diff --git a/src/status_im/contacts/validations.cljs b/src/status_im/contacts/validations.cljs
index 35b33bca70..485d0bc418 100644
--- a/src/status_im/contacts/validations.cljs
+++ b/src/status_im/contacts/validations.cljs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 (ns status-im.contacts.validations
   (:require [cljs.spec :as s]
+            [clojure.string :as str]
             [status-im.data-store.contacts :as contacts]))
 
 (def web3 (js/require "web3"))
@@ -12,19 +13,27 @@
     (:pending? (contacts/get-by-id identity))
     true))
 
+(defn hex-string? [s]
+  (let [s' (if (str/starts-with? s "0x")
+             (subs s 2)
+             s)]
+    (boolean (re-matches #"(?i)[0-9a-f]+" s'))))
+
 (defn valid-length? [identity]
   (let [length (count identity)]
-    (or
-      (= 130 length)
-      (= 132 length)
-      (is-address? identity))))
+    (and
+      (hex-string? identity)
+      (or
+        (and (= 128 length) (not (str/includes? identity "0x")))
+        (and (= 130 length) (str/starts-with? identity "0x"))
+        (and (= 132 length) (str/starts-with? identity "0x04"))
+        (is-address? identity)))))
 
 (s/def ::identity-length valid-length?)
 (s/def ::contact-can-be-added contact-can-be-added?)
 (s/def ::not-empty-string (s/and string? not-empty))
 (s/def ::name ::not-empty-string)
 (s/def ::whisper-identity (s/and ::not-empty-string
-                                 ::contact-can-be-added
                                  ::identity-length))
 
 (s/def ::contact (s/keys :req-un [::name ::whisper-identity]
diff --git a/src/status_im/contacts/views/new_contact.cljs b/src/status_im/contacts/views/new_contact.cljs
index e70bdb31a3..eeb49ae1d9 100644
--- a/src/status_im/contacts/views/new_contact.cljs
+++ b/src/status_im/contacts/views/new_contact.cljs
@@ -63,12 +63,12 @@
       (normalize-hex whisper-identity))
     (label :t/can-not-add-yourself)
 
-    (not (s/valid? ::v/contact-can-be-added whisper-identity))
-    (label :t/contact-already-added)
-
     (not (s/valid? ::v/whisper-identity whisper-identity))
     (label :t/enter-valid-public-key)
 
+    (not (s/valid? ::v/contact-can-be-added whisper-identity))
+    (label :t/contact-already-added)
+
     :else error))
 
 (defn toolbar-actions [new-contact-identity account error]