diff --git a/src/komodo_notary.h b/src/komodo_notary.h
index 4711a9afc..b619c5b29 100644
--- a/src/komodo_notary.h
+++ b/src/komodo_notary.h
@@ -198,6 +198,21 @@ const char *Notaries_elected1[][2] =
     {"xrobesx_NA", "03f0cc6d142d14a40937f12dbd99dbd9021328f45759e26f1877f2a838876709e1" },
 };
 
+int32_t komodo_isnotaryvout(CScript scriptPubKey) // from ac_private chains only
+{
+    uint8_t pubkey33[33],*ptr = scriptPubKey.data(); int32_t i;
+    if ( scriptPubKey.size() == 35 && ptr[0] == 33 && ptr[34] == 0xac )
+    {
+        for (i=0; i<sizeof(Notaries_elected1)/sizeof(*Notaries_elected1); i++)
+        {
+            decode_hex(pubkey33,33,(char *)Notaries_elected1[i][1]);
+            if ( memcmp(ptr+1,pubkey33) == 0 )
+                return(1);
+        }
+    }
+    return(0);
+}
+
 int32_t komodo_notaries(uint8_t pubkeys[64][33],int32_t height,uint32_t timestamp)
 {
     static uint8_t elected_pubkeys0[64][33],elected_pubkeys1[64][33],did0,did1; static int32_t n0,n1;
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index c99f316f1..ca18bf2dd 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ extern int32_t KOMODO_LOADINGBLOCKS,KOMODO_LONGESTCHAIN,KOMODO_INSYNC,KOMODO_CON
 int32_t KOMODO_NEWBLOCKS;
 int32_t komodo_block2pubkey33(uint8_t *pubkey33,CBlock *block);
 void komodo_broadcast(CBlock *pblock,int32_t limit);
+int32_t komodo_isnotaryvout(CScript scriptPubKey);
 
 BlockMap mapBlockIndex;
 CChain chainActive;
@@ -1119,7 +1120,10 @@ bool CheckTransactionWithoutProofVerification(const CTransaction& tx, CValidatio
         {
             fprintf(stderr,"private chain nValue %.8f iscoinbase.%d\n",(double)txout.nValue/COIN,iscoinbase);
             if ( (txout.nValue > 0 && iscoinbase == 0) || tx.GetJoinSplitValueOut() > 0 )
-                return state.DoS(100, error("CheckTransaction(): this is a private chain, no public allowed"),REJECT_INVALID, "bad-txns-acprivacy-chain");
+            {
+                if ( komodo_isnotaryvout(txout.scriptPubKey) == 0 )
+                    return state.DoS(100, error("CheckTransaction(): this is a private chain, no public allowed"),REJECT_INVALID, "bad-txns-acprivacy-chain");
+            }
         }
         if ( txout.scriptPubKey.size() > IGUANA_MAXSCRIPTSIZE )
             return state.DoS(100, error("CheckTransaction(): txout.scriptPubKey.size() too big"),REJECT_INVALID, "bad-txns-vout-negative");