diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/data/compose/docker-compose-fixturenet-plugeth.yml b/stack_orchestrator/data/compose/docker-compose-fixturenet-plugeth.yml
index 8606bae5..df84edbf 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/data/compose/docker-compose-fixturenet-plugeth.yml
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/data/compose/docker-compose-fixturenet-plugeth.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ services:
       CERC_RUN_STATEDIFF: ${CERC_RUN_STATEDIFF:-detect}
       CERC_STATEDIFF_DB_NODE_ID: 1
       CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG: ${CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG}
+      CERC_ALLOW_UNPROTECTED_TXS: ${CERC_ALLOW_UNPROTECTED_TXS:-false}
     env_file:
       - ../config/fixturenet-eth/fixturenet-eth.env
     image: cerc/fixturenet-plugeth-plugeth:local
diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-fixturenet-eth-geth/run-el.sh b/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-fixturenet-eth-geth/run-el.sh
index f84befd7..5733794b 100755
--- a/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-fixturenet-eth-geth/run-el.sh
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-fixturenet-eth-geth/run-el.sh
@@ -109,6 +109,10 @@ else
       OTHER_OPTS="--miner.threads=1"
     fi
 
+    if [ "$CERC_ALLOW_UNPROTECTED_TXS" == "true" ]; then
+      OTHER_OPTS+=" --rpc.allow-unprotected-txs"
+    fi
+
     $START_CMD \
       --datadir="${CERC_ETH_DATADIR}" \
       --bootnodes="${ENODE}" \