diff --git a/eth/stagedsync/stage_headers.go b/eth/stagedsync/stage_headers.go
index 7384acf297e..4ffadcd0284 100644
--- a/eth/stagedsync/stage_headers.go
+++ b/eth/stagedsync/stage_headers.go
@@ -164,12 +164,12 @@ func HeadersPOS(
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	cfg.hd.SetPOSSync(true)
 	log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("[%s] Waiting for Beacon Chain...", s.LogPrefix()))
 
 	onlyNewRequests := cfg.hd.PosStatus() == headerdownload.Syncing
 	interrupt, requestId, requestWithStatus := cfg.hd.BeaconRequestList.WaitForRequest(onlyNewRequests, test)
 
-	cfg.hd.SetPOSSync(true)
 	cfg.hd.SetHeaderReader(&chainReader{config: &cfg.chainConfig, tx: tx, blockReader: cfg.blockReader})
 	headerInserter := headerdownload.NewHeaderInserter(s.LogPrefix(), nil, s.BlockNumber, cfg.blockReader)
 
diff --git a/ethdb/privateapi/engine_test.go b/ethdb/privateapi/engine_test.go
index f62b91f8a66..bd56e791772 100644
--- a/ethdb/privateapi/engine_test.go
+++ b/ethdb/privateapi/engine_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func TestMockDownloadRequest(t *testing.T) {
 
 	makeTestDb(ctx, db)
 	hd := headerdownload.NewHeaderDownload(0, 0, nil, nil)
-
+	hd.SetPOSSync(true)
 	events := NewEvents()
 	backend := NewEthBackendServer(ctx, nil, db, events, nil, &params.ChainConfig{TerminalTotalDifficulty: common.Big1}, nil, hd, false)
 
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ func TestMockValidExecution(t *testing.T) {
 	makeTestDb(ctx, db)
 
 	hd := headerdownload.NewHeaderDownload(0, 0, nil, nil)
+	hd.SetPOSSync(true)
 
 	events := NewEvents()
 	backend := NewEthBackendServer(ctx, nil, db, events, nil, &params.ChainConfig{TerminalTotalDifficulty: common.Big1}, nil, hd, false)
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ func TestMockInvalidExecution(t *testing.T) {
 	makeTestDb(ctx, db)
 
 	hd := headerdownload.NewHeaderDownload(0, 0, nil, nil)
+	hd.SetPOSSync(true)
 
 	events := NewEvents()
 	backend := NewEthBackendServer(ctx, nil, db, events, nil, &params.ChainConfig{TerminalTotalDifficulty: common.Big1}, nil, hd, false)
diff --git a/ethdb/privateapi/ethbackend.go b/ethdb/privateapi/ethbackend.go
index e4f168ff867..4e27d8f57a3 100644
--- a/ethdb/privateapi/ethbackend.go
+++ b/ethdb/privateapi/ethbackend.go
@@ -397,24 +397,18 @@ func (s *EthBackendServer) getPayloadStatusFromHashIfPossible(blockHash common.H
 	}
 	// Retrieve parent and total difficulty.
 	var parent *types.Header
-	var td *big.Int
 	if newPayload {
 		// Obtain TD
 		parent, err = rawdb.ReadHeaderByHash(tx, parentHash)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		td, err = rawdb.ReadTdByHash(tx, parentHash)
-	} else {
-		td, err = rawdb.ReadTdByHash(tx, blockHash)
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
 	}
+
 	// Check if we already reached TTD.
-	if td != nil && td.Cmp(s.config.TerminalTotalDifficulty) < 0 {
+	if !s.hd.POSSync() {
 		log.Warn(fmt.Sprintf("[%s] TTD not reached yet", prefix), "hash", blockHash)
-		return &engineapi.PayloadStatus{Status: remote.EngineStatus_INVALID, LatestValidHash: common.Hash{}}, nil
+		return &engineapi.PayloadStatus{Status: remote.EngineStatus_SYNCING, LatestValidHash: common.Hash{}}, nil
 	}
 
 	var canonicalHash common.Hash