diff --git a/neurons/text/prompting/validators/core/neuron.py b/neurons/text/prompting/validators/core/neuron.py
index cff4c9e506..d08301d63b 100644
--- a/neurons/text/prompting/validators/core/neuron.py
+++ b/neurons/text/prompting/validators/core/neuron.py
@@ -712,6 +712,8 @@ def check_weights(self):
         for uid, hotkey in enumerate( self.hotkeys ):
             if hotkey != self.metagraph.hotkeys[ uid ]:
                 self.moving_averaged_scores[ uid ] = 0 #hotkey has been replaced
+            if self.metagraph.validator_permit[ uid ]:
+                self.moving_averaged_scores[ uid ] = 0 # hotkey has validation rights
         if len(self.hotkeys) < len(self.metagraph.hotkeys):
             new_moving_average  = torch.zeros((self.metagraph.n)).to( self.device )
             new_moving_average[:len(self.hotkeys)] = self.moving_averaged_scores