diff --git a/bin/reth/src/debug_cmd/merkle.rs b/bin/reth/src/debug_cmd/merkle.rs
index 1de670e3a8..47e37c3699 100644
--- a/bin/reth/src/debug_cmd/merkle.rs
+++ b/bin/reth/src/debug_cmd/merkle.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,25 @@
 //! Command for debugging merkle trie calculation.
 use crate::{
-    args::{utils::genesis_value_parser, DatabaseArgs},
+    args::{get_secret_key, utils::genesis_value_parser, DatabaseArgs, NetworkArgs},
     dirs::{DataDirPath, MaybePlatformPath},
+    runner::CliContext,
+    utils::get_single_header,
 };
+use backon::{ConstantBuilder, Retryable};
 use clap::Parser;
-use reth_db::{cursor::DbCursorRO, init_db, tables, transaction::DbTx};
+use reth_beacon_consensus::BeaconConsensus;
+use reth_config::Config;
+use reth_db::{cursor::DbCursorRO, init_db, tables, transaction::DbTx, DatabaseEnv};
+use reth_discv4::DEFAULT_DISCOVERY_PORT;
+use reth_interfaces::{consensus::Consensus, p2p::full_block::FullBlockClient};
+use reth_network::NetworkHandle;
+use reth_network_api::NetworkInfo;
 use reth_primitives::{
     fs,
     stage::{StageCheckpoint, StageId},
-    ChainSpec, PruneModes,
+    BlockHashOrNumber, ChainSpec, PruneModes,
 };
-use reth_provider::{ProviderFactory, StageCheckpointReader};
+use reth_provider::{BlockWriter, ProviderFactory, StageCheckpointReader};
 use reth_stages::{
     stages::{
         AccountHashingStage, ExecutionStage, ExecutionStageThresholds, MerkleStage,
@@ -18,7 +27,13 @@ use reth_stages::{
     },
     ExecInput, PipelineError, Stage,
 };
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use reth_tasks::TaskExecutor;
+use std::{
+    net::{Ipv4Addr, SocketAddr, SocketAddrV4},
+    path::PathBuf,
+    sync::Arc,
+};
+use tracing::{debug, info, warn};
 
 /// `reth merkle-debug` command
 #[derive(Debug, Parser)]
@@ -53,6 +68,13 @@ pub struct Command {
     #[clap(flatten)]
     db: DatabaseArgs,
 
+    #[clap(flatten)]
+    network: NetworkArgs,
+
+    /// The number of retries per request
+    #[arg(long, default_value = "5")]
+    retries: usize,
+
     /// The height to finish at
     #[arg(long)]
     to: u64,
@@ -63,21 +85,109 @@ pub struct Command {
 }
 
 impl Command {
+    async fn build_network(
+        &self,
+        config: &Config,
+        task_executor: TaskExecutor,
+        db: Arc<DatabaseEnv>,
+        network_secret_path: PathBuf,
+        default_peers_path: PathBuf,
+    ) -> eyre::Result<NetworkHandle> {
+        let secret_key = get_secret_key(&network_secret_path)?;
+        let network = self
+            .network
+            .network_config(config, self.chain.clone(), secret_key, default_peers_path)
+            .with_task_executor(Box::new(task_executor))
+            .listener_addr(SocketAddr::V4(SocketAddrV4::new(
+                Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED,
+                self.network.port.unwrap_or(DEFAULT_DISCOVERY_PORT),
+            )))
+            .discovery_addr(SocketAddr::V4(SocketAddrV4::new(
+                Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED,
+                self.network.discovery.port.unwrap_or(DEFAULT_DISCOVERY_PORT),
+            )))
+            .build(ProviderFactory::new(db, self.chain.clone()))
+            .start_network()
+            .await?;
+        info!(target: "reth::cli", peer_id = %network.peer_id(), local_addr = %network.local_addr(), "Connected to P2P network");
+        debug!(target: "reth::cli", peer_id = ?network.peer_id(), "Full peer ID");
+        Ok(network)
+    }
+
     /// Execute `merkle-debug` command
-    pub async fn execute(self) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+    pub async fn execute(self, ctx: CliContext) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+        let config = Config::default();
+
         // add network name to data dir
         let data_dir = self.datadir.unwrap_or_chain_default(self.chain.chain);
         let db_path = data_dir.db_path();
         fs::create_dir_all(&db_path)?;
 
+        // initialize the database
         let db = Arc::new(init_db(db_path, self.db.log_level)?);
         let factory = ProviderFactory::new(&db, self.chain.clone());
         let provider_rw = factory.provider_rw().map_err(PipelineError::Interface)?;
 
+        // Configure and build network
+        let network_secret_path =
+            self.network.p2p_secret_key.clone().unwrap_or_else(|| data_dir.p2p_secret_path());
+        let network = self
+            .build_network(
+                &config,
+                ctx.task_executor.clone(),
+                db.clone(),
+                network_secret_path,
+                data_dir.known_peers_path(),
+            )
+            .await?;
+
+        // Initialize the fetch client
+        info!(target: "reth::cli", target_block_number=self.to, "Downloading tip of block range");
+        let fetch_client = network.fetch_client().await?;
+
+        // fetch the header at `self.to`
+        let retries = self.retries.max(1);
+        let backoff = ConstantBuilder::default().with_max_times(retries);
+        let client = fetch_client.clone();
+        let to_header = (move || {
+            get_single_header(client.clone(), BlockHashOrNumber::Number(self.to))
+        })
+        .retry(&backoff)
+        .notify(|err, _| warn!(target: "reth::cli", "Error requesting header: {err}. Retrying..."))
+        .await?;
+        info!(target: "reth::cli", target_block_number=self.to, "Finished downloading tip of block range");
+
+        // build the full block client
+        let consensus: Arc<dyn Consensus> = Arc::new(BeaconConsensus::new(Arc::clone(&self.chain)));
+        let block_range_client = FullBlockClient::new(fetch_client, consensus);
+
+        // get the execution checkpoint
         let execution_checkpoint_block =
             provider_rw.get_stage_checkpoint(StageId::Execution)?.unwrap_or_default().block_number;
         assert!(execution_checkpoint_block < self.to, "Nothing to run");
 
+        // get the block range from the network
+        info!(target: "reth::cli", target_block_number=?self.to, "Downloading range of blocks");
+        let block_range = block_range_client
+            .get_full_block_range(to_header.hash_slow(), self.to - execution_checkpoint_block)
+            .await;
+
+        // recover senders
+        let blocks_with_senders =
+            block_range.into_iter().map(|block| block.try_seal_with_senders());
+
+        // insert the blocks
+        for senders_res in blocks_with_senders {
+            let sealed_block = match senders_res {
+                Ok(senders) => senders,
+                Err(err) => {
+                    warn!(target: "reth::cli", "Error sealing block with senders: {err:?}. Skipping...");
+                    continue
+                }
+            };
+            provider_rw.insert_block(sealed_block.block, Some(sealed_block.senders))?;
+        }
+
         // Check if any of hashing or merkle stages aren't on the same block number as
         // Execution stage or have any intermediate progress.
         let should_reset_stages =
diff --git a/bin/reth/src/debug_cmd/mod.rs b/bin/reth/src/debug_cmd/mod.rs
index e624307f68..7dfa448db4 100644
--- a/bin/reth/src/debug_cmd/mod.rs
+++ b/bin/reth/src/debug_cmd/mod.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ impl Command {
     pub async fn execute(self, ctx: CliContext) -> eyre::Result<()> {
         match self.command {
             Subcommands::Execution(command) => command.execute(ctx).await,
-            Subcommands::Merkle(command) => command.execute().await,
+            Subcommands::Merkle(command) => command.execute(ctx).await,
             Subcommands::InMemoryMerkle(command) => command.execute(ctx).await,
         }
     }