diff --git a/consensus/merge/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/merge/MergeProtocolSchedule.java b/consensus/merge/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/merge/MergeProtocolSchedule.java
index 56218baf70b..01133d841db 100644
--- a/consensus/merge/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/merge/MergeProtocolSchedule.java
+++ b/consensus/merge/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/merge/MergeProtocolSchedule.java
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.ProtocolSpecAdapters;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.ProtocolSpecBuilder;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.feemarket.FeeMarket;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.evm.MainnetEVMs;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.evm.internal.EvmConfiguration;
 
 import java.math.BigInteger;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 public class MergeProtocolSchedule {
 
@@ -44,7 +46,11 @@ public static ProtocolSchedule create(
     return new ProtocolScheduleBuilder(
             config,
             DEFAULT_CHAIN_ID,
-            ProtocolSpecAdapters.create(0, MergeProtocolSchedule::applyMergeSpecificModifications),
+            ProtocolSpecAdapters.create(
+                0,
+                (specBuilder) ->
+                    MergeProtocolSchedule.applyMergeSpecificModifications(
+                        specBuilder, config.getChainId())),
             privacyParameters,
             isRevertReasonEnabled,
             config.isQuorum(),
@@ -53,9 +59,13 @@ public static ProtocolSchedule create(
   }
 
   private static ProtocolSpecBuilder applyMergeSpecificModifications(
-      final ProtocolSpecBuilder specBuilder) {
+      final ProtocolSpecBuilder specBuilder, final Optional<BigInteger> chainId) {
 
     return specBuilder
+        .evmBuilder(
+            (gasCalculator, jdCacheConfig) ->
+                MainnetEVMs.paris(
+                    gasCalculator, chainId.orElse(BigInteger.ZERO), EvmConfiguration.DEFAULT))
         .blockProcessorBuilder(MergeBlockProcessor::new)
         .blockHeaderValidatorBuilder(MergeProtocolSchedule::getBlockHeaderValidator)
         .blockReward(Wei.ZERO)
diff --git a/consensus/merge/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/merge/MergeProtocolScheduleTest.java b/consensus/merge/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/merge/MergeProtocolScheduleTest.java
index b5c1a8b04a6..0779b4b93ff 100644
--- a/consensus/merge/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/merge/MergeProtocolScheduleTest.java
+++ b/consensus/merge/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/consensus/merge/MergeProtocolScheduleTest.java
@@ -18,10 +18,14 @@
 
 import org.hyperledger.besu.config.GenesisConfigFile;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.config.GenesisConfigOptions;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.datatypes.Hash;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.datatypes.Wei;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.ProtocolSchedule;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.ProtocolSpec;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.evm.Code;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.evm.operation.PrevRanDaoOperation;
 
+import org.apache.tuweni.bytes.Bytes;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 public class MergeProtocolScheduleTest {
@@ -55,5 +59,9 @@ public void parametersAlignWithMainnetWithAdjustments() {
     assertThat(london.getName()).isEqualTo("Frontier");
     assertThat(london.getBlockReward()).isEqualTo(Wei.ZERO);
     assertThat(london.isSkipZeroBlockRewards()).isEqualTo(true);
+
+    Bytes diffOp = Bytes.fromHexString("0x44");
+    var op = london.getEvm().operationAtOffset(Code.createLegacyCode(diffOp, Hash.hash(diffOp)), 0);
+    assertThat(op).isInstanceOf(PrevRanDaoOperation.class);
   }
 }
diff --git a/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/mainnet/AbstractBlockProcessor.java b/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/mainnet/AbstractBlockProcessor.java
index f4b02fcee59..8ed852e5428 100644
--- a/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/mainnet/AbstractBlockProcessor.java
+++ b/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/mainnet/AbstractBlockProcessor.java
@@ -199,7 +199,12 @@ public AbstractBlockProcessor.Result processBlock(
       return AbstractBlockProcessor.Result.failed();
     }
 
-    worldState.persist(blockHeader);
+    try {
+      worldState.persist(blockHeader);
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      LOG.error("failed persisting block", e);
+      return AbstractBlockProcessor.Result.failed();
+    }
     return AbstractBlockProcessor.Result.successful(receipts);
   }