diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/BUILD.bazel b/beacon-chain/db/kv/BUILD.bazel
index 90c7e48e05..b84704e253 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/BUILD.bazel
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ go_test(
         "state_test.go",
         "utils_test.go",
         "validated_checkpoint_test.go",
+        "wss_test.go",
     ],
     data = glob(["testdata/**"]),
     embed = [":go_default_library"],
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ go_test(
         "//beacon-chain/db/filters:go_default_library",
         "//beacon-chain/db/iface:go_default_library",
         "//beacon-chain/state:go_default_library",
+        "//beacon-chain/state/genesis:go_default_library",
         "//beacon-chain/state/v1:go_default_library",
         "//beacon-chain/state/v2:go_default_library",
         "//config/features:go_default_library",
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/wss.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/wss.go
index 6d860c2bc0..9817e27d89 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/wss.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/wss.go
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ func (s *Store) SaveOrigin(ctx context.Context, serState, serBlock []byte) error
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not save head block root")
 	}
 
+	// save origin block root in a special key, to be used when the canonical
+	// origin (start of chain, ie alternative to genesis) block or state is needed
+	if err = s.SaveOriginCheckpointBlockRoot(ctx, blockRoot); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not save origin block root")
+	}
+
 	// rebuild the checkpoint from the block
 	// use it to mark the block as justified and finalized
 	slotEpoch, err := wblk.Block().Slot().SafeDivSlot(params.BeaconConfig().SlotsPerEpoch)
@@ -94,11 +100,5 @@ func (s *Store) SaveOrigin(ctx context.Context, serState, serBlock []byte) error
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not mark checkpoint sync block as finalized")
 	}
 
-	// save origin block root in a special key, to be used when the canonical
-	// origin (start of chain, ie alternative to genesis) block or state is needed
-	if err = s.SaveOriginCheckpointBlockRoot(ctx, blockRoot); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not save origin block root")
-	}
-
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/wss_test.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/wss_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e347c87a4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/wss_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package kv
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/beacon-chain/state/genesis"
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/config/params"
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/proto/prysm/v1alpha1/wrapper"
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/testing/require"
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/testing/util"
+)
+
+func TestSaveOrigin(t *testing.T) {
+	// Embedded Genesis works with Mainnet config
+	params.SetupTestConfigCleanup(t)
+	cfg := params.BeaconConfig()
+	cfg.ConfigName = params.ConfigNames[params.Mainnet]
+	params.OverrideBeaconConfig(cfg)
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	db := setupDB(t)
+
+	st, err := genesis.State(params.Mainnet.String())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	sb, err := st.MarshalSSZ()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, db.LoadGenesis(ctx, sb))
+
+	// this is necessary for mainnet, because LoadGenesis is short-circuited by the embedded state,
+	// so the genesis root key is never written to the db.
+	require.NoError(t, db.EnsureEmbeddedGenesis(ctx))
+
+	cst, err := util.NewBeaconState()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	csb, err := cst.MarshalSSZ()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	cb := util.NewBeaconBlock()
+	scb, err := wrapper.WrappedSignedBeaconBlock(cb)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	cbb, err := scb.MarshalSSZ()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, db.SaveOrigin(ctx, csb, cbb))
+}