diff --git a/.changelog/unreleased/improvements/1433-optional-rust-crypto-in-ibc-client-tendermint.md b/.changelog/unreleased/improvements/1433-optional-rust-crypto-in-ibc-client-tendermint.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ce25c35968
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/unreleased/improvements/1433-optional-rust-crypto-in-ibc-client-tendermint.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- [ibc-client-tendermint] Make `rust-crypto` an optional default-enabled feature
+  ([#1433](https://github.com/cosmos/ibc-rs/pull/1433))
diff --git a/ibc-clients/Cargo.toml b/ibc-clients/Cargo.toml
index 0ab910b3cf..87e0cd90bb 100644
--- a/ibc-clients/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ibc-clients/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ ibc-client-tendermint = { workspace = true }
 ibc-client-wasm-types = { workspace = true }
 
 [features]
-default = [ "std" ]
+default = [ "std", "rust-crypto" ]
+rust-crypto = [ "ibc-client-tendermint/rust-crypto" ]
 std = [
   "ibc-client-tendermint/std",
   "ibc-client-wasm-types/std",
diff --git a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/Cargo.toml b/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/Cargo.toml
index 93cab56a6a..651195db3b 100644
--- a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/Cargo.toml
@@ -32,10 +32,11 @@ ibc-primitives              = { workspace = true }
 
 # cosmos dependencies
 tendermint                       = { workspace = true }
-tendermint-light-client-verifier = { workspace = true, features = [ "rust-crypto" ] }
+tendermint-light-client-verifier = { workspace = true }
 
 [features]
-default = [ "std" ]
+default = [ "std", "rust-crypto" ]
+rust-crypto = [ "tendermint-light-client-verifier/rust-crypto" ]
 std = [
   "serde/std",
   "ibc-client-tendermint-types/std",
diff --git a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/src/client_state/validation.rs b/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/src/client_state/validation.rs
index ccb08b5af6..56ff402b0e 100644
--- a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/src/client_state/validation.rs
+++ b/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/src/client_state/validation.rs
@@ -10,10 +10,9 @@ use ibc_core_host::types::identifiers::ClientId;
 use ibc_core_host::types::path::ClientConsensusStatePath;
 use ibc_primitives::prelude::*;
 use ibc_primitives::proto::Any;
-use tendermint::crypto::default::Sha256;
 use tendermint::crypto::Sha256 as Sha256Trait;
 use tendermint::merkle::MerkleHash;
-use tendermint_light_client_verifier::{ProdVerifier, Verifier};
+use tendermint_light_client_verifier::Verifier;
 
 use super::{
     check_for_misbehaviour_on_misbehavior, check_for_misbehaviour_on_update,
@@ -48,17 +47,30 @@ where
     /// parameter.
     fn verify_client_message(
         &self,
-        ctx: &V,
-        client_id: &ClientId,
-        client_message: Any,
+        _ctx: &V,
+        _client_id: &ClientId,
+        _client_message: Any,
     ) -> Result<(), ClientError> {
-        verify_client_message::<V, Sha256>(
-            self.inner(),
-            ctx,
-            client_id,
-            client_message,
-            &ProdVerifier::default(),
-        )
+        #[cfg(feature = "rust-crypto")]
+        {
+            use tendermint::crypto::default::Sha256;
+            use tendermint_light_client_verifier::ProdVerifier;
+
+            verify_client_message::<V, Sha256>(
+                self.inner(),
+                _ctx,
+                _client_id,
+                _client_message,
+                &ProdVerifier::default(),
+            )
+        }
+        #[cfg(not(feature = "rust-crypto"))]
+        {
+            unimplemented!(
+                "verify_client_message requires the `rust-crypto` feature; \
+                 use a custom verifier via the standalone verify_client_message function instead"
+            )
+        }
     }
 
     fn check_for_misbehaviour(
diff --git a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/types/Cargo.toml b/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/types/Cargo.toml
index 8bb4b70ecf..0baf22f6dd 100644
--- a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/types/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/types/Cargo.toml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ ibc-proto                 = { workspace = true }
 
 # cosmos dependencies
 tendermint                       = { workspace = true }
-tendermint-light-client-verifier = { workspace = true, features = [ "rust-crypto" ] }
+tendermint-light-client-verifier = { workspace = true }
 tendermint-proto                 = { workspace = true }
 
 # parity dependencies
diff --git a/ibc-testkit/Cargo.toml b/ibc-testkit/Cargo.toml
index 8e43636b84..eb28b9bbfa 100644
--- a/ibc-testkit/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ibc-testkit/Cargo.toml
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ hex    = { workspace = true }
 rstest = { workspace = true }
 
 [features]
-default = [ "std" ]
+default = [ "std", "rust-crypto" ]
+rust-crypto = [ "ibc/rust-crypto" ]
 std = [
   "hex/std",
   "serde/std",
diff --git a/ibc-testkit/src/relayer/integration.rs b/ibc-testkit/src/relayer/integration.rs
index 145ed50044..4a5a6cea6d 100644
--- a/ibc-testkit/src/relayer/integration.rs
+++ b/ibc-testkit/src/relayer/integration.rs
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ where
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
+#[cfg(feature = "rust-crypto")]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::hosts::{MockHost, TendermintHost};
diff --git a/ibc/Cargo.toml b/ibc/Cargo.toml
index 1a1eb6f567..f399e570c3 100644
--- a/ibc/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ibc/Cargo.toml
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ ibc-derive           = { workspace = true }
 ibc-primitives       = { workspace = true }
 
 [features]
-default = [ "std" ]
+default = [ "std", "rust-crypto" ]
+rust-crypto = [ "ibc-clients/rust-crypto" ]
 std = [
   "ibc-apps/std",
   "ibc-clients/std",
diff --git a/tests-integration/Cargo.toml b/tests-integration/Cargo.toml
index 57f2834689..3fe0a82dfb 100644
--- a/tests-integration/Cargo.toml
+++ b/tests-integration/Cargo.toml
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ test-log       = { version = "0.2.16", features = [ "trace" ] }
 tendermint-rpc = { workspace = true }
 
 [features]
-default = [ "std" ]
+default = [ "std", "rust-crypto" ]
+rust-crypto = [ "ibc/rust-crypto" ]
 std = [
   "serde/std",
   "serde-json/std",
diff --git a/tests-integration/tests/core/ics02_client/mod.rs b/tests-integration/tests/core/ics02_client/mod.rs
index 267b760cc0..0e8e43d20c 100644
--- a/tests-integration/tests/core/ics02_client/mod.rs
+++ b/tests-integration/tests/core/ics02_client/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 pub mod create_client;
 pub mod recover_client;
+#[cfg(feature = "rust-crypto")]
 pub mod update_client;
 #[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 pub mod upgrade_client;
diff --git a/tests-integration/tests/core/router.rs b/tests-integration/tests/core/router.rs
index 9bfdd06fba..4371a7b73d 100644
--- a/tests-integration/tests/core/router.rs
+++ b/tests-integration/tests/core/router.rs
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ use ibc_testkit::testapp::ibc::clients::mock::client_state::MockClientState;
 use ibc_testkit::testapp::ibc::clients::mock::consensus_state::MockConsensusState;
 use ibc_testkit::testapp::ibc::clients::mock::header::MockHeader;
 use ibc_testkit::testapp::ibc::core::router::MockRouter;
+use std::panic;
 use test_log::test;
 
 #[test]