diff --git a/api/service/stagedstreamsync/adapter.go b/api/service/stagedstreamsync/adapter.go
index 9988ccc51..ca9c6a678 100644
--- a/api/service/stagedstreamsync/adapter.go
+++ b/api/service/stagedstreamsync/adapter.go
@@ -31,6 +31,6 @@ type blockChain interface {
 	engine.ChainReader
 	Engine() engine.Engine
 
-	InsertChain(chain types.Blocks, verifyHeaders bool, blockExecution bool) (int, error)
+	InsertChain(chain types.Blocks, verifyHeaders bool) (int, error)
 	WriteCommitSig(blockNum uint64, lastCommits []byte) error
 }
diff --git a/api/service/stagedstreamsync/sig_verify.go b/api/service/stagedstreamsync/sig_verify.go
index bc204fb1a..bdf5a2107 100644
--- a/api/service/stagedstreamsync/sig_verify.go
+++ b/api/service/stagedstreamsync/sig_verify.go
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ func (e *sigVerifyErr) Error() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("[VerifyHeaderSignature] %v", e.err.Error())
 }
 
-func verifyAndInsertBlocks(bc blockChain, blocks types.Blocks, blockExecution bool) (int, error) {
+func verifyAndInsertBlocks(bc blockChain, blocks types.Blocks) (int, error) {
 	for i, block := range blocks {
-		if err := verifyAndInsertBlock(bc, block, blockExecution, blocks[i+1:]...); err != nil {
+		if err := verifyAndInsertBlock(bc, block, blocks[i+1:]...); err != nil {
 			return i, err
 		}
 	}
@@ -65,13 +65,13 @@ func verifyBlock(bc blockChain, block *types.Block, nextBlocks ...*types.Block)
 	return nil
 }
 
-func verifyAndInsertBlock(bc blockChain, block *types.Block, blockExecution bool, nextBlocks ...*types.Block) error {
+func verifyAndInsertBlock(bc blockChain, block *types.Block, nextBlocks ...*types.Block) error {
 	//verify block
 	if err := verifyBlock(bc, block, nextBlocks...); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	// insert block
-	if _, err := bc.InsertChain(types.Blocks{block}, false, blockExecution); err != nil {
+	if _, err := bc.InsertChain(types.Blocks{block}, false); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "[InsertChain]")
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/api/service/stagedstreamsync/stage_short_range.go b/api/service/stagedstreamsync/stage_short_range.go
index a651490eb..d771cd660 100644
--- a/api/service/stagedstreamsync/stage_short_range.go
+++ b/api/service/stagedstreamsync/stage_short_range.go
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func (sr *StageShortRange) doShortRangeSync(ctx context.Context, s *StageState)
 
 	utils.Logger().Info().Int("num blocks", len(blocks)).Msg("getBlockByHashes result")
 
-	n, err := verifyAndInsertBlocks(sr.configs.bc, blocks, true)
+	n, err := verifyAndInsertBlocks(sr.configs.bc, blocks)
 	numBlocksInsertedShortRangeHistogramVec.With(s.state.promLabels()).Observe(float64(n))
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Logger().Warn().Err(err).Int("blocks inserted", n).Msg("Insert block failed")
diff --git a/api/service/stagedstreamsync/stage_state.go b/api/service/stagedstreamsync/stage_state.go
index f579019f6..1294edf70 100644
--- a/api/service/stagedstreamsync/stage_state.go
+++ b/api/service/stagedstreamsync/stage_state.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ type StageStatesCfg struct {
 	db             kv.RwDB
 	blockDBs       []kv.RwDB
 	concurrency    int
-	blockExecution bool
 	logger         zerolog.Logger
 	logProgress    bool
 }
@@ -39,7 +38,6 @@ func NewStageStatesCfg(
 	db kv.RwDB,
 	blockDBs []kv.RwDB,
 	concurrency int,
-	blockExecution bool,
 	logger zerolog.Logger,
 	logProgress bool) StageStatesCfg {
 
@@ -48,7 +46,6 @@ func NewStageStatesCfg(
 		db:             db,
 		blockDBs:       blockDBs,
 		concurrency:    concurrency,
-		blockExecution: blockExecution,
 		logger:         logger,
 		logProgress:    logProgress,
 	}
@@ -56,6 +53,13 @@ func NewStageStatesCfg(
 
 // Exec progresses States stage in the forward direction
 func (stg *StageStates) Exec(ctx context.Context, firstCycle bool, invalidBlockRevert bool, s *StageState, reverter Reverter, tx kv.RwTx) (err error) {
+	// only execute this stage in full sync mode
+	if s.state.config.SyncMode != FullSync {
+		if s.state.status.pivotBlock != nil && s.state.bc.CurrentBlock().NumberU64() <= s.state.status.pivotBlock.NumberU64() {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
 	// for short range sync, skip this step
 	if !s.state.initSync {
 		return nil
@@ -160,7 +164,7 @@ func (stg *StageStates) Exec(ctx context.Context, firstCycle bool, invalidBlockR
 			return ErrInvalidBlockNumber
 		}
 
-		if err := verifyAndInsertBlock(stg.configs.bc, block, stg.configs.blockExecution); err != nil {
+		if err := verifyAndInsertBlock(stg.configs.bc, block); err != nil {
 			stg.configs.logger.Warn().Err(err).Uint64("cycle target block", targetHeight).
 				Uint64("block number", block.NumberU64()).
 				Msg(WrapStagedSyncMsg("insert blocks failed in long range"))