diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6fc8f2607..906e8c06a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -180,6 +180,3 @@ debug_external: clean
 
 build_localnet_validator:
 	bash test/build-localnet-validator.sh
-
-tt:
-	go test -v -test.run OnDisconnectCheck ./p2p/security
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cmd/harmony/main.go b/cmd/harmony/main.go
index 9fc89d45d..021061c75 100644
--- a/cmd/harmony/main.go
+++ b/cmd/harmony/main.go
@@ -788,6 +788,8 @@ func setupChain(hc harmonyconfig.HarmonyConfig, nodeConfig *nodeconfig.ConfigTyp
 }
 
 func setupConsensusAndNode(hc harmonyconfig.HarmonyConfig, nodeConfig *nodeconfig.ConfigType, registry *registry.Registry) *node.Node {
+	decider := quorum.NewDecider(quorum.SuperMajorityVote, uint32(hc.General.ShardID))
+
 	// Parse minPeers from harmonyconfig.HarmonyConfig
 	var minPeers int
 	var aggregateSig bool
@@ -821,7 +823,6 @@ func setupConsensusAndNode(hc harmonyconfig.HarmonyConfig, nodeConfig *nodeconfi
 	registry.SetCxPool(cxPool)
 
 	// Consensus object.
-	decider := quorum.NewDecider(quorum.SuperMajorityVote, nodeConfig.ShardID)
 	registry.SetIsBackup(isBackup(hc))
 	currentConsensus, err := consensus.New(
 		myHost, nodeConfig.ShardID, nodeConfig.ConsensusPriKey, registry, decider, minPeers, aggregateSig)
diff --git a/consensus/consensus_v2.go b/consensus/consensus_v2.go
index 6d3ef5b47..b3c94a77f 100644
--- a/consensus/consensus_v2.go
+++ b/consensus/consensus_v2.go
@@ -690,10 +690,15 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) commitBlock(blk *types.Block, committedMsg *FBFTMess
 // This function must be called with enabled leader rotation.
 func (consensus *Consensus) rotateLeader(epoch *big.Int) {
 	var (
-		bc     = consensus.Blockchain()
-		prev   = consensus.getLeaderPubKey()
-		leader = consensus.getLeaderPubKey()
+		bc        = consensus.Blockchain()
+		prev      = consensus.getLeaderPubKey()
+		leader    = consensus.getLeaderPubKey()
+		curBlock  = bc.CurrentBlock()
+		curNumber = curBlock.NumberU64()
+		curEpoch  = curBlock.Epoch().Uint64()
 	)
+	const blocksCountAliveness = 10
+
 	utils.Logger().Info().Msgf("[Rotating leader] epoch: %v rotation:%v external rotation %v", epoch.Uint64(), bc.Config().IsLeaderRotationInternalValidators(epoch), bc.Config().IsLeaderRotationExternalValidatorsAllowed(epoch))
 	ss, err := bc.ReadShardState(epoch)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -741,18 +746,59 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) rotateLeader(epoch *big.Int) {
 	var (
 		wasFound bool
 		next     *bls.PublicKeyWrapper
+		offset   = 1
 	)
-	if bc.Config().IsLeaderRotationExternalValidatorsAllowed(epoch) {
-		wasFound, next = consensus.Decider.NthNextValidator(committee.Slots, leader, 1)
-	} else {
-		wasFound, next = consensus.Decider.NthNextHmy(shard.Schedule.InstanceForEpoch(epoch), leader, 1)
-	}
-	if !wasFound {
-		utils.Logger().Error().Msg("Failed to get next leader")
-		return
-	} else {
+
+	for {
+		if bc.Config().IsLeaderRotationExternalValidatorsAllowed(epoch) {
+			wasFound, next = consensus.Decider.NthNextValidator(committee.Slots, leader, offset)
+		} else {
+			wasFound, next = consensus.Decider.NthNextHmy(shard.Schedule.InstanceForEpoch(epoch), leader, offset)
+		}
+		if !wasFound {
+			utils.Logger().Error().Msg("Failed to get next leader")
+			// Seems like nothing we can do here.
+			return
+		}
+		members := consensus.Decider.Participants()
+		mask := bls.NewMask(members)
+		skipped := 0
+		for i := 0; i < blocksCountAliveness; i++ {
+			header := bc.GetHeaderByNumber(curNumber - uint64(i))
+			if header == nil {
+				utils.Logger().Error().Msgf("Failed to get header by number %d", curNumber-uint64(i))
+				return
+			}
+			// if epoch is different, we should not check this block.
+			if header.Epoch().Uint64() != curEpoch {
+				break
+			}
+			// Populate the mask with the bitmap.
+			err = mask.SetMask(header.LastCommitBitmap())
+			if err != nil {
+				utils.Logger().Err(err).Msg("Failed to set mask")
+				return
+			}
+			ok, err := mask.KeyEnabled(next.Bytes)
+			if err != nil {
+				utils.Logger().Err(err).Msg("Failed to get key enabled")
+				return
+			}
+			if !ok {
+				skipped++
+			}
+		}
+
+		// no signature from the next leader at all, we should skip it.
+		if skipped >= blocksCountAliveness {
+			// Next leader is not signing blocks, we should skip it.
+			offset++
+			continue
+		}
 		consensus.setLeaderPubKey(next)
+		break
 	}
+
 	if consensus.isLeader() && !consensus.getLeaderPubKey().Object.IsEqual(prev.Object) {
 		// leader changed
 		go func() {
diff --git a/consensus/quorum/quorum.go b/consensus/quorum/quorum.go
index aaeaab236..3930abef1 100644
--- a/consensus/quorum/quorum.go
+++ b/consensus/quorum/quorum.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ type ParticipantTracker interface {
 	ParticipantsCount() int64
 	// NthNextValidator returns key for next validator. It assumes external validators and leader rotation.
 	NthNextValidator(slotList shard.SlotList, pubKey *bls.PublicKeyWrapper, next int) (bool, *bls.PublicKeyWrapper)
-	NthNextHmy(shardingconfig.Instance, *bls.PublicKeyWrapper, int) (bool, *bls.PublicKeyWrapper)
+	NthNextHmy(instance shardingconfig.Instance, pubkey *bls.PublicKeyWrapper, next int) (bool, *bls.PublicKeyWrapper)
 	NthNextHmyExt(shardingconfig.Instance, *bls.PublicKeyWrapper, int) (bool, *bls.PublicKeyWrapper)
 	FirstParticipant(shardingconfig.Instance) *bls.PublicKeyWrapper
 	UpdateParticipants(pubKeys, allowlist []bls.PublicKeyWrapper)
diff --git a/core/blockchain_impl.go b/core/blockchain_impl.go
index aeb76362b..294bf82f0 100644
--- a/core/blockchain_impl.go
+++ b/core/blockchain_impl.go
@@ -1683,8 +1683,6 @@ func (bc *BlockChainImpl) insertChain(chain types.Blocks, verifyHeaders bool) (i
 	if len(chain) == 0 {
 		return 0, nil, nil, ErrEmptyChain
 	}
-	first := chain[0]
-	fmt.Println("insertChain", utils.GetPort(), first.ShardID(), first.Epoch().Uint64(), first.NumberU64())
 	// Do a sanity check that the provided chain is actually ordered and linked
 	for i := 1; i < len(chain); i++ {
 		if chain[i].NumberU64() != chain[i-1].NumberU64()+1 || chain[i].ParentHash() != chain[i-1].Hash() {
diff --git a/core/state_processor.go b/core/state_processor.go
index 1037941d1..47b7c7eaa 100644
--- a/core/state_processor.go
+++ b/core/state_processor.go
@@ -312,7 +312,15 @@ func ApplyTransaction(bc ChainContext, author *common.Address, gp *GasPool, stat
 	// Apply the transaction to the current state (included in the env)
 	result, err := ApplyMessage(vmenv, msg, gp)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, nil, 0, errors.Wrapf(err, "apply failed from='%s' to='%s' balance='%s'", msg.From().Hex(), msg.To().Hex(), statedb.GetBalance(msg.From()).String())
+		to := ""
+		if m := msg.To(); m != nil {
+			to = m.Hex()
+		}
+		balance := ""
+		if a := statedb.GetBalance(msg.From()); a != nil {
+			balance = a.String()
+		}
+		return nil, nil, nil, 0, errors.Wrapf(err, "apply failed from='%s' to='%s' balance='%s'", msg.From().Hex(), to, balance)
 	}
 	// Update the state with pending changes
 	var root []byte
diff --git a/internal/utils/math.go b/internal/utils/math.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6dceec5eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/utils/math.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package utils
+
+import "golang.org/x/exp/constraints"
+
+func Min[T constraints.Ordered](a, b T) T {
+	if a < b {
+		return a
+	}
+	return b
+}
+
+func Max[T constraints.Ordered](a, b T) T {
+	if a > b {
+		return a
+	}
+	return b
+}