diff --git a/packages/utils/source/validator-set-pack.test.ts b/packages/utils/source/validator-set-pack.test.ts
index c3c4d7f2f8..1a9c69b5c6 100644
--- a/packages/utils/source/validator-set-pack.test.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/source/validator-set-pack.test.ts
@@ -10,4 +10,37 @@ describe("validatorSet", async ({ assert, it }) => {
 	it("should unpack it", () => {
 		assert.equal(validatorSetUnpack(3n, 4), [true, true, false, false]);
 	});
+
+	it("should pack and unpack", () => {
+		const validatorSet = [true, true, false, false];
+		const packed = validatorSetPack(validatorSet);
+		const unpacked = validatorSetUnpack(packed, validatorSet.length);
+
+		assert.equal(unpacked, validatorSet);
+	});
+
+	it("should pack and unpack empty", () => {
+		const validatorSet: boolean[] = [];
+		const packed = validatorSetPack(validatorSet);
+		const unpacked = validatorSetUnpack(packed, validatorSet.length);
+
+		assert.equal(unpacked, validatorSet);
+	});
+
+	it("should reject invalid packed validator set", () => {
+		const validatorSet = [true, true, true, true];
+		const packed = validatorSetPack(validatorSet);
+
+		assert.throws(() => validatorSetUnpack(0n, -1), "`numberOfValidators` must be a non-negative integer");
+		assert.throws(() => validatorSetUnpack(0n, -10), "`numberOfValidators` must be a non-negative integer");
+		assert.throws(() => validatorSetUnpack(0n, 1.1), "`numberOfValidators` must be a non-negative integer");
+		assert.throws(() => validatorSetUnpack(0n, -0.1), "`numberOfValidators` must be a non-negative integer");
+		assert.throws(() => validatorSetUnpack(0n, 0.2), "`numberOfValidators` must be a non-negative integer");
+		assert.throws(
+			() => validatorSetUnpack(0n, "4" as unknown as number),
+			"`numberOfValidators` must be a non-negative integer",
+		);
+		assert.throws(() => validatorSetUnpack(packed, 3), "`packed` contains set bits beyond `numberOfValidators`");
+		assert.throws(() => validatorSetUnpack(-1n, 3), "`packed` must be non-negative");
+	});
 });
diff --git a/packages/utils/source/validator-set-pack.ts b/packages/utils/source/validator-set-pack.ts
index 68cebc71f0..118193e341 100644
--- a/packages/utils/source/validator-set-pack.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/source/validator-set-pack.ts
@@ -10,11 +10,26 @@ export const validatorSetPack = (validatorSet: boolean[]): bigint => {
 };
 
 export const validatorSetUnpack = (packed: bigint, numberOfValidators: number): boolean[] => {
-	const validatorSet: boolean[] = new Array(numberOfValidators);
+	if (!Number.isInteger(numberOfValidators) || numberOfValidators < 0) {
+		throw new RangeError("`numberOfValidators` must be a non-negative integer");
+	}
+
+	if (packed < 0n) {
+		throw new RangeError("`packed` must be non-negative");
+	}
+
+	if (packed >> BigInt(numberOfValidators) !== 0n) {
+		throw new RangeError("`packed` contains set bits beyond `numberOfValidators`");
+	}
+
+	const validatorSet: boolean[] = Array.from({ length: numberOfValidators });
+
+	let mask = 1n;
 	for (let index = 0; index < numberOfValidators; index++) {
-		const mask = 2n ** BigInt(index);
-		const isSet = (packed & mask) > 0;
+		const isSet = (packed & mask) !== 0n;
 		validatorSet[index] = isSet;
+
+		mask <<= 1n;
 	}
 
 	return validatorSet;