diff --git a/src/ape/api/networks.py b/src/ape/api/networks.py
index fb847577d5..3eb11252b4 100644
--- a/src/ape/api/networks.py
+++ b/src/ape/api/networks.py
@@ -1031,9 +1031,10 @@ def get_provider(
 
         if provider_name in self.providers:
             provider = self.providers[provider_name](provider_settings=provider_settings)
-            if provider.connection_id in ProviderContextManager.connected_providers:
+            connection_id = provider.connection_id
+            if connection_id in ProviderContextManager.connected_providers:
                 # Likely multi-chain testing or utilizing multiple on-going connections.
-                return ProviderContextManager.connected_providers[provider.connection_id]
+                return ProviderContextManager.connected_providers[connection_id]
 
             return provider
 
diff --git a/src/ape_ethereum/provider.py b/src/ape_ethereum/provider.py
index 0c8dd2d17c..aa1bc6443d 100644
--- a/src/ape_ethereum/provider.py
+++ b/src/ape_ethereum/provider.py
@@ -1219,7 +1219,6 @@ def _complete_connect(self):
             logger.info(f"Connecting to a '{client_name}' node.")
 
         self.web3.eth.set_gas_price_strategy(rpc_gas_price_strategy)
-
         # Check for chain errors, including syncing
         try:
             chain_id = self.web3.eth.chain_id
@@ -1230,15 +1229,24 @@ def _complete_connect(self):
                 else "Error getting chain id."
             )
 
-        try:
-            block = self.web3.eth.get_block("latest")
-        except ExtraDataLengthError:
-            is_likely_poa = True
-        else:
-            is_likely_poa = (
-                "proofOfAuthorityData" in block
-                or len(block.get("extraData", "")) > MAX_EXTRADATA_LENGTH
-            )
+        is_likely_poa = False
+
+        # NOTE: We have to check both earliest and latest
+        #   because if the chain was _ever_ PoA, we need
+        #   this middleware.
+        for option in ("earliest", "latest"):
+            try:
+                block = self.web3.eth.get_block(option)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+            except ExtraDataLengthError:
+                is_likely_poa = True
+                break
+            else:
+                is_likely_poa = (
+                    "proofOfAuthorityData" in block
+                    or len(block.get("extraData", "")) > MAX_EXTRADATA_LENGTH
+                )
+                if is_likely_poa:
+                    break
 
         if is_likely_poa and geth_poa_middleware not in self.web3.middleware_onion:
             self.web3.middleware_onion.inject(geth_poa_middleware, layer=0)
diff --git a/tests/functional/geth/test_provider.py b/tests/functional/geth/test_provider.py
index 31bf2386ea..d657ed2f44 100644
--- a/tests/functional/geth/test_provider.py
+++ b/tests/functional/geth/test_provider.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 from eth_typing import HexStr
 from evmchains import PUBLIC_CHAIN_META
 from hexbytes import HexBytes
+from web3.exceptions import ExtraDataLengthError
+from web3.middleware import geth_poa_middleware
 
 from ape.exceptions import (
     APINotImplementedError,
@@ -25,6 +27,11 @@
 from tests.conftest import GETH_URI, geth_process_test
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def web3_factory(mocker):
+    return mocker.patch("ape_ethereum.provider._create_web3")
+
+
 @geth_process_test
 def test_uri(geth_provider):
     assert geth_provider.http_uri == GETH_URI
@@ -107,15 +114,14 @@ def test_chain_id_live_network_connected_uses_web3_chain_id(mocker, geth_provide
 
 
 @geth_process_test
-def test_connect_wrong_chain_id(mocker, ethereum, geth_provider):
+def test_connect_wrong_chain_id(ethereum, geth_provider, web3_factory):
     start_network = geth_provider.network
 
     try:
         geth_provider.network = ethereum.get_network("goerli")
 
         # Ensure when reconnecting, it does not use HTTP
-        factory = mocker.patch("ape_ethereum.provider._create_web3")
-        factory.return_value = geth_provider._web3
+        web3_factory.return_value = geth_provider._web3
         expected_error_message = (
             f"Provider connected to chain ID '{geth_provider._web3.eth.chain_id}', "
             "which does not match network chain ID '5'. "
@@ -128,6 +134,27 @@ def test_connect_wrong_chain_id(mocker, ethereum, geth_provider):
         geth_provider.network = start_network
 
 
+@geth_process_test
+def test_connect_to_chain_that_started_poa(mock_web3, web3_factory, ethereum):
+    """
+    Ensure that when connecting to a chain that
+    started out as PoA, such as Goerli, we include
+    the right middleware. Note: even if the chain
+    is no longer PoA, we still need the middleware
+    to fetch blocks during the PoA portion of the chain.
+    """
+    mock_web3.eth.get_block.side_effect = ExtraDataLengthError
+    mock_web3.eth.chain_id = ethereum.goerli.chain_id
+    web3_factory.return_value = mock_web3
+    provider = ethereum.goerli.get_provider("geth")
+    provider.provider_settings = {"uri": "http://node.example.com"}  # fake
+    provider.connect()
+
+    # Verify PoA middleware was added.
+    assert mock_web3.middleware_onion.inject.call_args[0] == (geth_poa_middleware,)
+    assert mock_web3.middleware_onion.inject.call_args[1] == {"layer": 0}
+
+
 @geth_process_test
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("block_id", (0, "0", "0x0", HexStr("0x0")))
 def test_get_block(geth_provider, block_id):