diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/MainNetParams.java b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/MainNetParams.java
index 44ccdee41..926d0ac5c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/MainNetParams.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/MainNetParams.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ public class MainNetParams extends AbstractBitcoinNetParams {
     public static final int MAINNET_MAJORITY_WINDOW = 1000;
     public static final int MAINNET_MAJORITY_REJECT_BLOCK_OUTDATED = 950;
     public static final int MAINNET_MAJORITY_ENFORCE_BLOCK_UPGRADE = 750;
+    public static final Sha256Hash GENESIS_HASH = Sha256Hash.wrap("000000000019d6689c085ae165831e934ff763ae46a2a6c172b3f1b60a8ce26f");
 
     public MainNetParams() {
         super();
@@ -45,7 +46,8 @@ public class MainNetParams extends AbstractBitcoinNetParams {
         genesisBlock.setDifficultyTarget(0x1d00ffffL);
         genesisBlock.setTime(1231006505L);
         genesisBlock.setNonce(2083236893);
-        
+        checkState(genesisBlock.getHash().equals(GENESIS_HASH), "Invalid genesis hash");
+
         port = 8333;
         packetMagic = 0xf9beb4d9L;
         dumpedPrivateKeyHeader = 128;
@@ -62,10 +64,6 @@ public class MainNetParams extends AbstractBitcoinNetParams {
         majorityRejectBlockOutdated = MAINNET_MAJORITY_REJECT_BLOCK_OUTDATED;
         majorityWindow = MAINNET_MAJORITY_WINDOW;
 
-        String genesisHash = genesisBlock.getHashAsString();
-        checkState(genesisHash.equals("000000000019d6689c085ae165831e934ff763ae46a2a6c172b3f1b60a8ce26f"),
-                genesisHash);
-
         // This contains (at a minimum) the blocks which are not BIP30 compliant. BIP30 changed how duplicate
         // transactions are handled. Duplicated transactions could occur in the case where a coinbase had the same
         // extraNonce and the same outputs but appeared at different heights, and greatly complicated re-org handling.
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/RegTestParams.java b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/RegTestParams.java
index e56f62dc7..0cbdd10ba 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/RegTestParams.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/RegTestParams.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 package org.bitcoinj.params;
 
 import org.bitcoinj.core.Block;
+import org.bitcoinj.core.Sha256Hash;
 
 import java.math.BigInteger;
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkState;
  */
 public class RegTestParams extends AbstractBitcoinNetParams {
     private static final BigInteger MAX_TARGET = new BigInteger("7fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff", 16);
+    public static final Sha256Hash GENESIS_HASH = Sha256Hash.wrap("0f9188f13cb7b2c71f2a335e3a4fc328bf5beb436012afca590b1a11466e2206");
 
     public RegTestParams() {
         super();
@@ -44,7 +46,8 @@ public class RegTestParams extends AbstractBitcoinNetParams {
         genesisBlock.setDifficultyTarget(0x207fFFFFL);
         genesisBlock.setTime(1296688602L);
         genesisBlock.setNonce(2);
-        
+        checkState(genesisBlock.getHash().equals(GENESIS_HASH), "Invalid genesis hash");
+
         port = 18444;
         packetMagic = 0xfabfb5daL;
         dumpedPrivateKeyHeader = 239;
@@ -61,9 +64,6 @@ public class RegTestParams extends AbstractBitcoinNetParams {
         majorityRejectBlockOutdated = MainNetParams.MAINNET_MAJORITY_REJECT_BLOCK_OUTDATED;
         majorityWindow = MainNetParams.MAINNET_MAJORITY_WINDOW;
 
-        String genesisHash = genesisBlock.getHashAsString();
-        checkState(genesisHash.equals("0f9188f13cb7b2c71f2a335e3a4fc328bf5beb436012afca590b1a11466e2206"));
-
         dnsSeeds = null;
         addrSeeds = null;
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/TestNet3Params.java b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/TestNet3Params.java
index 6bb71da36..005dce66e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/TestNet3Params.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/params/TestNet3Params.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.util.Date;
 import org.bitcoinj.core.Block;
 import org.bitcoinj.core.ECKey;
 import org.bitcoinj.core.NetworkParameters;
+import org.bitcoinj.core.Sha256Hash;
 import org.bitcoinj.core.StoredBlock;
 import org.bitcoinj.core.Utils;
 import org.bitcoinj.core.VerificationException;
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ public class TestNet3Params extends AbstractBitcoinNetParams {
     public static final int TESTNET_MAJORITY_WINDOW = 100;
     public static final int TESTNET_MAJORITY_REJECT_BLOCK_OUTDATED = 75;
     public static final int TESTNET_MAJORITY_ENFORCE_BLOCK_UPGRADE = 51;
+    public static final Sha256Hash GENESIS_HASH = Sha256Hash.wrap("000000000933ea01ad0ee984209779baaec3ced90fa3f408719526f8d77f4943");
 
     public TestNet3Params() {
         super();
@@ -52,7 +54,8 @@ public class TestNet3Params extends AbstractBitcoinNetParams {
         genesisBlock.setDifficultyTarget(0x1d00ffffL);
         genesisBlock.setTime(1296688602L);
         genesisBlock.setNonce(414098458);
-        
+        checkState(genesisBlock.getHash().equals(GENESIS_HASH), "Invalid genesis hash");
+
         port = 18333;
         packetMagic = 0x0b110907;
         dumpedPrivateKeyHeader = 239;
@@ -69,9 +72,6 @@ public class TestNet3Params extends AbstractBitcoinNetParams {
         majorityRejectBlockOutdated = TESTNET_MAJORITY_REJECT_BLOCK_OUTDATED;
         majorityWindow = TESTNET_MAJORITY_WINDOW;
 
-        String genesisHash = genesisBlock.getHashAsString();
-        checkState(genesisHash.equals("000000000933ea01ad0ee984209779baaec3ced90fa3f408719526f8d77f4943"));
-
         dnsSeeds = new String[] {
                 "testnet-seed.bitcoin.jonasschnelli.ch", // Jonas Schnelli
                 "seed.tbtc.petertodd.org",               // Peter Todd