diff --git a/block/produce.go b/block/produce.go
index fad7b362c..d622a1866 100644
--- a/block/produce.go
+++ b/block/produce.go
@@ -82,9 +82,13 @@ func (m *Manager) ProduceBlockLoop(ctx context.Context, bytesProducedC chan int)
 				return nil
 			case bytesProducedC <- bytesProducedN:
 			default:
-				evt := &events.DataHealthStatus{Error: fmt.Errorf("Block production paused. Time between last block produced and last block submitted higher than max skew time: %s last block in settlement time: %s %w", m.Conf.MaxSkewTime, m.GetLastBlockInSettlementTime(), gerrc.ErrResourceExhausted)}
+				lastBlockTimeInSettlement, err := m.GetLastBlockInSettlementTime()
+				if err != nil {
+					m.logger.Error("Unable to get last block in settlement time")
+				}
+				evt := &events.DataHealthStatus{Error: fmt.Errorf("Block production paused. Time between last block produced and last block submitted higher than max skew time: %s last block in settlement time: %s %w", m.Conf.MaxSkewTime, lastBlockTimeInSettlement, gerrc.ErrResourceExhausted)}
 				uevent.MustPublish(ctx, m.Pubsub, evt, events.HealthStatusList)
-				m.logger.Error("Pausing block production until new batch is submitted.", "Batch skew time", m.GetBatchSkewTime(), "Max batch skew time", m.Conf.MaxSkewTime, "Last block in settlement time", m.GetLastBlockInSettlementTime())
+				m.logger.Error("Pausing block production until new batch is submitted.", "Batch skew time", m.GetBatchSkewTime(), "Max batch skew time", m.Conf.MaxSkewTime, "Last block in settlement time", lastBlockTimeInSettlement)
 				select {
 				case <-ctx.Done():
 					return nil
diff --git a/block/submit.go b/block/submit.go
index 41da8192e..8409cb696 100644
--- a/block/submit.go
+++ b/block/submit.go
@@ -311,16 +311,23 @@ func (m *Manager) UpdateLastSubmittedHeight(event pubsub.Message) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (m *Manager) GetLastBlockInSettlementTime() time.Time {
+func (m *Manager) GetLastBlockInSettlementTime() (time.Time, error) {
 	lastBlockInSettlement, err := m.Store.LoadBlock(m.LastSettlementHeight.Load())
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, gerrc.ErrNotFound) {
+		return time.Time{}, err
+	}
+	if errors.Is(err, gerrc.ErrNotFound) {
 		firstBlock, err := m.Store.LoadBlock(uint64(m.Genesis.InitialHeight))
-		if err != nil {
-			return time.Now()
+		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, gerrc.ErrNotFound) {
+			return time.Time{}, err
+		}
+		if errors.Is(err, gerrc.ErrNotFound) {
+			return time.Now(), nil
 		}
-		return firstBlock.Header.GetTimestamp()
+		return firstBlock.Header.GetTimestamp(), nil
+
 	}
-	return lastBlockInSettlement.Header.GetTimestamp()
+	return lastBlockInSettlement.Header.GetTimestamp(), nil
 }
 
 // GetBatchSkewTime returns the time between the last produced block and the last block submitted to SL
@@ -329,7 +336,11 @@ func (m *Manager) GetBatchSkewTime() time.Duration {
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0
 	}
-	return lastBlockProduced.Header.GetTimestamp().Sub(m.GetLastBlockInSettlementTime())
+	lastBlockInSettlementTime, err := m.GetLastBlockInSettlementTime()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0
+	}
+	return lastBlockProduced.Header.GetTimestamp().Sub(lastBlockInSettlementTime)
 }
 
 func UpdateBatchSubmissionGauges(skewBytes uint64, skewBlocks uint64, skewTime time.Duration) {