diff --git a/libraries/chain/controller.cpp b/libraries/chain/controller.cpp
index 0c1b096737..a4be1c536c 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/controller.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/controller.cpp
@@ -1070,6 +1070,12 @@ struct controller_impl {
       });
    }
 
+   bool fork_db_validated_block_exists( const block_id_type& id ) const {
+      return fork_db.apply<bool>([&](const auto& forkdb) {
+         return forkdb.validated_block_exists(id);
+      });
+   }
+
    signed_block_ptr fork_db_fetch_block_by_id( const block_id_type& id ) const {
       return fork_db.apply<signed_block_ptr>([&](const auto& forkdb) {
          auto bsp = forkdb.get_block(id);
@@ -4930,6 +4936,14 @@ bool controller::block_exists(const block_id_type& id) const {
    return false;
 }
 
+bool controller::validated_block_exists(const block_id_type& id) const {
+   bool exists = my->fork_db_validated_block_exists(id);
+   if( exists ) return true;
+   std::optional<signed_block_header> sbh = my->blog.read_block_header_by_num( block_header::num_from_id(id) );
+   if( sbh && sbh->calculate_id() == id ) return true;
+   return false;
+}
+
 std::optional<signed_block_header> controller::fetch_block_header_by_id( const block_id_type& id )const {
    auto sb_ptr = my->fork_db_fetch_block_by_id(id);
    if( sb_ptr ) return *static_cast<signed_block_header*>(sb_ptr.get());
diff --git a/libraries/chain/fork_database.cpp b/libraries/chain/fork_database.cpp
index 5cda182450..c054836dc5 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/fork_database.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/fork_database.cpp
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ namespace eosio::chain {
 
       bsp_t            get_block_impl( const block_id_type& id, include_root_t include_root = include_root_t::no ) const;
       bool             block_exists_impl( const block_id_type& id ) const;
+      bool             validated_block_exists_impl( const block_id_type& id ) const;
       void             reset_root_impl( const bsp_t& root_bs );
       void             rollback_head_to_root_impl();
       void             advance_root_impl( const block_id_type& id );
@@ -664,7 +665,19 @@ namespace eosio::chain {
       return index.find( id ) != index.end();
    }
 
-   // ------------------ fork_database -------------------------
+   template<class BSP>
+   bool fork_database_t<BSP>::validated_block_exists(const block_id_type& id) const {
+      std::lock_guard g( my->mtx );
+      return my->validated_block_exists_impl(id);
+   }
+
+   template<class BSP>
+   bool fork_database_impl<BSP>::validated_block_exists_impl(const block_id_type& id) const {
+      auto itr = index.find( id );
+      return itr != index.end() && bs_accessor_t::is_valid(*(*itr));
+   }
+
+// ------------------ fork_database -------------------------
 
    fork_database::fork_database(const std::filesystem::path& data_dir)
       : data_dir(data_dir)
diff --git a/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/controller.hpp b/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/controller.hpp
index 0eeed40015..fc9044aece 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/controller.hpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/controller.hpp
@@ -276,7 +276,8 @@ namespace eosio::chain {
          // thread-safe
          signed_block_ptr fetch_block_by_id( const block_id_type& id )const;
          // thread-safe
-         bool block_exists( const block_id_type& id)const;
+         bool block_exists(const block_id_type& id) const;
+         bool validated_block_exists(const block_id_type& id) const;
          // thread-safe
          std::optional<signed_block_header> fetch_block_header_by_number( uint32_t block_num )const;
          // thread-safe
diff --git a/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/fork_database.hpp b/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/fork_database.hpp
index 4f26eb547a..39d37cef00 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/fork_database.hpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/fork_database.hpp
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ namespace eosio::chain {
 
       bsp_t get_block( const block_id_type& id, include_root_t include_root = include_root_t::no ) const;
       bool block_exists( const block_id_type& id ) const;
+      bool validated_block_exists( const block_id_type& id ) const;
 
       /**
        *  Purges any existing blocks from the fork database and resets the root block_header_state to the provided value.
diff --git a/plugins/net_plugin/net_plugin.cpp b/plugins/net_plugin/net_plugin.cpp
index db0d97c3dd..852f2a0d1d 100644
--- a/plugins/net_plugin/net_plugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/net_plugin/net_plugin.cpp
@@ -3847,7 +3847,7 @@ namespace eosio {
 
       uint32_t lib = cc.last_irreversible_block_num();
       try {
-         if( blk_num <= lib ) {
+         if( blk_num <= lib || cc.validated_block_exists(blk_id) ) {
             c->strand.post( [sync_master = my_impl->sync_master.get(),
                              &dispatcher = my_impl->dispatcher, c, blk_id, blk_num]() {
                dispatcher.add_peer_block( blk_id, c->connection_id );
diff --git a/plugins/producer_plugin/producer_plugin.cpp b/plugins/producer_plugin/producer_plugin.cpp
index d0cb33fbbc..976a08b77a 100644
--- a/plugins/producer_plugin/producer_plugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/producer_plugin/producer_plugin.cpp
@@ -677,18 +677,14 @@ class producer_plugin_impl : public std::enable_shared_from_this<producer_plugin
       if (now - block->timestamp < fc::minutes(5) || (blk_num % 1000 == 0)) // only log every 1000 during sync
          fc_dlog(_log, "received incoming block ${n} ${id}", ("n", blk_num)("id", id));
 
-      // start a new speculative block, speculative start_block may have been interrupted
-      auto ensure = fc::make_scoped_exit([this]() {
-         // avoid schedule_production_loop if in_producing_mode(); speculative block was not interrupted and we don't want to abort block
-         if (!in_producing_mode()) {
-            schedule_production_loop();
-         } else {
-            _time_tracker.add_other_time();
-         }
-      });
-
       auto& chain = chain_plug->chain();
 
+      // de-dupe here... no point in aborting block if we already know the block; avoid exception in create_block_handle_future
+      if (chain.validated_block_exists(id)) {
+         _time_tracker.add_other_time();
+         return true; // return true because the block was already accepted
+      }
+
       EOS_ASSERT(block->timestamp < (now + fc::seconds(7)), block_from_the_future, "received a block from the future, ignoring it: ${id}", ("id", id));
 
       // start processing of block
@@ -701,9 +697,13 @@ class producer_plugin_impl : public std::enable_shared_from_this<producer_plugin
          fc_ilog(_log, "producing, incoming block #${num} id: ${id}", ("num", blk_num)("id", id));
          const block_handle& bh = obt ? *obt : btf.get();
          chain.accept_block(bh);
+         _time_tracker.add_other_time();
          return true; // return true because block was accepted
       }
 
+      // start a new speculative block
+      auto ensure = fc::make_scoped_exit([this]() { schedule_production_loop(); });
+
       // abort the pending block
       abort_block();