diff --git a/proxy/grpc/client.go b/proxy/grpc/client.go
index 8a234a3..029f4f8 100644
--- a/proxy/grpc/client.go
+++ b/proxy/grpc/client.go
@@ -53,13 +53,7 @@ func (c *Client) SubmitRollupTransaction(ctx context.Context, rollupId []byte, t
 
 // GetNextBatch returns the next batch of transactions from sequencer to rollup.
 func (c *Client) GetNextBatch(ctx context.Context, lastBatch *sequencing.Batch) (*sequencing.Batch, error) {
-	var lbProto *pbseq.Batch
-	if lastBatch == nil {
-		lbProto = nil
-	} else {
-		lbProto = lastBatch.ToProto()
-	}
-	resp, err := c.SequencerOutputClient.GetNextBatch(ctx, lbProto)
+	resp, err := c.SequencerOutputClient.GetNextBatch(ctx, lastBatch.ToProto())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -70,13 +64,7 @@ func (c *Client) GetNextBatch(ctx context.Context, lastBatch *sequencing.Batch)
 
 // VerifyBatch verifies a batch of transactions received from the sequencer.
 func (c *Client) VerifyBatch(ctx context.Context, batch *sequencing.Batch) (bool, error) {
-	var bProto *pbseq.Batch
-	if batch == nil {
-		bProto = nil
-	} else {
-		bProto = batch.ToProto()
-	}
-	resp, err := c.BatchVerifierClient.VerifyBatch(ctx, bProto)
+	resp, err := c.BatchVerifierClient.VerifyBatch(ctx, batch.ToProto())
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
diff --git a/proxy/grpc/server.go b/proxy/grpc/server.go
index 5f2516e..ab44c4e 100644
--- a/proxy/grpc/server.go
+++ b/proxy/grpc/server.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (s *proxyInputSrv) SubmitRollupTransaction(ctx context.Context, req *pbseq.
 // GetNextBatch returns the next batch of transactions from sequencer to rollup.
 func (s *proxyOutputSrv) GetNextBatch(ctx context.Context, req *pbseq.Batch) (*pbseq.Batch, error) {
 	var lastBatch *sequencing.Batch
-	if req != nil {
+	if req.Transactions != nil {
 		lastBatch = &sequencing.Batch{}
 		lastBatch.FromProto(req)
 	}
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func (s *proxyOutputSrv) GetNextBatch(ctx context.Context, req *pbseq.Batch) (*p
 // VerifyBatch verifies a batch of transactions received from the sequencer.
 func (s *proxyVerificationSrv) VerifyBatch(ctx context.Context, req *pbseq.Batch) (*pbseq.VerificationResponse, error) {
 	var batch *sequencing.Batch
-	if req != nil {
+	if req.Transactions != nil {
 		batch = &sequencing.Batch{}
 		batch.FromProto(req)
 	}
diff --git a/serialization.go b/serialization.go
index 6138bf3..91c78e1 100644
--- a/serialization.go
+++ b/serialization.go
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ import (
 
 // ToProto serializes a batch to a protobuf message.
 func (batch *Batch) ToProto() *pbseq.Batch {
-	return &pbseq.Batch{Transactions: txsToByteSlices(batch.Transactions)}
+	var txs [][]byte
+	if batch != nil {
+		txs = batch.Transactions
+	}
+	return &pbseq.Batch{Transactions: txsToByteSlices(txs)}
 }
 
 // FromProto deserializes a batch from a protobuf message.