diff --git a/agreement/sort.go b/agreement/sort.go
index debb0fcb18..051d10b870 100644
--- a/agreement/sort.go
+++ b/agreement/sort.go
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func (a SortProposalValue) Less(i, j int) bool {
 
 func (a SortProposalValue) Swap(i, j int) { a[i], a[j] = a[j], a[i] }
 
-// ProposalLess is necessary for msgp:sort directive
+// ProposalValueLess is necessary for msgp:sort directive
 // which used to generate UnmarshalValidateMsg generators
 func ProposalValueLess(a, b proposalValue) bool {
 	if a.OriginalPeriod != b.OriginalPeriod {
diff --git a/crypto/stateproof/structs_test.go b/crypto/stateproof/structs_test.go
index 39915213ec..8611d5edb8 100644
--- a/crypto/stateproof/structs_test.go
+++ b/crypto/stateproof/structs_test.go
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ const (
 	wrongMapOrder
 )
 
-// TestDecodeValidate ensures that DecodeValidate detects non-canonical encodings
+// TestDecodeCanonicalMsg ensures that DecodeValidate detects non-canonical encodings
 // this is tested here because StateProof contains an example of a map and is itself contained within
 // Transaction message which is a relevant message to check canonical encoding for.
-func TestDecodeValidate(t *testing.T) {
+func TestDecodeCanonicalMsg(t *testing.T) {
 	partitiontest.PartitionTest(t)
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -51,25 +51,25 @@ func TestDecodeValidate(t *testing.T) {
 	b := protocol.Encode(&z)
 	var zDecode, zDecodeValidate StateProof
 	require.NoError(t, protocol.Decode(b, &zDecode))
-	require.NoError(t, protocol.DecodeValidate(b, &zDecodeValidate))
+	require.NoError(t, protocol.DecodeCanonicalMsg(b, &zDecodeValidate))
 
 	zDecode = StateProof{}
 	zDecodeValidate = StateProof{}
 	bCorrect := z.marshalWrongOrder(nil, canonical)
 	require.NoError(t, protocol.Decode(bCorrect, &zDecode))
-	require.NoError(t, protocol.DecodeValidate(bCorrect, &zDecodeValidate))
+	require.NoError(t, protocol.DecodeCanonicalMsg(bCorrect, &zDecodeValidate))
 
 	zDecode = StateProof{}
 	zDecodeValidate = StateProof{}
 	bWrongMapOrder := z.marshalWrongOrder(nil, wrongMapOrder)
 	require.NoError(t, protocol.Decode(bWrongMapOrder, &zDecode))
-	require.ErrorContains(t, protocol.DecodeValidate(bWrongMapOrder, &zDecodeValidate), "msgp: non-canonical encoding detected")
+	require.ErrorContains(t, protocol.DecodeCanonicalMsg(bWrongMapOrder, &zDecodeValidate), "msgp: non-canonical encoding detected")
 
 	zDecode = StateProof{}
 	zDecodeValidate = StateProof{}
 	bWrongStructOrder := z.marshalWrongOrder(nil, wrongStructOrder)
 	require.NoError(t, protocol.Decode(bWrongStructOrder, &zDecode))
-	require.ErrorContains(t, protocol.DecodeValidate(bWrongStructOrder, &zDecodeValidate), "msgp: non-canonical encoding detected")
+	require.ErrorContains(t, protocol.DecodeCanonicalMsg(bWrongStructOrder, &zDecodeValidate), "msgp: non-canonical encoding detected")
 
 }
 
diff --git a/data/basics/sort.go b/data/basics/sort.go
index 7293c4d799..cea3656795 100644
--- a/data/basics/sort.go
+++ b/data/basics/sort.go
@@ -31,10 +31,6 @@ func (a SortUint64) Len() int           { return len(a) }
 func (a SortUint64) Less(i, j int) bool { return a[i] < a[j] }
 func (a SortUint64) Swap(i, j int)      { a[i], a[j] = a[j], a[i] }
 
-// Uint64Less is necessary for msgp:sort directive
-// which used to generate UnmarshalValidateMsg generators
-func Uint64Less(a, b uint64) bool { return a < b }
-
 // SortAssetIndex implements sorting by AssetIndex keys for
 // canonical encoding of maps in msgpack format.
 //
diff --git a/protocol/codec.go b/protocol/codec.go
index 389f3779d6..d9f24b6223 100644
--- a/protocol/codec.go
+++ b/protocol/codec.go
@@ -186,12 +186,12 @@ func DecodeMsgp(b []byte, objptr msgp.Unmarshaler) (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// DecodeValidate attempts to decode a msgpack-encoded byte buffer into
+// DecodeCanonicalMsg attempts to decode a msgpack-encoded byte buffer into
 // an object instance pointed to by objptr, requiring that we pre-
 // generated the code for doing so using msgp. It also validates that
 // the decoded object is canonically encoded. It will return an error
 // if struct fields or maps are out of canonical order
-func DecodeValidate(b []byte, objptr msgp.UnmarshalerValidator) (err error) {
+func DecodeCanonicalMsg(b []byte, objptr msgp.UnmarshalerValidator) (err error) {
 	defer func() {
 		if x := recover(); x != nil {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("DecodeMsgp: %v", x)
diff --git a/protocol/codec_tester.go b/protocol/codec_tester.go
index 12e5efec04..ee8c667fac 100644
--- a/protocol/codec_tester.go
+++ b/protocol/codec_tester.go
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ func EncodingTest(template msgpMarshalUnmarshal) error {
 
 	if _, ok := v1.(msgp.UnmarshalerValidator); ok {
 		vValidate := reflect.New(reflect.TypeOf(template).Elem()).Interface().(msgp.UnmarshalerValidator)
-		err = (DecodeValidate(ee1, vValidate))
+		err = (DecodeCanonicalMsg(ee1, vValidate))
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}