diff --git a/crates/engine/tree/src/tree/mod.rs b/crates/engine/tree/src/tree/mod.rs
index 95c2f14be6..ba90a1fbd8 100644
--- a/crates/engine/tree/src/tree/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/tree/src/tree/mod.rs
@@ -2103,16 +2103,16 @@ where
     /// Prepares the invalid payload response for the given hash, checking the
     /// database for the parent hash and populating the payload status with the latest valid hash
     /// according to the engine api spec.
-    fn prepare_invalid_response(&mut self, mut parent_hash: B256) -> ProviderResult<PayloadStatus> {
-        // Edge case: the `latestValid` field is the zero hash if the parent block is the terminal
-        // PoW block, which we need to identify by looking at the parent's block difficulty
-        if let Some(parent) = self.sealed_header_by_hash(parent_hash)? &&
-            !parent.difficulty().is_zero()
-        {
-            parent_hash = B256::ZERO;
-        }
+    fn prepare_invalid_response(&mut self, parent_hash: B256) -> ProviderResult<PayloadStatus> {
+        let valid_parent_hash = match self.sealed_header_by_hash(parent_hash)? {
+            // Edge case: the `latestValid` field is the zero hash if the parent block is the
+            // terminal PoW block, which we need to identify by looking at the parent's block
+            // difficulty
+            Some(parent) if !parent.difficulty().is_zero() => Some(B256::ZERO),
+            Some(_) => Some(parent_hash),
+            None => self.latest_valid_hash_for_invalid_payload(parent_hash)?,
+        };
 
-        let valid_parent_hash = self.latest_valid_hash_for_invalid_payload(parent_hash)?;
         Ok(PayloadStatus::from_status(PayloadStatusEnum::Invalid {
             validation_error: PayloadValidationError::LinksToRejectedPayload.to_string(),
         })