diff --git a/bold b/bold
index b4a1f85be1..9bc97907ce 160000
--- a/bold
+++ b/bold
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit b4a1f85be1a2b00886b06002a02068d4d07b973b
+Subproject commit 9bc97907cef8d8123bf46753ed913d51fddf0c0b
diff --git a/staker/bold/bold_state_provider.go b/staker/bold/bold_state_provider.go
index bda3d95510..9707d09967 100644
--- a/staker/bold/bold_state_provider.go
+++ b/staker/bold/bold_state_provider.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func NewBOLDStateProvider(
 func (s *BOLDStateProvider) ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	maxInboxCount uint64,
-	previousGlobalState *protocol.GoGlobalState,
+	previousGlobalState protocol.GoGlobalState,
 ) (*protocol.ExecutionState, error) {
 	if maxInboxCount == 0 {
 		return nil, errors.New("max inbox count cannot be zero")
@@ -95,26 +95,24 @@ func (s *BOLDStateProvider) ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(
 		}
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if previousGlobalState != nil {
-		var previousMessageCount arbutil.MessageIndex
-		if previousGlobalState.Batch > 0 {
-			previousMessageCount, err = s.statelessValidator.InboxTracker().GetBatchMessageCount(previousGlobalState.Batch - 1)
-			if err != nil {
-				if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "not found") {
-					return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: batch count %d", l2stateprovider.ErrChainCatchingUp, maxInboxCount)
-				}
-				return nil, err
+	var previousMessageCount arbutil.MessageIndex
+	if previousGlobalState.Batch > 0 {
+		previousMessageCount, err = s.statelessValidator.InboxTracker().GetBatchMessageCount(previousGlobalState.Batch - 1)
+		if err != nil {
+			if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "not found") {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: batch count %d", l2stateprovider.ErrChainCatchingUp, maxInboxCount)
 			}
+			return nil, err
 		}
-		previousMessageCount += arbutil.MessageIndex(previousGlobalState.PosInBatch)
-		messageDiffBetweenBatches := messageCount - previousMessageCount
-		maxMessageCount := previousMessageCount + arbutil.MessageIndex(maxNumberOfBlocks)
-		if messageDiffBetweenBatches > maxMessageCount {
-			messageCount = maxMessageCount
-			batchIndex, _, err = s.statelessValidator.InboxTracker().FindInboxBatchContainingMessage(messageCount)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
+	}
+	previousMessageCount += arbutil.MessageIndex(previousGlobalState.PosInBatch)
+	messageDiffBetweenBatches := messageCount - previousMessageCount
+	maxMessageCount := previousMessageCount + arbutil.MessageIndex(maxNumberOfBlocks)
+	if messageDiffBetweenBatches > maxMessageCount {
+		messageCount = maxMessageCount
+		batchIndex, _, err = s.statelessValidator.InboxTracker().FindInboxBatchContainingMessage(messageCount)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
 	globalState, err := s.findGlobalStateFromMessageCountAndBatch(messageCount, l2stateprovider.Batch(batchIndex))
@@ -135,15 +133,10 @@ func (s *BOLDStateProvider) ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(
 		GlobalState:   protocol.GoGlobalState(globalState),
 		MachineStatus: protocol.MachineStatusFinished,
 	}
-
-	var previousGlobalStateOrDefault protocol.GoGlobalState
-	if previousGlobalState != nil {
-		previousGlobalStateOrDefault = *previousGlobalState
-	}
 	toBatch := executionState.GlobalState.Batch
 	historyCommitStates, _, err := s.StatesInBatchRange(
 		ctx,
-		previousGlobalStateOrDefault,
+		previousGlobalState,
 		toBatch,
 		l2stateprovider.Height(maxNumberOfBlocks),
 	)
@@ -155,7 +148,7 @@ func (s *BOLDStateProvider) ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	executionState.EndHistoryRoot = historyCommit.Merkle
-	fmt.Printf("ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState for previous state batch %v pos %v got end batch %v pos %v last leaf %v hash %v\n", previousGlobalStateOrDefault.Batch, previousGlobalStateOrDefault.PosInBatch, executionState.GlobalState.Batch, executionState.GlobalState.PosInBatch, historyCommitStates[len(historyCommitStates)-1], executionState.EndHistoryRoot)
+	fmt.Printf("ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState for previous state batch %v pos %v got end batch %v pos %v last leaf %v hash %v\n", previousGlobalState.Batch, previousGlobalState.PosInBatch, executionState.GlobalState.Batch, executionState.GlobalState.PosInBatch, historyCommitStates[len(historyCommitStates)-1], executionState.EndHistoryRoot)
 	return executionState, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/system_tests/bold_new_challenge_test.go b/system_tests/bold_new_challenge_test.go
index 73ac8508a6..a9caec45f0 100644
--- a/system_tests/bold_new_challenge_test.go
+++ b/system_tests/bold_new_challenge_test.go
@@ -46,14 +46,14 @@ type incorrectBlockStateProvider struct {
 func (s *incorrectBlockStateProvider) ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	maxInboxCount uint64,
-	previousGlobalState *protocol.GoGlobalState,
+	previousGlobalState protocol.GoGlobalState,
 ) (*protocol.ExecutionState, error) {
 	maxNumberOfBlocks := s.chain.SpecChallengeManager().LayerZeroHeights().BlockChallengeHeight.Uint64()
 	executionState, err := s.honest.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(ctx, maxInboxCount, previousGlobalState)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	evilStates, err := s.L2MessageStatesUpTo(ctx, *previousGlobalState, l2stateprovider.Batch(maxInboxCount), option.Some(l2stateprovider.Height(maxNumberOfBlocks)))
+	evilStates, err := s.L2MessageStatesUpTo(ctx, previousGlobalState, l2stateprovider.Batch(maxInboxCount), option.Some(l2stateprovider.Height(maxNumberOfBlocks)))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/system_tests/bold_state_provider_test.go b/system_tests/bold_state_provider_test.go
index 766ecce380..40578221db 100644
--- a/system_tests/bold_state_provider_test.go
+++ b/system_tests/bold_state_provider_test.go
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ func TestChallengeProtocolBOLD_StateProvider(t *testing.T) {
 		_, err = stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(
 			ctx,
 			0,
-			&protocol.GoGlobalState{
+			protocol.GoGlobalState{
 				Batch:      0,
 				PosInBatch: 1,
 			},
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ func TestChallengeProtocolBOLD_StateProvider(t *testing.T) {
 		genesis, err := stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(
 			ctx,
 			1,
-			&protocol.GoGlobalState{
+			protocol.GoGlobalState{
 				Batch:      0,
 				PosInBatch: 0,
 			},
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ func TestChallengeProtocolBOLD_StateProvider(t *testing.T) {
 		first, err := stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(
 			ctx,
 			2,
-			&genesis.GlobalState,
+			genesis.GlobalState,
 		)
 		Require(t, err)
 		if first == nil {
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ func TestChallengeProtocolBOLD_StateProvider(t *testing.T) {
 		_, err = stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(
 			ctx,
 			10,
-			&first.GlobalState,
+			first.GlobalState,
 		)
 		if err == nil {
 			Fatal(t, "should not agree with execution state")
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ func TestChallengeProtocolBOLD_StateProvider(t *testing.T) {
 			SendRoot:  result.SendRoot,
 			Batch:     3,
 		}
-		got, err := stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(ctx, 3, &first.GlobalState)
+		got, err := stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(ctx, 3, first.GlobalState)
 		Require(t, err)
 		if state.Batch != got.GlobalState.Batch {
 			Fatal(t, "wrong batch")
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ func TestChallengeProtocolBOLD_StateProvider(t *testing.T) {
 		_, err = stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(
 			ctx,
 			state.Batch+1,
-			&got.GlobalState,
+			got.GlobalState,
 		)
 		if err == nil {
 			Fatal(t, "should not agree with execution state")
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ func TestChallengeProtocolBOLD_StateProvider(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 	t.Run("ExecutionStateAfterBatchCount", func(t *testing.T) {
-		_, err = stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(ctx, 0, &protocol.GoGlobalState{})
+		_, err = stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(ctx, 0, protocol.GoGlobalState{})
 		if err == nil {
 			Fatal(t, "should have failed")
 		}
@@ -333,9 +333,9 @@ func TestChallengeProtocolBOLD_StateProvider(t *testing.T) {
 			Fatal(t, "wrong error message", err)
 		}
 
-		genesis, err := stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(ctx, 1, &protocol.GoGlobalState{})
+		genesis, err := stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(ctx, 1, protocol.GoGlobalState{})
 		Require(t, err)
-		execState, err := stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(ctx, totalBatches, &genesis.GlobalState)
+		execState, err := stateManager.ExecutionStateAfterPreviousState(ctx, totalBatches, genesis.GlobalState)
 		Require(t, err)
 		if execState == nil {
 			Fatal(t, "should not be nil")