diff --git a/besu/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/cli/TxPoolOptionsTest.java b/besu/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/cli/TxPoolOptionsTest.java
index 8389ab5bae8..a5ca07484a0 100644
--- a/besu/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/cli/TxPoolOptionsTest.java
+++ b/besu/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/cli/TxPoolOptionsTest.java
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Disabled;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 public class TxPoolOptionsTest extends CommandTestAbstract {
@@ -98,7 +97,6 @@ public void txpoolSaveFileAbsolutePathOutsideDataPath() throws IOException {
   }
 
   @Test
-  @Disabled // Failing in CI, but not locally
   public void txpoolForcePriceBumpToZeroWhenZeroBaseFeeMarket() throws IOException {
     final Path genesisFile = createFakeGenesisFile(GENESIS_WITH_ZERO_BASE_FEE_MARKET);
     parseCommand("--genesis-file", genesisFile.toString());
diff --git a/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/chain/DefaultBlockchain.java b/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/chain/DefaultBlockchain.java
index 1b210490740..b2b4e6abfc8 100644
--- a/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/chain/DefaultBlockchain.java
+++ b/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/chain/DefaultBlockchain.java
@@ -116,6 +116,37 @@ private DefaultBlockchain(
     chainHeadTransactionCount = chainHeadBody.getTransactions().size();
     chainHeadOmmerCount = chainHeadBody.getOmmers().size();
 
+    this.reorgLoggingThreshold = reorgLoggingThreshold;
+    this.blockChoiceRule = heaviestChainBlockChoiceRule;
+    this.numberOfBlocksToCache = numberOfBlocksToCache;
+
+    if (numberOfBlocksToCache != 0) {
+      blockHeadersCache =
+          Optional.of(
+              CacheBuilder.newBuilder().recordStats().maximumSize(numberOfBlocksToCache).build());
+      blockBodiesCache =
+          Optional.of(
+              CacheBuilder.newBuilder().recordStats().maximumSize(numberOfBlocksToCache).build());
+      transactionReceiptsCache =
+          Optional.of(
+              CacheBuilder.newBuilder().recordStats().maximumSize(numberOfBlocksToCache).build());
+      totalDifficultyCache =
+          Optional.of(
+              CacheBuilder.newBuilder().recordStats().maximumSize(numberOfBlocksToCache).build());
+      CacheMetricsCollector cacheMetrics = new CacheMetricsCollector();
+      cacheMetrics.addCache("blockHeaders", blockHeadersCache.get());
+      cacheMetrics.addCache("blockBodies", blockBodiesCache.get());
+      cacheMetrics.addCache("transactionReceipts", transactionReceiptsCache.get());
+      cacheMetrics.addCache("totalDifficulty", totalDifficultyCache.get());
+      if (metricsSystem instanceof PrometheusMetricsSystem prometheusMetricsSystem)
+        prometheusMetricsSystem.addCollector(BesuMetricCategory.BLOCKCHAIN, () -> cacheMetrics);
+    } else {
+      blockHeadersCache = Optional.empty();
+      blockBodiesCache = Optional.empty();
+      transactionReceiptsCache = Optional.empty();
+      totalDifficultyCache = Optional.empty();
+    }
+
     metricsSystem.createLongGauge(
         BesuMetricCategory.ETHEREUM,
         "blockchain_height",
@@ -179,37 +210,6 @@ private DefaultBlockchain(
         "chain_head_ommer_count",
         "Number of ommers in the current chain head block",
         () -> chainHeadOmmerCount);
-
-    this.reorgLoggingThreshold = reorgLoggingThreshold;
-    this.blockChoiceRule = heaviestChainBlockChoiceRule;
-    this.numberOfBlocksToCache = numberOfBlocksToCache;
-
-    if (numberOfBlocksToCache != 0) {
-      blockHeadersCache =
-          Optional.of(
-              CacheBuilder.newBuilder().recordStats().maximumSize(numberOfBlocksToCache).build());
-      blockBodiesCache =
-          Optional.of(
-              CacheBuilder.newBuilder().recordStats().maximumSize(numberOfBlocksToCache).build());
-      transactionReceiptsCache =
-          Optional.of(
-              CacheBuilder.newBuilder().recordStats().maximumSize(numberOfBlocksToCache).build());
-      totalDifficultyCache =
-          Optional.of(
-              CacheBuilder.newBuilder().recordStats().maximumSize(numberOfBlocksToCache).build());
-      CacheMetricsCollector cacheMetrics = new CacheMetricsCollector();
-      cacheMetrics.addCache("blockHeaders", blockHeadersCache.get());
-      cacheMetrics.addCache("blockBodies", blockBodiesCache.get());
-      cacheMetrics.addCache("transactionReceipts", transactionReceiptsCache.get());
-      cacheMetrics.addCache("totalDifficulty", totalDifficultyCache.get());
-      if (metricsSystem instanceof PrometheusMetricsSystem prometheusMetricsSystem)
-        prometheusMetricsSystem.addCollector(BesuMetricCategory.BLOCKCHAIN, () -> cacheMetrics);
-    } else {
-      blockHeadersCache = Optional.empty();
-      blockBodiesCache = Optional.empty();
-      transactionReceiptsCache = Optional.empty();
-      totalDifficultyCache = Optional.empty();
-    }
   }
 
   public static MutableBlockchain createMutable(
diff --git a/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/mainnet/MainnetTransactionValidator.java b/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/mainnet/MainnetTransactionValidator.java
index b5fbf7340b2..e67ccbb4c62 100644
--- a/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/mainnet/MainnetTransactionValidator.java
+++ b/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/mainnet/MainnetTransactionValidator.java
@@ -132,42 +132,59 @@ public ValidationResult<TransactionInvalidReason> validate(
     }
 
     if (transactionType == TransactionType.DELEGATE_CODE) {
-      if (isDelegateCodeEmpty(transaction)) {
-        return ValidationResult.invalid(
-            TransactionInvalidReason.EMPTY_CODE_DELEGATION,
-            "transaction code delegation transactions must have a non-empty code delegation list");
+      ValidationResult<TransactionInvalidReason> codeDelegationValidation =
+          validateCodeDelegation(transaction);
+      if (!codeDelegationValidation.isValid()) {
+        return codeDelegationValidation;
       }
+    }
+
+    return validateCostAndFee(transaction, baseFee, blobFee, transactionValidationParams);
+  }
 
-      final BigInteger halfCurveOrder = SignatureAlgorithmFactory.getInstance().getHalfCurveOrder();
-      final Optional<ValidationResult<TransactionInvalidReason>> validationResult =
-          transaction
-              .getCodeDelegationList()
-              .map(
-                  codeDelegations -> {
-                    for (CodeDelegation codeDelegation : codeDelegations) {
-                      if (codeDelegation.signature().getS().compareTo(halfCurveOrder) > 0) {
-                        return ValidationResult.invalid(
-                            TransactionInvalidReason.INVALID_SIGNATURE,
-                            "Invalid signature for code delegation. S value must be less or equal than the half curve order.");
-                      }
-
-                      if (codeDelegation.signature().getRecId() != 0
-                          && codeDelegation.signature().getRecId() != 1) {
-                        return ValidationResult.invalid(
-                            TransactionInvalidReason.INVALID_SIGNATURE,
-                            "Invalid signature for code delegation. RecId value must be 0 or 1.");
-                      }
+  private static ValidationResult<TransactionInvalidReason> validateCodeDelegation(
+      final Transaction transaction) {
+    if (isDelegateCodeEmpty(transaction)) {
+      return ValidationResult.invalid(
+          TransactionInvalidReason.EMPTY_CODE_DELEGATION,
+          "transaction code delegation transactions must have a non-empty code delegation list");
+    }
+
+    if (transaction.getTo().isEmpty()) {
+      return ValidationResult.invalid(
+          TransactionInvalidReason.INVALID_TRANSACTION_FORMAT,
+          "transaction code delegation transactions must have a to address");
+    }
+
+    final BigInteger halfCurveOrder = SignatureAlgorithmFactory.getInstance().getHalfCurveOrder();
+    final Optional<ValidationResult<TransactionInvalidReason>> validationResult =
+        transaction
+            .getCodeDelegationList()
+            .map(
+                codeDelegations -> {
+                  for (CodeDelegation codeDelegation : codeDelegations) {
+                    if (codeDelegation.signature().getS().compareTo(halfCurveOrder) > 0) {
+                      return ValidationResult.invalid(
+                          TransactionInvalidReason.INVALID_SIGNATURE,
+                          "Invalid signature for code delegation. S value must be less or equal than the half curve order.");
                     }
 
-                    return ValidationResult.valid();
-                  });
+                    if (codeDelegation.signature().getRecId() != 0
+                        && codeDelegation.signature().getRecId() != 1) {
+                      return ValidationResult.invalid(
+                          TransactionInvalidReason.INVALID_SIGNATURE,
+                          "Invalid signature for code delegation. RecId value must be 0 or 1.");
+                    }
+                  }
 
-      if (validationResult.isPresent() && !validationResult.get().isValid()) {
-        return validationResult.get();
-      }
+                  return ValidationResult.valid();
+                });
+
+    if (validationResult.isPresent() && !validationResult.get().isValid()) {
+      return validationResult.get();
     }
 
-    return validateCostAndFee(transaction, baseFee, blobFee, transactionValidationParams);
+    return ValidationResult.valid();
   }
 
   private static boolean isDelegateCodeEmpty(final Transaction transaction) {