diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 73a0ef6e..b0c2350f 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -1069,6 +1069,10 @@ func newServer(listenAddrs []net.Addr, chanDB *channeldb.DB,
 			policy.SweepFeeRate = sweepRateSatPerByte.FeePerKWeight()
 		}
 
+		if err := policy.Validate(); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
 		s.towerClient, err = wtclient.New(&wtclient.Config{
 			Signer:         cc.wallet.Cfg.Signer,
 			NewAddress:     newSweepPkScriptGen(cc.wallet),
diff --git a/watchtower/wtpolicy/policy.go b/watchtower/wtpolicy/policy.go
index ca1debd3..163c1f1e 100644
--- a/watchtower/wtpolicy/policy.go
+++ b/watchtower/wtpolicy/policy.go
@@ -27,7 +27,11 @@ const (
 
 	// DefaultSweepFeeRate specifies the fee rate used to construct justice
 	// transactions. The value is expressed in satoshis per kilo-weight.
-	DefaultSweepFeeRate = 3000
+	DefaultSweepFeeRate = lnwallet.SatPerKWeight(12000)
+
+	// MinSweepFeeRate is the minimum sweep fee rate a client may use in its
+	// policy, the current value is 4 sat/kw.
+	MinSweepFeeRate = lnwallet.SatPerKWeight(4000)
 )
 
 var (
@@ -43,6 +47,17 @@ var (
 	// ErrCreatesDust signals that the session's policy would create a dust
 	// output for the victim.
 	ErrCreatesDust = errors.New("justice transaction creates dust at fee rate")
+
+	// ErrAltruistReward signals that the policy is invalid because it
+	// contains a non-zero RewardBase or RewardRate on an altruist policy.
+	ErrAltruistReward = errors.New("altruist policy has reward params")
+
+	// ErrNoMaxUpdates signals that the policy specified zero MaxUpdates.
+	ErrNoMaxUpdates = errors.New("max updates must be positive")
+
+	// ErrSweepFeeRateTooLow signals that the policy's fee rate is too low
+	// to get into the mempool during low congestion.
+	ErrSweepFeeRateTooLow = errors.New("sweep fee rate too low")
 )
 
 // DefaultPolicy returns a Policy containing the default parameters that can be
@@ -50,11 +65,8 @@ var (
 func DefaultPolicy() Policy {
 	return Policy{
 		TxPolicy: TxPolicy{
-			BlobType:   blob.TypeAltruistCommit,
-			RewardRate: DefaultRewardRate,
-			SweepFeeRate: lnwallet.SatPerKWeight(
-				DefaultSweepFeeRate,
-			),
+			BlobType:     blob.TypeAltruistCommit,
+			SweepFeeRate: DefaultSweepFeeRate,
 		},
 		MaxUpdates: DefaultMaxUpdates,
 	}
@@ -107,6 +119,31 @@ func (p Policy) String() string {
 		p.SweepFeeRate)
 }
 
+// Validate ensures that the policy satisfies some minimal correctness
+// constraints.
+func (p Policy) Validate() error {
+	// RewardBase and RewardRate should not be set if the policy doesn't
+	// have a reward.
+	if !p.BlobType.Has(blob.FlagReward) &&
+		(p.RewardBase != 0 || p.RewardRate != 0) {
+
+		return ErrAltruistReward
+	}
+
+	// MaxUpdates must be positive.
+	if p.MaxUpdates == 0 {
+		return ErrNoMaxUpdates
+	}
+
+	// SweepFeeRate must be sane enough to get in the mempool during low
+	// congestion.
+	if p.SweepFeeRate < MinSweepFeeRate {
+		return ErrSweepFeeRateTooLow
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // ComputeAltruistOutput computes the lone output value of a justice transaction
 // that pays no reward to the tower. The value is computed using the weight of
 // of the justice transaction and subtracting an amount that satisfies the
diff --git a/watchtower/wtpolicy/policy_test.go b/watchtower/wtpolicy/policy_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4182a0de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/watchtower/wtpolicy/policy_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+package wtpolicy_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/watchtower/blob"
+	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/watchtower/wtpolicy"
+)
+
+var validationTests = []struct {
+	name   string
+	policy wtpolicy.Policy
+	expErr error
+}{
+	{
+		name: "fail no maxupdates",
+		policy: wtpolicy.Policy{
+			TxPolicy: wtpolicy.TxPolicy{
+				BlobType: blob.TypeAltruistCommit,
+			},
+		},
+		expErr: wtpolicy.ErrNoMaxUpdates,
+	},
+	{
+		name: "fail altruist with reward base",
+		policy: wtpolicy.Policy{
+			TxPolicy: wtpolicy.TxPolicy{
+				BlobType:   blob.TypeAltruistCommit,
+				RewardBase: 1,
+			},
+		},
+		expErr: wtpolicy.ErrAltruistReward,
+	},
+	{
+		name: "fail altruist with reward rate",
+		policy: wtpolicy.Policy{
+			TxPolicy: wtpolicy.TxPolicy{
+				BlobType:   blob.TypeAltruistCommit,
+				RewardRate: 1,
+			},
+		},
+		expErr: wtpolicy.ErrAltruistReward,
+	},
+	{
+		name: "fail sweep fee rate too low",
+		policy: wtpolicy.Policy{
+			TxPolicy: wtpolicy.TxPolicy{
+				BlobType: blob.TypeAltruistCommit,
+			},
+			MaxUpdates: 1,
+		},
+		expErr: wtpolicy.ErrSweepFeeRateTooLow,
+	},
+	{
+		name: "minimal valid altruist policy",
+		policy: wtpolicy.Policy{
+			TxPolicy: wtpolicy.TxPolicy{
+				BlobType:     blob.TypeAltruistCommit,
+				SweepFeeRate: wtpolicy.MinSweepFeeRate,
+			},
+			MaxUpdates: 1,
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		name: "valid altruist policy with default sweep rate",
+		policy: wtpolicy.Policy{
+			TxPolicy: wtpolicy.TxPolicy{
+				BlobType:     blob.TypeAltruistCommit,
+				SweepFeeRate: wtpolicy.DefaultSweepFeeRate,
+			},
+			MaxUpdates: 1,
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		name:   "valid default policy",
+		policy: wtpolicy.DefaultPolicy(),
+	},
+}
+
+// TestPolicyValidate asserts that the sanity checks for policies behave as
+// expected.
+func TestPolicyValidate(t *testing.T) {
+	for i := range validationTests {
+		test := validationTests[i]
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			err := test.policy.Validate()
+			if err != test.expErr {
+				t.Fatalf("validation error mismatch, "+
+					"want: %v, got: %v", test.expErr, err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}