diff --git a/nil/internal/collate/syncer.go b/nil/internal/collate/syncer.go
index 0a61345f..df13248b 100644
--- a/nil/internal/collate/syncer.go
+++ b/nil/internal/collate/syncer.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"math"
 	"slices"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -46,9 +45,6 @@ type Syncer struct {
 
 	logger zerolog.Logger
 
-	lastBlockNumber types.BlockNumber
-	lastBlockHash   common.Hash
-
 	validatorPublicKey []byte
 	waitForSync        *sync.WaitGroup
 }
@@ -69,41 +65,34 @@ func NewSyncer(cfg SyncerConfig, db db.DB, networkManager *network.Manager) (*Sy
 		logger: logging.NewLogger("sync").With().
 			Stringer(logging.FieldShardId, cfg.ShardId).
 			Logger(),
-		lastBlockNumber:    types.BlockNumber(math.MaxUint64),
 		validatorPublicKey: crypto.CompressPubkey(cfg.ValidatorPublicKey),
 		waitForSync:        &waitForSync,
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func (s *Syncer) readLastBlockNumber(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (s *Syncer) readLastBlock(ctx context.Context) (*types.Block, common.Hash, error) {
 	rotx, err := s.db.CreateRoTx(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, common.EmptyHash, err
 	}
 	defer rotx.Rollback()
-	lastBlock, lastBlockHash, err := db.ReadLastBlock(rotx, s.config.ShardId)
+
+	block, hash, err := db.ReadLastBlock(rotx, s.config.ShardId)
 	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, db.ErrKeyNotFound) {
-		return err
+		return nil, common.EmptyHash, err
 	}
 	if err == nil {
-		s.lastBlockNumber = lastBlock.Id
-		s.lastBlockHash = lastBlockHash
+		return block, hash, err
 	}
-	return nil
+	return nil, common.EmptyHash, nil
 }
 
 func (s *Syncer) shardIsEmpty(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
-	rotx, err := s.db.CreateRoTx(ctx)
+	block, _, err := s.readLastBlock(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
-	defer rotx.Rollback()
-
-	_, err = db.ReadLastBlockHash(rotx, s.config.ShardId)
-	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, db.ErrKeyNotFound) {
-		return false, err
-	}
-	return err != nil, nil
+	return block == nil, nil
 }
 
 func (s *Syncer) WaitComplete() {
@@ -135,15 +124,15 @@ func (s *Syncer) Run(ctx context.Context, wgFetch *sync.WaitGroup) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	err := s.readLastBlockNumber(ctx)
+	block, hash, err := s.readLastBlock(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to read last block number: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	s.logger.Debug().
-		Stringer(logging.FieldBlockHash, s.lastBlockHash).
-		Uint64(logging.FieldBlockNumber, s.lastBlockNumber.Uint64()).
-		Msgf("Initialized sync collator at starting block")
+		Stringer(logging.FieldBlockHash, hash).
+		Uint64(logging.FieldBlockNumber, uint64(block.Id)).
+		Msg("Initialized sync collator at starting block")
 
 	s.logger.Info().Msg("Starting sync")
 
@@ -198,17 +187,22 @@ func (s *Syncer) processTopicTransaction(ctx context.Context, data []byte) (bool
 		Stringer(logging.FieldBlockHash, block.Hash(s.config.ShardId)).
 		Msg("Received block")
 
-	if block.Id != s.lastBlockNumber+1 {
+	lastBlock, lastHash, err := s.readLastBlock(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	if block.Id != lastBlock.Id+1 {
 		s.logger.Debug().
 			Stringer(logging.FieldBlockNumber, block.Id).
-			Msgf("Received block is out of order with the last block %d", s.lastBlockNumber)
+			Msgf("Received block is out of order with the last block %d", lastBlock.Id)
 
 		// todo: queue the block for later processing
 		return false, nil
 	}
 
-	if block.PrevBlock != s.lastBlockHash {
-		txn := fmt.Sprintf("Prev block hash mismatch: expected %x, got %x", s.lastBlockHash, block.PrevBlock)
+	if block.PrevBlock != lastHash {
+		txn := fmt.Sprintf("Prev block hash mismatch: expected %x, got %x", lastHash, block.PrevBlock)
 		s.logger.Error().
 			Stringer(logging.FieldBlockNumber, block.Id).
 			Stringer(logging.FieldBlockHash, block.Hash(s.config.ShardId)).
@@ -250,11 +244,16 @@ func (s *Syncer) fetchBlocksRange(ctx context.Context) []*types.BlockWithExtract
 
 	s.logger.Debug().Msgf("Found %d peers to fetch block from:\n%v", len(peers), peers)
 
+	lastBlock, _, err := s.readLastBlock(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	for _, p := range peers {
-		s.logger.Debug().Msgf("Requesting block %d from peer %s", s.lastBlockNumber+1, p)
+		s.logger.Debug().Msgf("Requesting block %d from peer %s", lastBlock.Id+1, p)
 
 		const count = 100
-		blocks, err := RequestBlocks(ctx, s.networkManager, p, s.config.ShardId, s.lastBlockNumber+1, count)
+		blocks, err := RequestBlocks(ctx, s.networkManager, p, s.config.ShardId, lastBlock.Id+1, count)
 		if err == nil {
 			return blocks
 		}
@@ -304,11 +303,9 @@ func (s *Syncer) saveBlocks(ctx context.Context, blocks []*types.BlockWithExtrac
 		}
 	}
 
-	s.lastBlockNumber = blocks[len(blocks)-1].Block.Id
-	s.lastBlockHash = blocks[len(blocks)-1].Block.Hash(s.config.ShardId)
-
+	lastBlockNumber := blocks[len(blocks)-1].Block.Id
 	s.logger.Debug().
-		Stringer(logging.FieldBlockNumber, s.lastBlockNumber).
+		Stringer(logging.FieldBlockNumber, lastBlockNumber).
 		Msg("Blocks written")
 
 	return nil