diff --git a/proxy/environment.py b/proxy/environment.py
index 29df650c6..fd44a2d13 100644
--- a/proxy/environment.py
+++ b/proxy/environment.py
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 
 EXTRA_GAS = int(os.environ.get("EXTRA_GAS", "0"))
 LOG_NEON_CLI_DEBUG = os.environ.get("LOG_NEON_CLI_DEBUG", "NO") == "YES"
+# uses the "earliest" tag if "0x0" or "0" is passed to the "eth_getBlockByNumber" RPC
+USE_EARLIEST_BLOCK_IF_0_PASSED = os.environ.get("USE_EARLIEST_BLOCK_IF_0_PASSED", "NO") == "YES"
 RETRY_ON_FAIL = int(os.environ.get("RETRY_ON_FAIL", "10"))
 RETRY_ON_FAIL_ON_GETTING_CONFIRMED_TRANSACTION = max(int(os.environ.get("RETRY_ON_FAIL_ON_GETTING_CONFIRMED_TRANSACTION", "1000")), 1)
 FUZZING_BLOCKHASH = os.environ.get("FUZZING_BLOCKHASH", "NO") == "YES"
diff --git a/proxy/memdb/blocks_db.py b/proxy/memdb/blocks_db.py
index 6d51d7176..7cd1c5906 100644
--- a/proxy/memdb/blocks_db.py
+++ b/proxy/memdb/blocks_db.py
@@ -286,13 +286,15 @@ def slot_hash(slot: int):
             num_len = len(hex_num)
             hex_num = '00' + hex_num.rjust(((num_len >> 1) + (num_len % 2)) << 1, '0')
             return '0x' + hex_num.rjust(64, 'f')
-
+        hash = slot_hash(block_slot)
         # TODO: return predictable information about block time
         return SolanaBlockInfo(
             slot=block_slot,
             time=(block_time or 1),
-            hash=slot_hash(block_slot),
-            parent_hash=slot_hash(block_slot - 1),
+            hash=hash,
+            # return the prev block's computed hash if the block is not the first block
+            # if the block is the first block (0x0) -- then just return the hash of this block itself
+            parent_hash=slot_hash(block_slot - 1) if block_slot > 0 else hash,
             is_fake=True
         )
 
diff --git a/proxy/neon_rpc_api_model/neon_rpc_api_model.py b/proxy/neon_rpc_api_model/neon_rpc_api_model.py
index 0d76b0121..e97892452 100644
--- a/proxy/neon_rpc_api_model/neon_rpc_api_model.py
+++ b/proxy/neon_rpc_api_model/neon_rpc_api_model.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 from ..common_neon.utils import SolanaBlockInfo
 from ..common_neon.types import NeonTxPrecheckResult, NeonEmulatingResult
 from ..environment import SOLANA_URL, PP_SOLANA_URL, PYTH_MAPPING_ACCOUNT, NEON_EVM_VERSION, NEON_EVM_REVISION, \
-                          CHAIN_ID, neon_cli, EVM_STEP_COUNT
+                          CHAIN_ID, USE_EARLIEST_BLOCK_IF_0_PASSED, neon_cli, EVM_STEP_COUNT
 from ..memdb.memdb import MemDB
 from ..common_neon.gas_price_calculator import GasPriceCalculator
 from ..statistics_exporter.proxy_metrics_interface import StatisticsExporter
@@ -115,10 +115,13 @@ def eth_estimateGas(self, param: dict) -> str:
     def __repr__(self):
         return str(self.__dict__)
 
+    def _should_return_starting_block(self, tag) -> bool:
+        return tag == 'earliest' \
+            or ((tag == '0x0' or str(tag) == '0') and USE_EARLIEST_BLOCK_IF_0_PASSED)
     def _process_block_tag(self, tag) -> SolanaBlockInfo:
         if tag in ("latest", "pending"):
             block = self._db.get_latest_block()
-        elif tag == 'earliest':
+        elif self._should_return_starting_block(tag):
             block = self._db.get_starting_block()
         elif isinstance(tag, str):
             try:
@@ -271,15 +274,16 @@ def _get_block_by_slot(self, block: SolanaBlockInfo, full: bool, skip_transactio
             "gasLimit": '0xec8563e271ac',
             "transactionsRoot": '0x' + '0' * 63 + '1',
             "receiptsRoot": '0x' + '0' * 63 + '1',
-            "stateRoot": '0x' + '0' * 64 + '1',
+            "stateRoot": '0x' + '0' * 63 + '1',
 
             "uncles": [],
             "sha3Uncles": '0x1dcc4de8dec75d7aab85b567b6ccd41ad312451b948a7413f0a142fd40d49347',
 
             "miner": '0x' + '0' * 40,
-            "nonce": '0x0',
-            "mixHash": '0x0',
-            "size": '0x0',
+            # 8 byte nonce
+            "nonce": '0x0000000000000000',
+            "mixHash": '0x' + '0' * 63 + '1',
+            "size": '0x' + '0' * 63 + '1',
 
             "gasUsed": hex(gas_used),
             "hash": block.hash,