diff --git a/.pending/improvements/sdk/3917-Allow-arbitrary-decreases-to-validator-commission-rates b/.pending/improvements/sdk/3917-Allow-arbitrary-decreases-to-validator-commission-rates
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ab82ac9bd8d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.pending/improvements/sdk/3917-Allow-arbitrary-decreases-to-validator-commission-rates
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#3917 Allow arbitrary decreases to validator commission rates.
diff --git a/x/staking/types/commission.go b/x/staking/types/commission.go
index 89c3560394b0..e30d20dd5199 100644
--- a/x/staking/types/commission.go
+++ b/x/staking/types/commission.go
@@ -119,8 +119,7 @@ func (c Commission) ValidateNewRate(newRate sdk.Dec, blockTime time.Time) sdk.Er
 		// new rate cannot be greater than the max rate
 		return ErrCommissionGTMaxRate(DefaultCodespace)
 
-		// TODO: why do we need an absolute value, do we care if the validator decreases their rate rapidly?
-	case newRate.Sub(c.Rate).Abs().GT(c.MaxChangeRate):
+	case newRate.Sub(c.Rate).GT(c.MaxChangeRate):
 		// new rate % points change cannot be greater than the max change rate
 		return ErrCommissionGTMaxChangeRate(DefaultCodespace)
 	}
diff --git a/x/staking/types/commission_test.go b/x/staking/types/commission_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ec6186122a7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x/staking/types/commission_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package types
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
+)
+
+func TestCommissionValidate(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		input     Commission
+		expectErr bool
+	}{
+		// invalid commission; max rate < 0%
+		{NewCommission(sdk.ZeroDec(), sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("-1.00"), sdk.ZeroDec()), true},
+		// invalid commission; max rate > 100%
+		{NewCommission(sdk.ZeroDec(), sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("2.00"), sdk.ZeroDec()), true},
+		// invalid commission; rate < 0%
+		{NewCommission(sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("-1.00"), sdk.ZeroDec(), sdk.ZeroDec()), true},
+		// invalid commission; rate > max rate
+		{NewCommission(sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.75"), sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.50"), sdk.ZeroDec()), true},
+		// invalid commission; max change rate < 0%
+		{NewCommission(sdk.OneDec(), sdk.OneDec(), sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("-1.00")), true},
+		// invalid commission; max change rate > max rate
+		{NewCommission(sdk.OneDec(), sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.75"), sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.90")), true},
+		// valid commission
+		{NewCommission(sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.20"), sdk.OneDec(), sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.10")), false},
+	}
+
+	for i, tc := range testCases {
+		err := tc.input.Validate()
+		require.Equal(t, tc.expectErr, err != nil, "unexpected result; tc #%d, input: %v", i, tc.input)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCommissionValidateNewRate(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	c1 := NewCommission(sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.40"), sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.80"), sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.10"))
+	c1.UpdateTime = now
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		input     Commission
+		newRate   sdk.Dec
+		blockTime time.Time
+		expectErr bool
+	}{
+		// invalid new commission rate; last update < 24h ago
+		{c1, sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.50"), now, true},
+		// invalid new commission rate; new rate < 0%
+		{c1, sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("-1.00"), now.Add(48 * time.Hour), true},
+		// invalid new commission rate; new rate > max rate
+		{c1, sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.90"), now.Add(48 * time.Hour), true},
+		// invalid new commission rate; new rate > max change rate
+		{c1, sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.60"), now.Add(48 * time.Hour), true},
+		// valid commission
+		{c1, sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.50"), now.Add(48 * time.Hour), false},
+		// valid commission
+		{c1, sdk.MustNewDecFromStr("0.10"), now.Add(48 * time.Hour), false},
+	}
+
+	for i, tc := range testCases {
+		err := tc.input.ValidateNewRate(tc.newRate, tc.blockTime)
+		require.Equal(
+			t, tc.expectErr, err != nil,
+			"unexpected result; tc #%d, input: %v, newRate: %s, blockTime: %s",
+			i, tc.input, tc.newRate, tc.blockTime,
+		)
+	}
+}