diff --git a/modAionImpl/src/org/aion/zero/impl/vm/fvm/ExternalStateForFvm.java b/modAionImpl/src/org/aion/zero/impl/vm/fvm/ExternalStateForFvm.java
index 33f56534d9..89eea53afe 100644
--- a/modAionImpl/src/org/aion/zero/impl/vm/fvm/ExternalStateForFvm.java
+++ b/modAionImpl/src/org/aion/zero/impl/vm/fvm/ExternalStateForFvm.java
@@ -269,7 +269,11 @@ public BigInteger getBalance(AionAddress address) {
      * @param amount The amount.
      */
     @Override
-    public void addBalance(AionAddress address, BigInteger amount) {
+    public void addBalance(AionAddress address, BigInteger amount)
+    {
+        if (!this.isLocalCall && getBalance(address).add(amount).signum() < 0) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("This balance adjustment leads to a negative balance!");
+        }
         this.repository.addBalance(address, amount);
     }
 
@@ -376,6 +380,9 @@ public boolean accountBalanceIsAtLeast(AionAddress address, BigInteger balance)
     @Override
     public void deductEnergyCost(AionAddress address, BigInteger energyCost) {
         if (!this.isLocalCall) {
+            if (getBalance(address).subtract(energyCost).signum() < 0) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("This energy cost deduction leads to a negative balance!");
+            }
             this.repository.addBalance(address, energyCost.negate());
         }
     }
diff --git a/modAvmVersion1/src/org/aion/avm/version1/internal/ExternalStateForAvm.java b/modAvmVersion1/src/org/aion/avm/version1/internal/ExternalStateForAvm.java
index 65515972cf..ac6274228e 100644
--- a/modAvmVersion1/src/org/aion/avm/version1/internal/ExternalStateForAvm.java
+++ b/modAvmVersion1/src/org/aion/avm/version1/internal/ExternalStateForAvm.java
@@ -153,6 +153,9 @@ public BigInteger getBalance(AionAddress address) {
 
     @Override
     public void adjustBalance(AionAddress address, BigInteger delta) {
+        if (!this.isLocalCall && getBalance(address).add(delta).signum() < 0) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("This balance adjustment leads to a negative balance!");
+        }
         this.repositoryCache.addBalance(address, delta);
     }
 
@@ -176,6 +179,9 @@ public void incrementNonce(AionAddress address) {
     @Override
     public void refundAccount(AionAddress address, BigInteger amount) {
         if (!this.isLocalCall) {
+            if (getBalance(address).add(amount).signum() < 0) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("This refund leads to a negative balance!");
+            }
             this.repositoryCache.addBalance(address, amount);
         }
     }
diff --git a/modAvmVersion2/src/org/aion/avm/version2/internal/ExternalStateForAvm.java b/modAvmVersion2/src/org/aion/avm/version2/internal/ExternalStateForAvm.java
index d6d747db6b..e357ca2ff9 100644
--- a/modAvmVersion2/src/org/aion/avm/version2/internal/ExternalStateForAvm.java
+++ b/modAvmVersion2/src/org/aion/avm/version2/internal/ExternalStateForAvm.java
@@ -154,7 +154,10 @@ public BigInteger getBalance(AionAddress address) {
 
     @Override
     public void adjustBalance(AionAddress address, BigInteger delta) {
-        this.repositoryCache.addBalance(address, delta);
+        if (!this.isLocalCall && getBalance(address).add(delta).signum() < 0) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("This balance adjustment leads to a negative balance!");
+        }
+        this.repositoryCache.addBalance(address, delta);    
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -177,6 +180,9 @@ public void incrementNonce(AionAddress address) {
     @Override
     public void refundAccount(AionAddress address, BigInteger amount) {
         if (!this.isLocalCall) {
+            if (getBalance(address).add(amount).signum() < 0) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("This refund leads to a negative balance!");
+            }
             this.repositoryCache.addBalance(address, amount);
         }
     }