diff --git a/beacon-chain/blockchain/chain_info_test.go b/beacon-chain/blockchain/chain_info_test.go
index e850f36ada..72964b4794 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/blockchain/chain_info_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/blockchain/chain_info_test.go
@@ -582,6 +582,7 @@ func TestService_IsOptimisticForRoot_StateSummaryRecovered(t *testing.T) {
 	br, err := b.Block.HashTreeRoot()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	util.SaveBlock(t, context.Background(), beaconDB, b)
+	require.NoError(t, beaconDB.SaveGenesisBlockRoot(ctx, [32]byte{}))
 	_, err = c.IsOptimisticForRoot(ctx, br)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	summ, err := beaconDB.StateSummary(ctx, br)
diff --git a/beacon-chain/blockchain/process_block_test.go b/beacon-chain/blockchain/process_block_test.go
index fc0426eb1b..d6de30ce88 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/blockchain/process_block_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/blockchain/process_block_test.go
@@ -1983,6 +1983,7 @@ func TestNoViableHead_Reboot(t *testing.T) {
 
 	require.NoError(t, service.cfg.BeaconDB.SaveState(ctx, genesisState, genesisRoot), "Could not save genesis state")
 	require.NoError(t, service.cfg.BeaconDB.SaveHeadBlockRoot(ctx, genesisRoot), "Could not save genesis state")
+	require.NoError(t, service.cfg.BeaconDB.SaveGenesisBlockRoot(ctx, genesisRoot), "Could not save genesis state")
 
 	for i := 1; i < 6; i++ {
 		driftGenesisTime(service, int64(i), 0)
@@ -2117,6 +2118,7 @@ func TestNoViableHead_Reboot(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, service.cfg.BeaconDB.SaveState(ctx, genesisState, jroot))
 	service.cfg.ForkChoiceStore.SetBalancesByRooter(service.cfg.StateGen.ActiveNonSlashedBalancesByRoot)
 	require.NoError(t, service.StartFromSavedState(genesisState))
+	require.NoError(t, service.cfg.BeaconDB.SaveGenesisBlockRoot(ctx, genesisRoot))
 
 	// Forkchoice has the genesisRoot loaded at startup
 	require.Equal(t, genesisRoot, service.ensureRootNotZeros(service.cfg.ForkChoiceStore.CachedHeadRoot()))
@@ -2126,7 +2128,7 @@ func TestNoViableHead_Reboot(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, genesisRoot, bytesutil.ToBytes32(headRoot))
 	optimistic, err := service.IsOptimistic(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Equal(t, true, optimistic)
+	require.Equal(t, false, optimistic)
 
 	// Check that the node's justified checkpoint does not agree with the
 	// last valid state's justified checkpoint
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint.go
index 3317cd1a3a..2533a556f0 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint.go
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 package kv
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 
+	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v5/config/params"
 	"github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v5/monitoring/tracing/trace"
 	ethpb "github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/v5/proto/prysm/v1alpha1"
 	bolt "go.etcd.io/bbolt"
@@ -19,7 +21,17 @@ func (s *Store) LastValidatedCheckpoint(ctx context.Context) (*ethpb.Checkpoint,
 		if enc == nil {
 			var finErr error
 			checkpoint, finErr = s.FinalizedCheckpoint(ctx)
-			return finErr
+			if finErr != nil {
+				return finErr
+			}
+			if bytes.Equal(checkpoint.Root, params.BeaconConfig().ZeroHash[:]) {
+				bkt = tx.Bucket(blocksBucket)
+				r := bkt.Get(genesisBlockRootKey)
+				if r != nil {
+					checkpoint.Root = r
+				}
+			}
+			return nil
 		}
 		checkpoint = &ethpb.Checkpoint{}
 		return decode(ctx, enc, checkpoint)
diff --git a/changelog/potuz_last_validated.md b/changelog/potuz_last_validated.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..87e3a2405b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/potuz_last_validated.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+### Ignored
+
+- When starting a node, check that the last validated checkpoint has zero as root and return the genesis block root