diff --git a/server/start.go b/server/start.go
index 1ccec026..d22dc1f9 100644
--- a/server/start.go
+++ b/server/start.go
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ func startInProcess(svrCtx *server.Context, clientCtx client.Context, opts Start
 			return err
 		}
 
-		if m, ok := evmApp.GetMempool().(*evmmempool.ExperimentalEVMMempool); ok {
+		if m, ok := evmApp.GetMempool().(*evmmempool.ExperimentalEVMMempool); m != nil && ok {
 			m.SetEventBus(bftNode.EventBus())
 		}
 		defer func() {
diff --git a/shardeumd/app.go b/shardeumd/app.go
index a02fcb8f..a8f9e468 100644
--- a/shardeumd/app.go
+++ b/shardeumd/app.go
@@ -737,29 +737,29 @@ func NewShardeumApp(
 
 	// set the EVM priority nonce mempool
 	// If you wish to use the noop mempool, remove this codeblock
-	if evmtypes.GetChainConfig() != nil {
-		// Get the block gas limit from genesis file
-		blockGasLimit := evmconfig.GetBlockGasLimit(appOpts, logger)
-		// Get GetMinTip from app.toml or cli flag configuration
-		mipTip := evmconfig.GetMinTip(appOpts, logger)
-
-		mempoolConfig := &evmmempool.EVMMempoolConfig{
-			AnteHandler:   app.GetAnteHandler(),
-			BlockGasLimit: blockGasLimit,
-			MinTip:        mipTip,
-		}
-
-		evmMempool := evmmempool.NewExperimentalEVMMempool(app.CreateQueryContext, logger, app.EVMKeeper, app.FeeMarketKeeper, app.txConfig, app.clientCtx, mempoolConfig)
-		app.EVMMempool = evmMempool
-
-		app.SetMempool(evmMempool)
-		checkTxHandler := evmmempool.NewCheckTxHandler(evmMempool)
-		app.SetCheckTxHandler(checkTxHandler)
-
-		abciProposalHandler := baseapp.NewDefaultProposalHandler(evmMempool, app)
-		abciProposalHandler.SetSignerExtractionAdapter(evmmempool.NewEthSignerExtractionAdapter(sdkmempool.NewDefaultSignerExtractionAdapter()))
-		app.SetPrepareProposal(abciProposalHandler.PrepareProposalHandler())
-	}
+	// if evmtypes.GetChainConfig() != nil {
+	// 	// Get the block gas limit from genesis file
+	// 	blockGasLimit := evmconfig.GetBlockGasLimit(appOpts, logger)
+	// 	// Get GetMinTip from app.toml or cli flag configuration
+	// 	mipTip := evmconfig.GetMinTip(appOpts, logger)
+
+	// 	mempoolConfig := &evmmempool.EVMMempoolConfig{
+	// 		AnteHandler:   app.GetAnteHandler(),
+	// 		BlockGasLimit: blockGasLimit,
+	// 		MinTip:        mipTip,
+	// 	}
+
+	// 	evmMempool := evmmempool.NewExperimentalEVMMempool(app.CreateQueryContext, logger, app.EVMKeeper, app.FeeMarketKeeper, app.txConfig, app.clientCtx, mempoolConfig)
+	// 	app.EVMMempool = evmMempool
+
+	// 	app.SetMempool(evmMempool)
+	// 	checkTxHandler := evmmempool.NewCheckTxHandler(evmMempool)
+	// 	app.SetCheckTxHandler(checkTxHandler)
+
+	// 	abciProposalHandler := baseapp.NewDefaultProposalHandler(evmMempool, app)
+	// 	abciProposalHandler.SetSignerExtractionAdapter(evmmempool.NewEthSignerExtractionAdapter(sdkmempool.NewDefaultSignerExtractionAdapter()))
+	// 	app.SetPrepareProposal(abciProposalHandler.PrepareProposalHandler())
+	// }
 
 	// In v0.46, the SDK introduces _postHandlers_. PostHandlers are like
 	// antehandlers, but are run _after_ the `runMsgs` execution. They are also
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ func (app *ShardeumApp) SetClientCtx(clientCtx client.Context) {
 // Close unsubscribes from the CometBFT event bus (if set) and closes the mempool and underlying BaseApp.
 func (app *ShardeumApp) Close() error {
 	var err error
-	if m, ok := app.GetMempool().(*evmmempool.ExperimentalEVMMempool); ok {
+	if m, ok := app.GetMempool().(*evmmempool.ExperimentalEVMMempool); m != nil && ok {
 		app.Logger().Info("Shutting down mempool")
 		err = m.Close()
 	}