/pallets/subtensor/src/subnets/serving.rs b/pallets/subtensor/src/subnets/serving.rs
index c8c89bc01..bee81bfae 100644
--- a/pallets/subtensor/src/subnets/serving.rs
+++ b/pallets/subtensor/src/subnets/serving.rs
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ impl<T: Config> Pallet<T> {
         // Check the ip signature validity.
         ensure!(Self::is_valid_ip_type(ip_type), Error::<T>::InvalidIpType);
         ensure!(
-            Self::is_valid_ip_address(ip_type, ip),
+            Self::is_valid_ip_address(ip_type, ip, false),
             Error::<T>::InvalidIpAddress
         );
 
@@ -276,17 +276,11 @@ impl<T: Config> Pallet<T> {
     }
 
     // @todo (Parallax 2-1-2021) : Implement exclusion of private IP ranges
-    pub fn is_valid_ip_address(ip_type: u8, addr: u128) -> bool {
-        if !Self::is_valid_ip_type(ip_type) {
-            return false;
-        }
-        if addr == 0 {
+    pub fn is_valid_ip_address(ip_type: u8, addr: u128, allow_zero: bool) -> bool {
+        if !allow_zero && addr == 0 {
             return false;
         }
         if ip_type == 4 {
-            if addr == 0 {
-                return false;
-            }
             if addr >= u32::MAX as u128 {
                 return false;
             }
@@ -295,9 +289,6 @@ impl<T: Config> Pallet<T> {
             } // Localhost
         }
         if ip_type == 6 {
-            if addr == 0x0 {
-                return false;
-            }
             if addr == u128::MAX {
                 return false;
             }
@@ -346,7 +337,8 @@ impl<T: Config> Pallet<T> {
         // Check the ip signature validity.
         ensure!(Self::is_valid_ip_type(ip_type), Error::<T>::InvalidIpType);
         ensure!(
-            Self::is_valid_ip_address(ip_type, ip),
+            // allow axon to be served with a zero ip address for testing purposes
+            Self::is_valid_ip_address(ip_type, ip, true),
             Error::<T>::InvalidIpAddress
         );
 
diff --git a/pallets/subtensor/src/tests/serving.rs b/pallets/subtensor/src/tests/serving.rs
index 251dde207..6711862a6 100644
--- a/pallets/subtensor/src/tests/serving.rs
+++ b/pallets/subtensor/src/tests/serving.rs
@@ -555,7 +555,14 @@ fn test_serving_is_valid_ip_address_ipv4() {
     new_test_ext(1).execute_with(|| {
         assert!(SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
             4,
-            test::ipv4(8, 8, 8, 8)
+            test::ipv4(8, 8, 8, 8),
+            false
+        ));
+
+        assert!(SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
+            4,
+            test::ipv4(0, 0, 0, 0),
+            true
         ));
     });
 }
@@ -565,11 +572,18 @@ fn test_serving_is_valid_ip_address_ipv6() {
     new_test_ext(1).execute_with(|| {
         assert!(SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
             6,
-            test::ipv6(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
+            test::ipv6(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8),
+            false
+        ));
+        assert!(SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
+            6,
+            test::ipv6(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8),
+            false
         ));
         assert!(SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
             6,
-            test::ipv6(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
+            test::ipv6(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0),
+            true
         ));
     });
 }
@@ -579,19 +593,38 @@ fn test_serving_is_invalid_ipv4_address() {
     new_test_ext(1).execute_with(|| {
         assert!(!SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
             4,
-            test::ipv4(0, 0, 0, 0)
+            test::ipv4(0, 0, 0, 0),
+            false
+        ));
+        assert!(!SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
+            4,
+            test::ipv4(255, 255, 255, 255),
+            false
         ));
         assert!(!SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
             4,
-            test::ipv4(255, 255, 255, 255)
+            test::ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1),
+            false
         ));
         assert!(!SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
             4,
-            test::ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1)
+            test::ipv6(0xffff, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8),
+            false
         ));
         assert!(!SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
             4,
-            test::ipv6(0xffff, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
+            test::ipv4(255, 255, 255, 255),
+            true
+        ));
+        assert!(!SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
+            4,
+            test::ipv4(127, 0, 0, 1),
+            true
+        ));
+        assert!(!SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
+            4,
+            test::ipv6(0xffff, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8),
+            true
         ));
     });
 }
@@ -601,13 +634,22 @@ fn test_serving_is_invalid_ipv6_address() {
     new_test_ext(1).execute_with(|| {
         assert!(!SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
             6,
-            test::ipv6(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)
+            test::ipv6(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0),
+            false
         ));
         assert!(!SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
             4,
             test::ipv6(
                 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff
-            )
+            ),
+            false
+        ));
+        assert!(!SubtensorModule::is_valid_ip_address(
+            4,
+            test::ipv6(
+                0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff, 0xffff
+            ),
+            true
         ));
     });
 }