diff --git a/src/status_im/ui/screens/add_new/new_chat/db.cljs b/src/status_im/ui/screens/add_new/new_chat/db.cljs
index fae24a5ad8..7e74796b73 100644
--- a/src/status_im/ui/screens/add_new/new_chat/db.cljs
+++ b/src/status_im/ui/screens/add_new/new_chat/db.cljs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 (ns status-im.ui.screens.add-new.new-chat.db
   (:require [status-im.utils.hex :as hex]
+            [status-im.ethereum.ens :as ens]
             [status-im.utils.platform :as platform]
             [status-im.i18n :as i18n]
             [cljs.spec.alpha :as spec]
@@ -11,7 +12,8 @@
 
 (defn validate-pub-key [db public-key]
   (cond
-    (not (spec/valid? :global/public-key public-key))
+    (or (not (spec/valid? :global/public-key public-key))
+        (= public-key ens/default-key))
     (i18n/label (if platform/desktop?
                   :t/use-valid-contact-code-desktop
                   :t/use-valid-contact-code))
diff --git a/status-go-version.json b/status-go-version.json
index ebf1f8b5e5..3e07464dfb 100644
--- a/status-go-version.json
+++ b/status-go-version.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
     "_comment": "DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND. USE 'scripts/update-status-go.sh <tag>' instead",
     "owner": "status-im",
     "repo": "status-go",
-    "version": "v0.43.0",
-    "commit-sha1": "f2eebd1e499e1eb7ab84d634792ec7927b1e79b3",
-    "src-sha256": "1pcsigvwlv1k4hnzfw2f7c9shhavinyqg6711xnq3jkr4j53j2p8"
+    "version": "v0.43.1",
+    "commit-sha1": "0b6ad662b519ce0bc0f0c1c65f8c5eb77ddb2904",
+    "src-sha256": "1rn11ig98pb6y5gp5w9vzh41grsampd8bz09zdqz2rzfdic1b66i"
 }