diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff.go
index 7772cdc351..20f02ea129 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff.go
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ func (s *Store) saveHdiff(lvl int, anchor, st state.ReadOnlyBeaconState) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
+	if err := s.stateDiffCache.setLevelHasData(lvl); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -171,6 +174,9 @@ func (s *Store) saveFullSnapshot(st state.ReadOnlyBeaconState) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if err := s.stateDiffCache.setLevelHasData(0); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_cache.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_cache.go
index fcf390b90f..cd7175311a 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_cache.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_cache.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package kv
 import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/OffchainLabs/prysm/v7/beacon-chain/state"
@@ -12,8 +13,44 @@ import (
 
 type stateDiffCache struct {
 	sync.RWMutex
-	anchors []state.ReadOnlyBeaconState
-	offset  uint64
+	anchors        []state.ReadOnlyBeaconState
+	levelsWithData []bool
+	offset         uint64
+}
+
+func populateStateDiffCacheFromDB(s *Store, offset uint64) (*stateDiffCache, error) {
+	cache := &stateDiffCache{
+		anchors:        make([]state.ReadOnlyBeaconState, len(flags.Get().StateDiffExponents)-1),
+		levelsWithData: make([]bool, len(flags.Get().StateDiffExponents)),
+		offset:         offset,
+	}
+
+	if err := s.db.View(func(tx *bbolt.Tx) error {
+		bucket := tx.Bucket(stateDiffBucket)
+		if bucket == nil {
+			return bbolt.ErrBucketNotFound
+		}
+		for level := range cache.levelsWithData {
+			cursor := bucket.Cursor()
+			prefix := []byte{byte(level)}
+			key, _ := cursor.Seek(prefix)
+			if key != nil && key[0] == byte(level) {
+				cache.levelsWithData[level] = true
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	anchor0, err := s.getFullSnapshot(offset)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("state diff cache: missing offset snapshot at %d: %w", offset, err)
+	}
+	cache.anchors[0] = anchor0
+	cache.levelsWithData[0] = true
+
+	return cache, nil
 }
 
 func newStateDiffCache(s *Store) (*stateDiffCache, error) {
@@ -37,8 +74,9 @@ func newStateDiffCache(s *Store) (*stateDiffCache, error) {
 	}
 
 	return &stateDiffCache{
-		anchors: make([]state.ReadOnlyBeaconState, len(flags.Get().StateDiffExponents)-1), // -1 because last level doesn't need to be cached
-		offset:  offset,
+		anchors:        make([]state.ReadOnlyBeaconState, len(flags.Get().StateDiffExponents)-1), // -1 because last level doesn't need to be cached
+		levelsWithData: make([]bool, len(flags.Get().StateDiffExponents)),
+		offset:         offset,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -58,6 +96,25 @@ func (c *stateDiffCache) setAnchor(level int, anchor state.ReadOnlyBeaconState)
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (c *stateDiffCache) levelHasData(level int) bool {
+	c.RLock()
+	defer c.RUnlock()
+	if level < 0 || level >= len(c.levelsWithData) {
+		return false
+	}
+	return c.levelsWithData[level]
+}
+
+func (c *stateDiffCache) setLevelHasData(level int) error {
+	c.Lock()
+	defer c.Unlock()
+	if level < 0 || level >= len(c.levelsWithData) {
+		return errors.New("state diff cache: level data index out of range")
+	}
+	c.levelsWithData[level] = true
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c *stateDiffCache) getOffset() uint64 {
 	c.RLock()
 	defer c.RUnlock()
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_helpers.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_helpers.go
index 68f095ebb1..6f95da83d1 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_helpers.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_helpers.go
@@ -394,7 +394,12 @@ func (s *Store) getBaseAndDiffChain(offset uint64, slot primitives.Slot) (state.
 		if diffSlot == lastSeenAnchorSlot {
 			continue
 		}
-		diffChainItems = append(diffChainItems, diffItem{level: i + 1, slot: diffSlot + offset})
+		level := i + 1
+		if s.stateDiffCache != nil && !s.stateDiffCache.levelHasData(level) {
+			lastSeenAnchorSlot = diffSlot
+			continue
+		}
+		diffChainItems = append(diffChainItems, diffItem{level: level, slot: diffSlot + offset})
 		lastSeenAnchorSlot = diffSlot
 	}
 
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_test.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_test.go
index 006ee5b10f..9d6421ef5f 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_diff_test.go
@@ -230,6 +230,73 @@ func TestStateDiff_SaveFullSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestStateDiff_PopulateStateDiffCacheFromDB(t *testing.T) {
+	setDefaultStateDiffExponents()
+
+	db := setupDB(t)
+	_, err := populateStateDiffCacheFromDB(db, 0)
+	require.ErrorContains(t, "missing offset snapshot", err)
+
+	st, _ := createState(t, 0, version.Phase0)
+	require.NoError(t, setOffsetInDB(db, 0))
+	require.NoError(t, db.saveStateByDiff(context.Background(), st))
+
+	err = db.db.Update(func(tx *bbolt.Tx) error {
+		bucket := tx.Bucket(stateDiffBucket)
+		if bucket == nil {
+			return bbolt.ErrBucketNotFound
+		}
+		key := makeKeyForStateDiffTree(2, 0)
+		return bucket.Put(append(key, stateSuffix...), []byte{1})
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	cache, err := populateStateDiffCacheFromDB(db, 0)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, cache)
+	require.Equal(t, uint64(0), cache.getOffset())
+	require.NotNil(t, cache.getAnchor(0))
+	require.Equal(t, true, cache.levelHasData(0))
+	require.Equal(t, false, cache.levelHasData(1))
+	require.Equal(t, true, cache.levelHasData(2))
+}
+
+func TestStateDiff_GetBaseAndDiffChainSkipsEmptyLevels(t *testing.T) {
+	setDefaultStateDiffExponents()
+
+	db := setupDB(t)
+	require.NoError(t, setOffsetInDB(db, 0))
+	st, _ := createState(t, 0, version.Phase0)
+	require.NoError(t, db.saveFullSnapshot(st))
+
+	cache, err := populateStateDiffCacheFromDB(db, 0)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	cache.levelsWithData[0] = true
+	cache.levelsWithData[1] = false
+	cache.levelsWithData[2] = true
+	db.stateDiffCache = cache
+
+	slot := primitives.Slot(math.PowerOf2(18) + math.PowerOf2(16))
+	key := makeKeyForStateDiffTree(2, uint64(slot))
+	require.NoError(t, db.db.Update(func(tx *bbolt.Tx) error {
+		bucket := tx.Bucket(stateDiffBucket)
+		if bucket == nil {
+			return bbolt.ErrBucketNotFound
+		}
+		if err := bucket.Put(append(key, stateSuffix...), []byte{1}); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := bucket.Put(append(key, validatorSuffix...), []byte{2}); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return bucket.Put(append(key, balancesSuffix...), []byte{3})
+	}))
+
+	_, diffChain, err := db.getBaseAndDiffChain(0, slot)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, 1, len(diffChain))
+}
+
 func TestStateDiff_SaveAndReadFullSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
 	setDefaultStateDiffExponents()