diff --git a/beacon_node/execution_layer/src/engine_api.rs b/beacon_node/execution_layer/src/engine_api.rs
index 5fd0610b3..683e39a50 100644
--- a/beacon_node/execution_layer/src/engine_api.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/execution_layer/src/engine_api.rs
@@ -217,8 +217,7 @@ impl<T: EthSpec> TryFrom<ExecutionPayload<T>> for ExecutionBlockWithTransactions
                     .transactions
                     .iter()
                     .map(|tx| Transaction::decode(&Rlp::new(tx)))
-                    .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()
-                    .unwrap_or_else(|_| Vec::new()),
+                    .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?,
             }),
             ExecutionPayload::Capella(block) => {
                 Self::Capella(ExecutionBlockWithTransactionsCapella {
@@ -239,8 +238,7 @@ impl<T: EthSpec> TryFrom<ExecutionPayload<T>> for ExecutionBlockWithTransactions
                         .transactions
                         .iter()
                         .map(|tx| Transaction::decode(&Rlp::new(tx)))
-                        .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()
-                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| Vec::new()),
+                        .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?,
                     withdrawals: Vec::from(block.withdrawals)
                         .into_iter()
                         .map(|withdrawal| withdrawal.into())
@@ -265,8 +263,7 @@ impl<T: EthSpec> TryFrom<ExecutionPayload<T>> for ExecutionBlockWithTransactions
                     .transactions
                     .iter()
                     .map(|tx| Transaction::decode(&Rlp::new(tx)))
-                    .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()
-                    .unwrap_or_else(|_| Vec::new()),
+                    .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?,
                 withdrawals: Vec::from(block.withdrawals)
                     .into_iter()
                     .map(|withdrawal| withdrawal.into())
diff --git a/beacon_node/execution_layer/src/lib.rs b/beacon_node/execution_layer/src/lib.rs
index a6c9465e1..f5c77a332 100644
--- a/beacon_node/execution_layer/src/lib.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/execution_layer/src/lib.rs
@@ -2145,10 +2145,27 @@ fn timestamp_now() -> u64 {
 
 fn static_valid_tx<T: EthSpec>() -> Result<Transaction<T::MaxBytesPerTransaction>, String> {
     // This is a real transaction hex encoded, but we don't care about the contents of the transaction.
-    let bytes = hex::decode(
-        "b87502f872041a8459682f008459682f0d8252089461815774383099e24810ab832a5b2a5425c154d58829a2241af62c000080c001a059e6b67f48fb32e7e570dfb11e042b5ad2e55e3ce3ce9cd989c7e06e07feeafda0016b83f4f980694ed2eee4d10667242b1f40dc406901b34125b008d334d47469"
-    ).map_err(|e| format!("Failed to decode transaction bytes: {:?}", e))?;
-    VariableList::new(bytes).map_err(|e| format!("Failed to convert transaction to SSZ: {:?}", e))
+    let transaction: EthersTransaction = serde_json::from_str(
+        r#"{
+            "blockHash":"0x1d59ff54b1eb26b013ce3cb5fc9dab3705b415a67127a003c3e61eb445bb8df2",
+            "blockNumber":"0x5daf3b",
+            "from":"0xa7d9ddbe1f17865597fbd27ec712455208b6b76d",
+            "gas":"0xc350",
+            "gasPrice":"0x4a817c800",
+            "hash":"0x88df016429689c079f3b2f6ad39fa052532c56795b733da78a91ebe6a713944b",
+            "input":"0x68656c6c6f21",
+            "nonce":"0x15",
+            "to":"0xf02c1c8e6114b1dbe8937a39260b5b0a374432bb",
+            "transactionIndex":"0x41",
+            "value":"0xf3dbb76162000",
+            "v":"0x25",
+            "r":"0x1b5e176d927f8e9ab405058b2d2457392da3e20f328b16ddabcebc33eaac5fea",
+            "s":"0x4ba69724e8f69de52f0125ad8b3c5c2cef33019bac3249e2c0a2192766d1721c"
+         }"#,
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    VariableList::new(transaction.rlp().to_vec())
+        .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to convert transaction to SSZ: {:?}", e))
 }
 
 fn noop<T: EthSpec>(