diff --git a/Gopkg.lock b/Gopkg.lock
index f9be7bd97a9e..f868142edfce 100644
--- a/Gopkg.lock
+++ b/Gopkg.lock
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@
   version = "v0.11.1"
 
 [[projects]]
-  digest = "1:92d7d1678577fd1a6f3348168cef87880bbc710ef5f4e9a1216f45c56567d734"
+  digest = "1:395820b381043b9d2204e181ddf0f9147397c4a7b8f5dc3162de4cfcddf4589a"
   name = "github.com/tendermint/tendermint"
   packages = [
     "abci/client",
@@ -501,7 +501,8 @@
     "version",
   ]
   pruneopts = "UT"
-  revision = "ebee4377b15f2958b08994485375dd2ee8a649ac"
+  revision = "03e42d2e3866f01a00625f608e3bbfaeb30690de"
+  version = "v0.26.1-rc0"
 
 [[projects]]
   digest = "1:7886f86064faff6f8d08a3eb0e8c773648ff5a2e27730831e2bfbf07467f6666"
diff --git a/Gopkg.toml b/Gopkg.toml
index a66574ea62f8..5726008858c4 100644
--- a/Gopkg.toml
+++ b/Gopkg.toml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 [[override]]
   name = "github.com/tendermint/tendermint"
-  revision = "ebee4377b15f2958b08994485375dd2ee8a649ac" # TODO replace w/ 0.26.1
+  version = "v0.26.1-rc0" # TODO replace w/ 0.26.1
 
 ## deps without releases:
 
@@ -84,4 +84,3 @@
 [prune]
   go-tests = true
   unused-packages = true
-
diff --git a/PENDING.md b/PENDING.md
index 11c13ea75f00..f2ad9bd28da0 100644
--- a/PENDING.md
+++ b/PENDING.md
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ IMPROVEMENTS
  - \#2660 [x/mock/simulation] Staking transactions get tested far more frequently
  - \#2610 [x/stake] Block redelegation to and from the same validator
  - \#2652 [x/auth] Add benchmark for get and set account
+ - \#2685 [x/store] Add general merkle absence proof (also for empty substores)
 
 * Tendermint
 
diff --git a/store/iavlstore.go b/store/iavlstore.go
index bb588f029b65..fccde38e27e0 100644
--- a/store/iavlstore.go
+++ b/store/iavlstore.go
@@ -225,8 +225,21 @@ func (st *iavlStore) Query(req abci.RequestQuery) (res abci.ResponseQuery) {
 				res.Log = err.Error()
 				break
 			}
-			res.Value = value
-			res.Proof = &merkle.Proof{Ops: []merkle.ProofOp{iavl.NewIAVLValueOp(key, proof).ProofOp()}}
+			if proof == nil {
+				// Proof == nil implies that the store is empty.
+				if value != nil {
+					panic("unexpected value for an empty proof")
+				}
+			}
+			if value != nil {
+				// value was found
+				res.Value = value
+				res.Proof = &merkle.Proof{Ops: []merkle.ProofOp{iavl.NewIAVLValueOp(key, proof).ProofOp()}}
+			} else {
+				// value wasn't found
+				res.Value = nil
+				res.Proof = &merkle.Proof{Ops: []merkle.ProofOp{iavl.NewIAVLAbsenceOp(key, proof).ProofOp()}}
+			}
 		} else {
 			_, res.Value = tree.GetVersioned(key, res.Height)
 		}
diff --git a/store/multistoreproof_test.go b/store/multistoreproof_test.go
index 19feef160023..db3b65cad53d 100644
--- a/store/multistoreproof_test.go
+++ b/store/multistoreproof_test.go
@@ -106,3 +106,69 @@ func TestVerifyMultiStoreQueryProof(t *testing.T) {
 	err = prt.VerifyValue(res.Proof, cid.Hash, "/iavlStoreKey/MYKEY", []byte(nil))
 	require.NotNil(t, err)
 }
+
+func TestVerifyMultiStoreQueryProofEmptyStore(t *testing.T) {
+	// Create main tree for testing.
+	db := dbm.NewMemDB()
+	store := NewCommitMultiStore(db)
+	iavlStoreKey := sdk.NewKVStoreKey("iavlStoreKey")
+
+	store.MountStoreWithDB(iavlStoreKey, sdk.StoreTypeIAVL, nil)
+	store.LoadVersion(0)
+	cid := store.Commit() // Commit with empty iavl store.
+
+	// Get Proof
+	res := store.Query(abci.RequestQuery{
+		Path:  "/iavlStoreKey/key", // required path to get key/value+proof
+		Data:  []byte("MYKEY"),
+		Prove: true,
+	})
+	require.NotNil(t, res.Proof)
+
+	// Verify proof.
+	prt := DefaultProofRuntime()
+	err := prt.VerifyAbsence(res.Proof, cid.Hash, "/iavlStoreKey/MYKEY")
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+
+	// Verify (bad) proof.
+	prt = DefaultProofRuntime()
+	err = prt.VerifyValue(res.Proof, cid.Hash, "/iavlStoreKey/MYKEY", []byte("MYVALUE"))
+	require.NotNil(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestVerifyMultiStoreQueryProofAbsence(t *testing.T) {
+	// Create main tree for testing.
+	db := dbm.NewMemDB()
+	store := NewCommitMultiStore(db)
+	iavlStoreKey := sdk.NewKVStoreKey("iavlStoreKey")
+
+	store.MountStoreWithDB(iavlStoreKey, sdk.StoreTypeIAVL, nil)
+	store.LoadVersion(0)
+
+	iavlStore := store.GetCommitStore(iavlStoreKey).(*iavlStore)
+	iavlStore.Set([]byte("MYKEY"), []byte("MYVALUE"))
+	cid := store.Commit() // Commit with empty iavl store.
+
+	// Get Proof
+	res := store.Query(abci.RequestQuery{
+		Path:  "/iavlStoreKey/key", // required path to get key/value+proof
+		Data:  []byte("MYABSENTKEY"),
+		Prove: true,
+	})
+	require.NotNil(t, res.Proof)
+
+	// Verify proof.
+	prt := DefaultProofRuntime()
+	err := prt.VerifyAbsence(res.Proof, cid.Hash, "/iavlStoreKey/MYABSENTKEY")
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+
+	// Verify (bad) proof.
+	prt = DefaultProofRuntime()
+	err = prt.VerifyAbsence(res.Proof, cid.Hash, "/MYABSENTKEY")
+	require.NotNil(t, err)
+
+	// Verify (bad) proof.
+	prt = DefaultProofRuntime()
+	err = prt.VerifyValue(res.Proof, cid.Hash, "/iavlStoreKey/MYABSENTKEY", []byte(""))
+	require.NotNil(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/store/rootmultistore.go b/store/rootmultistore.go
index 6c491bda1380..cd2d0135f113 100644
--- a/store/rootmultistore.go
+++ b/store/rootmultistore.go
@@ -295,6 +295,10 @@ func (rs *rootMultiStore) Query(req abci.RequestQuery) abci.ResponseQuery {
 		return res
 	}
 
+	if res.Proof == nil || len(res.Proof.Ops) == 0 {
+		return sdk.ErrInternal("substore proof was nil/empty when it should never be").QueryResult()
+	}
+
 	commitInfo, errMsg := getCommitInfo(rs.db, res.Height)
 	if errMsg != nil {
 		return sdk.ErrInternal(errMsg.Error()).QueryResult()