diff --git a/modules/abstract-utxo/src/abstractUtxoCoin.ts b/modules/abstract-utxo/src/abstractUtxoCoin.ts
index b5d04a47a7..6248c96e08 100644
--- a/modules/abstract-utxo/src/abstractUtxoCoin.ts
+++ b/modules/abstract-utxo/src/abstractUtxoCoin.ts
@@ -572,10 +572,10 @@ export abstract class AbstractUtxoCoin
     return (chainhead as any).height;
   }
 
-  checkRecipient(recipient: { address: string; amount: number | string }): void {
+  checkRecipient(recipient: { address?: string; amount: number | string }): void {
     assertValidTransactionRecipient(recipient);
-    if (!isScriptRecipient(recipient.address)) {
-      super.checkRecipient(recipient);
+    if (recipient.address && !isScriptRecipient(recipient.address)) {
+      super.checkRecipient({ address: recipient.address, amount: recipient.amount });
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/modules/abstract-utxo/test/unit/transaction/recipient.ts b/modules/abstract-utxo/test/unit/transaction/recipient.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1dbf838fba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/abstract-utxo/test/unit/transaction/recipient.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import assert from 'assert';
+
+import { getUtxoCoin } from '../util/utxoCoins';
+
+describe('AbstractUtxoCoin.checkRecipient', function () {
+  const coin = getUtxoCoin('btc');
+
+  it('does not throw for OP_RETURN output with no address field', function () {
+    // Simulates { amount: '0', script: '6a0c...' } coming from buildParams.recipients
+    assert.doesNotThrow(() => {
+      coin.checkRecipient({ amount: '0' });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('does not throw for script-prefixed address with zero amount', function () {
+    assert.doesNotThrow(() => {
+      coin.checkRecipient({ address: 'scriptPubKey:6a0c68656c6c6f20776f726c64', amount: '0' });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('does not throw for a regular address', function () {
+    // A valid mainnet P2PKH address
+    assert.doesNotThrow(() => {
+      coin.checkRecipient({ address: '1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7Divf', amount: '1000' });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('throws when OP_RETURN output (no address) has non-zero amount', function () {
+    assert.throws(() => {
+      coin.checkRecipient({ amount: '1000' });
+    }, /Only zero amounts allowed for non-encodeable scriptPubkeys/);
+  });
+
+  it('throws when script-prefixed address has non-zero amount', function () {
+    assert.throws(() => {
+      coin.checkRecipient({ address: 'scriptPubKey:6a0c68656c6c6f20776f726c64', amount: '500' });
+    }, /Only zero amounts allowed for non-encodeable scriptPubkeys/);
+  });
+});