diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e1e20bc9d74..aff65a07716 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,3 +12,4 @@
 - Clean up old beacon states when switching from ARCHIVE to PRUNE or MINIMAL data storage mode
 
 ### Bug Fixes
+ - Fixed a block production issue for Validator Client (vc), where required headers were not provided for JSON payloads.
diff --git a/acceptance-tests/src/acceptance-test/java/tech/pegasys/teku/test/acceptance/BlockProposalAcceptanceTest.java b/acceptance-tests/src/acceptance-test/java/tech/pegasys/teku/test/acceptance/BlockProposalAcceptanceTest.java
index 11bddd0fdfc..762a10959b8 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/src/acceptance-test/java/tech/pegasys/teku/test/acceptance/BlockProposalAcceptanceTest.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/src/acceptance-test/java/tech/pegasys/teku/test/acceptance/BlockProposalAcceptanceTest.java
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import org.apache.tuweni.bytes.Bytes32;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;
 import tech.pegasys.teku.infrastructure.bytes.Bytes20;
 import tech.pegasys.teku.infrastructure.unsigned.UInt64;
 import tech.pegasys.teku.test.acceptance.dsl.AcceptanceTestBase;
@@ -34,8 +35,9 @@
 public class BlockProposalAcceptanceTest extends AcceptanceTestBase {
   private static final URL JWT_FILE = Resources.getResource("auth/ee-jwt-secret.hex");
 
-  @Test
-  void shouldHaveCorrectFeeRecipientAndGraffiti() throws Exception {
+  @ParameterizedTest(name = "ssz_encode={0}")
+  @ValueSource(booleans = {true, false})
+  void shouldHaveCorrectFeeRecipientAndGraffiti(final boolean useSszBlocks) throws Exception {
     final String networkName = "swift";
 
     final ValidatorKeystores validatorKeystores =
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ void shouldHaveCorrectFeeRecipientAndGraffiti() throws Exception {
                 .withValidatorProposerDefaultFeeRecipient(defaultFeeRecipient)
                 .withInteropModeDisabled()
                 .withBeaconNodes(beaconNode)
+                .withBeaconNodeSszBlocksEnabled(useSszBlocks)
                 .withGraffiti(userGraffiti)
                 .withNetwork("auto")
                 .build());
diff --git a/acceptance-tests/src/testFixtures/java/tech/pegasys/teku/test/acceptance/dsl/TekuNodeConfigBuilder.java b/acceptance-tests/src/testFixtures/java/tech/pegasys/teku/test/acceptance/dsl/TekuNodeConfigBuilder.java
index b931a600a78..5ad12f151e5 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/src/testFixtures/java/tech/pegasys/teku/test/acceptance/dsl/TekuNodeConfigBuilder.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/src/testFixtures/java/tech/pegasys/teku/test/acceptance/dsl/TekuNodeConfigBuilder.java
@@ -530,6 +530,12 @@ public TekuNodeConfigBuilder withValidatorProposerDefaultFeeRecipient(
     return this;
   }
 
+  public TekuNodeConfigBuilder withBeaconNodeSszBlocksEnabled(final boolean enabled) {
+    LOG.debug("beacon-node-ssz-blocks-enabled={}", enabled);
+    configMap.put("beacon-node-ssz-blocks-enabled", enabled);
+    return this;
+  }
+
   public TekuNodeConfigBuilder withStartupTargetPeerCount(final int startupTargetPeerCount) {
     mustBe(NodeType.BEACON_NODE);
     LOG.debug("Xstartup-target-peer-count={}", startupTargetPeerCount);
diff --git a/validator/remote/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/validator/remote/typedef/handlers/SendSignedBlockRequest.java b/validator/remote/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/validator/remote/typedef/handlers/SendSignedBlockRequest.java
index c36cac6aefa..ac28dc1d66e 100644
--- a/validator/remote/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/validator/remote/typedef/handlers/SendSignedBlockRequest.java
+++ b/validator/remote/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/teku/validator/remote/typedef/handlers/SendSignedBlockRequest.java
@@ -72,25 +72,25 @@ public SendSignedBlockResult submit(
         blinded
             ? schemaDefinitions.getSignedBlindedBlockContainerSchema().getJsonTypeDefinition()
             : schemaDefinitions.getSignedBlockContainerSchema().getJsonTypeDefinition();
-
+    final SpecMilestone milestone = spec.atSlot(signedBlockContainer.getSlot()).getMilestone();
     return preferSszBlockEncoding.get()
         ? sendSignedBlockAsSszOrFallback(
-            apiMethod, signedBlockContainer, broadcastValidationLevel, typeDefinition)
+            apiMethod, signedBlockContainer, broadcastValidationLevel, typeDefinition, milestone)
         : sendSignedBlockAsJson(
-            apiMethod, signedBlockContainer, broadcastValidationLevel, typeDefinition);
+            apiMethod, signedBlockContainer, broadcastValidationLevel, typeDefinition, milestone);
   }
 
   private SendSignedBlockResult sendSignedBlockAsSszOrFallback(
       final ValidatorApiMethod apiMethod,
       final SignedBlockContainer signedBlockContainer,
       final BroadcastValidationLevel broadcastValidationLevel,
-      final DeserializableTypeDefinition<SignedBlockContainer> typeDefinition) {
-    final SpecMilestone milestone = spec.atSlot(signedBlockContainer.getSlot()).getMilestone();
+      final DeserializableTypeDefinition<SignedBlockContainer> typeDefinition,
+      final SpecMilestone milestone) {
     final SendSignedBlockResult result =
         sendSignedBlockAsSsz(apiMethod, signedBlockContainer, broadcastValidationLevel, milestone);
     if (!result.isPublished() && !preferSszBlockEncoding.get()) {
       return sendSignedBlockAsJson(
-          apiMethod, signedBlockContainer, broadcastValidationLevel, typeDefinition);
+          apiMethod, signedBlockContainer, broadcastValidationLevel, typeDefinition, milestone);
     }
     return result;
   }
@@ -117,14 +117,15 @@ private SendSignedBlockResult sendSignedBlockAsJson(
       final ValidatorApiMethod apiMethod,
       final SignedBlockContainer signedBlockContainer,
       final BroadcastValidationLevel broadcastValidationLevel,
-      final DeserializableTypeDefinition<SignedBlockContainer> typeDefinition) {
+      final DeserializableTypeDefinition<SignedBlockContainer> typeDefinition,
+      final SpecMilestone milestone) {
     return postJson(
             apiMethod,
             emptyMap(),
             Map.of(
                 PARAM_BROADCAST_VALIDATION,
                 broadcastValidationLevel.name().toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT)),
-            emptyMap(),
+            Map.of(HEADER_CONSENSUS_VERSION, milestone.name().toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT)),
             signedBlockContainer,
             typeDefinition,
             new ResponseHandler<>())