diff --git a/bittensor/_wallet/__init__.py b/bittensor/_wallet/__init__.py
index 7d233de652..48b9e76d8f 100644
--- a/bittensor/_wallet/__init__.py
+++ b/bittensor/_wallet/__init__.py
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ def check_config(cls, config: 'bittensor.Config' ):
         """
         assert 'wallet' in config
         assert isinstance(config.wallet.get('name', bittensor.defaults.wallet.name), str)
-        assert isinstance(config.wallet.get('hotkey', bittensor.defaults.wallet.hotkey), (str, None))
+        assert isinstance(config.wallet.get('hotkey', bittensor.defaults.wallet.hotkey), str ) or config.wallet.get('hotkey', bittensor.defaults.wallet.hotkey) == None
         assert isinstance(config.wallet.path, str)
         assert isinstance(config.wallet.hotkeys, list)
         assert isinstance(config.wallet.sort_by, str)