diff --git a/encoding/bytesutil/bytes.go b/encoding/bytesutil/bytes.go
index 8a5a65b871..45d155a74d 100644
--- a/encoding/bytesutil/bytes.go
+++ b/encoding/bytesutil/bytes.go
@@ -406,7 +406,17 @@ func ReverseByteOrder(input []byte) []byte {
 	return b
 }
 
-// NonZeroRoot returns whether or not a root is of proper length and non-zero hash.
-func NonZeroRoot(root []byte) bool {
-	return len(root) == fieldparams.RootLength && string(make([]byte, fieldparams.RootLength)) != string(root)
+// ZeroRoot returns whether or not a root is of proper length and non-zero hash.
+func ZeroRoot(root []byte) bool {
+	return string(make([]byte, fieldparams.RootLength)) == string(root)
+}
+
+// IsRoot checks whether the byte array is a root.
+func IsRoot(root []byte) bool {
+	return len(root) == fieldparams.RootLength
+}
+
+// IsValidRoot checks whether the byte array is a valid root.
+func IsValidRoot(root []byte) bool {
+	return IsRoot(root) && !ZeroRoot(root)
 }
diff --git a/encoding/bytesutil/bytes_test.go b/encoding/bytesutil/bytes_test.go
index e758f4e623..6a63017a35 100644
--- a/encoding/bytesutil/bytes_test.go
+++ b/encoding/bytesutil/bytes_test.go
@@ -518,12 +518,67 @@ func TestSafeCopy2d32Bytes(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.DeepEqual(t, input, output)
 }
 
-func TestNonZeroRoot(t *testing.T) {
+func TestZeroRoot(t *testing.T) {
 	input := make([]byte, fieldparams.RootLength)
-	output := bytesutil.NonZeroRoot(input)
-	assert.Equal(t, false, output)
+	output := bytesutil.ZeroRoot(input)
+	assert.Equal(t, true, output)
 	copy(input[2:], "a")
 	copy(input[3:], "b")
-	output = bytesutil.NonZeroRoot(input)
+	output = bytesutil.ZeroRoot(input)
+	assert.Equal(t, false, output)
+}
+
+func TestIsRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	input := make([]byte, fieldparams.RootLength)
+	output := bytesutil.IsRoot(input)
 	assert.Equal(t, true, output)
 }
+
+func TestIsValidRoot(t *testing.T) {
+
+	zeroRoot := make([]byte, fieldparams.RootLength)
+
+	validRoot := make([]byte, fieldparams.RootLength)
+	validRoot[0] = 'a'
+
+	wrongLengthRoot := make([]byte, fieldparams.RootLength-4)
+	wrongLengthRoot[0] = 'a'
+
+	type args struct {
+		root []byte
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		args args
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Is ZeroRoot",
+			args: args{
+				root: zeroRoot,
+			},
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Is ValidRoot",
+			args: args{
+				root: validRoot,
+			},
+			want: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Is NonZeroRoot but not length 32",
+			args: args{
+				root: wrongLengthRoot,
+			},
+			want: false,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := bytesutil.IsValidRoot(tt.args.root)
+			require.Equal(t, got, tt.want)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/validator/accounts/wallet/wallet.go b/validator/accounts/wallet/wallet.go
index 233ba493a5..7c870ec51c 100644
--- a/validator/accounts/wallet/wallet.go
+++ b/validator/accounts/wallet/wallet.go
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ func (w *Wallet) InitializeKeymanager(ctx context.Context, cfg iface.InitKeymana
 		}
 		// TODO(9883): future work needs to address how initialize keymanager is called for web3signer.
 		// an error may be thrown for genesis validators root for some InitializeKeymanager calls.
-		if !bytesutil.NonZeroRoot(config.GenesisValidatorsRoot) {
+		if !bytesutil.IsValidRoot(config.GenesisValidatorsRoot) {
 			return nil, errors.New("web3signer requires a genesis validators root value")
 		}
 		km, err = remote_web3signer.NewKeymanager(ctx, config)
diff --git a/validator/keymanager/remote-web3signer/keymanager.go b/validator/keymanager/remote-web3signer/keymanager.go
index 2996fc59da..9acd9e2ce1 100644
--- a/validator/keymanager/remote-web3signer/keymanager.go
+++ b/validator/keymanager/remote-web3signer/keymanager.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ type Keymanager struct {
 
 // NewKeymanager instantiates a new web3signer key manager.
 func NewKeymanager(_ context.Context, cfg *SetupConfig) (*Keymanager, error) {
-	if cfg.BaseEndpoint == "" || !bytesutil.NonZeroRoot(cfg.GenesisValidatorsRoot) {
+	if cfg.BaseEndpoint == "" || !bytesutil.IsValidRoot(cfg.GenesisValidatorsRoot) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid setup config, one or more configs are empty: BaseEndpoint: %v, GenesisValidatorsRoot: %#x", cfg.BaseEndpoint, cfg.GenesisValidatorsRoot)
 	}
 	if cfg.PublicKeysURL != "" && len(cfg.ProvidedPublicKeys) != 0 {
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func getSignRequestJson(ctx context.Context, validator *validator.Validate, requ
 	if request == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("nil sign request provided")
 	}
-	if !bytesutil.NonZeroRoot(genesisValidatorsRoot) {
+	if !bytesutil.IsValidRoot(genesisValidatorsRoot) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid genesis validators root length, genesis root: %v", genesisValidatorsRoot)
 	}
 	switch request.Object.(type) {