diff --git a/contract/contract.go b/contract/contract.go
index 171d220..25e7dab 100644
--- a/contract/contract.go
+++ b/contract/contract.go
@@ -132,8 +132,11 @@ func (c *Contract) DeliverMessageSend(msg *MessageSend, fee uint64) *PluginDeliv
 		return &PluginDeliverResponse{Error: err}
 	}
 	// ensure no error fsm error
+	// NOTE: must return response.Error here, not err (err is nil at this point since it was
+	// already checked above) — otherwise a failed state read is silently discarded and the
+	// function falls through to unmarshal zero-value bytes as if the accounts didn't error.
 	if response.Error != nil {
-		return &PluginDeliverResponse{Error: err}
+		return &PluginDeliverResponse{Error: response.Error}
 	}
 	// get the from bytes and to bytes
 	for _, resp := range response.Results {
@@ -189,11 +192,16 @@ func (c *Contract) DeliverMessageSend(msg *MessageSend, fee uint64) *PluginDeliv
 	var resp *PluginStateWriteResponse
 	// if the from account is drained - delete the from account
 	if from.Amount == 0 {
+		sets := []*PluginSetOp{{Key: feePoolKey, Value: feePoolBytes}}
+		// for a self-transfer that drains the balance to zero, fromKey == toKey. Including a
+		// Set and a Delete for the identical key in the same write batch is undefined/order
+		// dependent in the underlying store, which risks non-deterministic state across nodes.
+		// Only include the 'to' Set when it targets a distinct account.
+		if !bytes.Equal(fromKey, toKey) {
+			sets = append(sets, &PluginSetOp{Key: toKey, Value: toBytes})
+		}
 		resp, err = c.plugin.StateWrite(c, &PluginStateWriteRequest{
-			Sets: []*PluginSetOp{
-				{Key: feePoolKey, Value: feePoolBytes},
-				{Key: toKey, Value: toBytes},
-			},
+			Sets:    sets,
 			Deletes: []*PluginDeleteOp{{Key: fromKey}},
 		})
 	} else {