diff --git a/core/blockchain.go b/core/blockchain.go
index f7a2ab266..c6223aace 100644
--- a/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/core/blockchain.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"math/big"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
@@ -1731,6 +1732,10 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) ReadShardState(epoch *big.Int) (*shard.State, error) {
 	}
 	shardState, err := rawdb.ReadShardState(bc.db, epoch)
 	if err != nil {
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), rawdb.MsgNoShardStateFromDB) &&
+			shard.Schedule.IsSkippedEpoch(bc.ShardID(), epoch) {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("epoch skipped on chain: %w", err)
+		}
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	bc.shardStateCache.Add(cacheKey, shardState)
diff --git a/internal/configs/sharding/fixedschedule.go b/internal/configs/sharding/fixedschedule.go
index 1fd9cd71e..477a8a514 100644
--- a/internal/configs/sharding/fixedschedule.go
+++ b/internal/configs/sharding/fixedschedule.go
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ func (s fixedSchedule) GetShardingStructure(numShard, shardID int) []map[string]
 	return genShardingStructure(numShard, shardID, TestNetHTTPPattern, TestNetHTTPPattern)
 }
 
+// IsSkippedEpoch returns if an epoch was skipped on shard due to staking epoch
+func (s fixedSchedule) IsSkippedEpoch(shardID uint32, epoch *big.Int) bool {
+	return false
+}
+
 // NewFixedSchedule returns a sharding configuration schedule that uses the
 // given config instance for all epochs.  Useful for testing.
 func NewFixedSchedule(instance Instance) Schedule {
diff --git a/internal/configs/sharding/localnet.go b/internal/configs/sharding/localnet.go
index 19b3cc2f2..7fc2c9d40 100644
--- a/internal/configs/sharding/localnet.go
+++ b/internal/configs/sharding/localnet.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const (
 	localnetRandomnessStartingEpoch = 0
 )
 
-func (localnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
+func (ls localnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
 	switch {
 	case epoch.Cmp(params.LocalnetChainConfig.StakingEpoch) >= 0:
 		return localnetV2
@@ -108,6 +108,11 @@ func (ls localnetSchedule) GetShardingStructure(numShard, shardID int) []map[str
 	return res
 }
 
+// IsSkippedEpoch returns if an epoch was skipped on shard due to staking epoch
+func (ls localnetSchedule) IsSkippedEpoch(shardID uint32, epoch *big.Int) bool {
+	return false
+}
+
 var (
 	localnetReshardingEpoch = []*big.Int{
 		big.NewInt(0), big.NewInt(localnetV1Epoch), params.LocalnetChainConfig.StakingEpoch,
diff --git a/internal/configs/sharding/mainnet.go b/internal/configs/sharding/mainnet.go
index 0179e0fcb..b84e1fa0c 100644
--- a/internal/configs/sharding/mainnet.go
+++ b/internal/configs/sharding/mainnet.go
@@ -38,12 +38,21 @@ const (
 	MainNetWSPattern = "wss://ws.s%d.t.hmny.io"
 )
 
+var (
+	// map of epochs skipped due to staking launch on mainnet
+	skippedEpochs = map[uint32][]*big.Int{
+		1: []*big.Int{big.NewInt(181), big.NewInt(182), big.NewInt(183), big.NewInt(184), big.NewInt(185)},
+		2: []*big.Int{big.NewInt(184), big.NewInt(185)},
+		3: []*big.Int{big.NewInt(183), big.NewInt(184), big.NewInt(185)},
+	}
+)
+
 // MainnetSchedule is the mainnet sharding configuration schedule.
 var MainnetSchedule mainnetSchedule
 
 type mainnetSchedule struct{}
 
-func (mainnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
+func (ms mainnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
 	switch {
 	case epoch.Cmp(big.NewInt(mainnetV2_2Epoch)) >= 0:
 		return mainnetV2_2
@@ -87,7 +96,7 @@ func (mainnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
 	}
 }
 
-func (mainnetSchedule) BlocksPerEpoch() uint64 {
+func (ms mainnetSchedule) BlocksPerEpoch() uint64 {
 	return blocksPerEpoch
 }
 
@@ -147,6 +156,18 @@ func (ms mainnetSchedule) GetShardingStructure(numShard, shardID int) []map[stri
 	return genShardingStructure(numShard, shardID, MainNetHTTPPattern, MainNetWSPattern)
 }
 
+// IsSkippedEpoch returns if an epoch was skipped on shard due to staking epoch
+func (ms mainnetSchedule) IsSkippedEpoch(shardID uint32, epoch *big.Int) bool {
+	if skipped, exists := skippedEpochs[shardID]; exists {
+		for _, e := range skipped {
+			if epoch.Cmp(e) == 0 {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 var mainnetReshardingEpoch = []*big.Int{big.NewInt(0), big.NewInt(mainnetV0_1Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV0_2Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV0_3Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV0_4Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV1Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV1_1Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV1_2Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV1_3Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV1_4Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV1_5Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV2_0Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV2_1Epoch), big.NewInt(mainnetV2_2Epoch)}
 
 var (
diff --git a/internal/configs/sharding/pangaea.go b/internal/configs/sharding/pangaea.go
index 0feba72f6..2c04c0fbc 100644
--- a/internal/configs/sharding/pangaea.go
+++ b/internal/configs/sharding/pangaea.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ const (
 	PangaeaWSPattern = "wss://ws.s%d.os.hmny.io"
 )
 
-func (pangaeaSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
+func (ps pangaeaSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
 	switch {
 	case epoch.Cmp(params.PangaeaChainConfig.StakingEpoch) >= 0:
 		return pangaeaV1
@@ -66,15 +66,20 @@ func (ps pangaeaSchedule) RandomnessStartingEpoch() uint64 {
 	return mainnetRandomnessStartingEpoch
 }
 
-func (pangaeaSchedule) GetNetworkID() NetworkID {
+func (ps pangaeaSchedule) GetNetworkID() NetworkID {
 	return Pangaea
 }
 
 // GetShardingStructure is the sharding structure for mainnet.
-func (pangaeaSchedule) GetShardingStructure(numShard, shardID int) []map[string]interface{} {
+func (ps pangaeaSchedule) GetShardingStructure(numShard, shardID int) []map[string]interface{} {
 	return genShardingStructure(numShard, shardID, PangaeaHTTPPattern, PangaeaWSPattern)
 }
 
+// IsSkippedEpoch returns if an epoch was skipped on shard due to staking epoch
+func (ps pangaeaSchedule) IsSkippedEpoch(shardID uint32, epoch *big.Int) bool {
+	return false
+}
+
 var pangaeaReshardingEpoch = []*big.Int{
 	big.NewInt(0),
 	params.PangaeaChainConfig.StakingEpoch,
diff --git a/internal/configs/sharding/partner.go b/internal/configs/sharding/partner.go
index 233793ae1..f4e1745f9 100644
--- a/internal/configs/sharding/partner.go
+++ b/internal/configs/sharding/partner.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const (
 	PartnerWSPattern = "wss://ws.s%d.ps.hmny.io"
 )
 
-func (partnerSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
+func (ps partnerSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
 	switch {
 	case epoch.Cmp(params.PartnerChainConfig.StakingEpoch) >= 0:
 		return partnerV1
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func (partnerSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
 	}
 }
 
-func (partnerSchedule) BlocksPerEpoch() uint64 {
+func (ps partnerSchedule) BlocksPerEpoch() uint64 {
 	return partnerBlocksPerEpoch
 }
 
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ func (ps partnerSchedule) GetShardingStructure(numShard, shardID int) []map[stri
 	return genShardingStructure(numShard, shardID, PartnerHTTPPattern, PartnerWSPattern)
 }
 
+// IsSkippedEpoch returns if an epoch was skipped on shard due to staking epoch
+func (ps partnerSchedule) IsSkippedEpoch(shardID uint32, epoch *big.Int) bool {
+	return false
+}
+
 var partnerReshardingEpoch = []*big.Int{
 	big.NewInt(0),
 	params.TestnetChainConfig.StakingEpoch,
diff --git a/internal/configs/sharding/shardingconfig.go b/internal/configs/sharding/shardingconfig.go
index 3838b04b8..e246a812d 100644
--- a/internal/configs/sharding/shardingconfig.go
+++ b/internal/configs/sharding/shardingconfig.go
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ type Schedule interface {
 
 	// GetShardingStructure returns sharding structure.
 	GetShardingStructure(int, int) []map[string]interface{}
+
+	// IsSkippedEpoch returns if epoch was skipped on shard chain
+	IsSkippedEpoch(uint32, *big.Int) bool
 }
 
 // Instance is one sharding configuration instance.
diff --git a/internal/configs/sharding/stress.go b/internal/configs/sharding/stress.go
index 809469379..2ee77d5ef 100644
--- a/internal/configs/sharding/stress.go
+++ b/internal/configs/sharding/stress.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const (
 	StressNetWSPattern = "wss://ws.s%d.stn.hmny.io"
 )
 
-func (stressnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
+func (ss stressnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
 	switch {
 	case epoch.Cmp(params.StressnetChainConfig.StakingEpoch) >= 0:
 		return stressnetV1
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func (stressnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
 	}
 }
 
-func (stressnetSchedule) BlocksPerEpoch() uint64 {
+func (ss stressnetSchedule) BlocksPerEpoch() uint64 {
 	return stressnetBlocksPerEpoch
 }
 
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ func (ss stressnetSchedule) GetShardingStructure(numShard, shardID int) []map[st
 	return genShardingStructure(numShard, shardID, StressNetHTTPPattern, StressNetWSPattern)
 }
 
+// IsSkippedEpoch returns if an epoch was skipped on shard due to staking epoch
+func (ss stressnetSchedule) IsSkippedEpoch(shardID uint32, epoch *big.Int) bool {
+	return false
+}
+
 var stressnetReshardingEpoch = []*big.Int{
 	big.NewInt(0),
 	params.StressnetChainConfig.StakingEpoch,
diff --git a/internal/configs/sharding/testnet.go b/internal/configs/sharding/testnet.go
index 2fd7a4368..162903318 100644
--- a/internal/configs/sharding/testnet.go
+++ b/internal/configs/sharding/testnet.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ const (
 	TestNetWSPattern = "wss://ws.s%d.b.hmny.io"
 )
 
-func (testnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
+func (ts testnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
 	switch {
 	case epoch.Cmp(params.TestnetChainConfig.StakingEpoch) >= 0:
 		return testnetV1
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func (testnetSchedule) InstanceForEpoch(epoch *big.Int) Instance {
 	}
 }
 
-func (testnetSchedule) BlocksPerEpoch() uint64 {
+func (ts testnetSchedule) BlocksPerEpoch() uint64 {
 	return testnetBlocksPerEpoch
 }
 
@@ -76,6 +76,11 @@ func (ts testnetSchedule) GetShardingStructure(numShard, shardID int) []map[stri
 	return genShardingStructure(numShard, shardID, TestNetHTTPPattern, TestNetWSPattern)
 }
 
+// IsSkippedEpoch returns if an epoch was skipped on shard due to staking epoch
+func (ts testnetSchedule) IsSkippedEpoch(shardID uint32, epoch *big.Int) bool {
+	return false
+}
+
 var testnetReshardingEpoch = []*big.Int{
 	big.NewInt(0),
 	params.TestnetChainConfig.StakingEpoch,