diff --git a/core/vm/operations_acl.go b/core/vm/operations_acl.go
index bca6d1e83..f420a2410 100644
--- a/core/vm/operations_acl.go
+++ b/core/vm/operations_acl.go
@@ -187,7 +187,12 @@ func makeCallVariantGasCallEIP2929(oldCalculator gasFunc) gasFunc {
 		// outside of this function, as part of the dynamic gas, and that will make it
 		// also become correctly reported to tracers.
 		contract.Gas += coldCost
-		return gas + coldCost, nil
+
+		var overflow bool
+		if gas, overflow = math.SafeAdd(gas, coldCost); overflow {
+			return 0, ErrGasUintOverflow
+		}
+		return gas, nil
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/api_test.go b/internal/ethapi/api_test.go
index 8a2e367f4..a6f7405eb 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/api_test.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/api_test.go
@@ -1818,6 +1818,7 @@ func setupReceiptBackend(t *testing.T, genBlocks int) (*testBackend, []common.Ha
 			tx  *types.Transaction
 			err error
 		)
+		b.SetPoS()
 		switch i {
 		case 0:
 			// transfer 1000wei
@@ -1866,7 +1867,6 @@ func setupReceiptBackend(t *testing.T, genBlocks int) (*testBackend, []common.Ha
 			b.AddTx(tx)
 			txHashes[i] = tx.Hash()
 		}
-		b.SetPoS()
 	})
 	return backend, txHashes
 }
diff --git a/params/config.go b/params/config.go
index 2c80f4f6b..d6935ed70 100644
--- a/params/config.go
+++ b/params/config.go
@@ -910,6 +910,8 @@ func (c *ChainConfig) Rules(num *big.Int, isMerge bool, timestamp uint64) Rules
 	if chainID == nil {
 		chainID = new(big.Int)
 	}
+	// disallow setting Merge out of order
+	isMerge = isMerge && c.IsLondon(num)
 	return Rules{
 		ChainID:          new(big.Int).Set(chainID),
 		IsHomestead:      c.IsHomestead(num),
@@ -923,9 +925,9 @@ func (c *ChainConfig) Rules(num *big.Int, isMerge bool, timestamp uint64) Rules
 		IsBerlin:         c.IsBerlin(num),
 		IsLondon:         c.IsLondon(num),
 		IsMerge:          isMerge,
-		IsShanghai:       c.IsShanghai(num, timestamp),
-		IsCancun:         c.IsCancun(num, timestamp),
-		IsPrague:         c.IsPrague(num, timestamp),
-		IsVerkle:         c.IsVerkle(num, timestamp),
+		IsShanghai:       isMerge && c.IsShanghai(num, timestamp),
+		IsCancun:         isMerge && c.IsCancun(num, timestamp),
+		IsPrague:         isMerge && c.IsPrague(num, timestamp),
+		IsVerkle:         isMerge && c.IsVerkle(num, timestamp),
 	}
 }