diff --git a/pkg/protocol/engine/accounts/accountsledger/manager.go b/pkg/protocol/engine/accounts/accountsledger/manager.go
index 916a3a20f..7416434d5 100644
--- a/pkg/protocol/engine/accounts/accountsledger/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/protocol/engine/accounts/accountsledger/manager.go
@@ -531,12 +531,11 @@ func (m *Manager) commitAccountTree(slot iotago.SlotIndex, accountDiffChanges ma
 
 		if diffChange.BICChange != 0 || !exists {
 			// decay the credits to the current slot if the account exists
-			if exists {
+			if exists && accountData.Credits.Value > 0 {
 				decayedPreviousCredits, err := m.apiProvider.APIForSlot(slot).ManaDecayProvider().DecayManaBySlots(iotago.Mana(accountData.Credits.Value), accountData.Credits.UpdateSlot, slot)
 				if err != nil {
 					return ierrors.Wrapf(err, "can't retrieve account, could not decay credits for account %s in slot %d", accountData.ID, slot)
 				}
-
 				// update the account data diff taking into account the decay, the modified diff will be stored in the calling
 				// ApplyDiff function to be able to properly rollback the account to a previous slot.
 				diffChange.BICChange -= accountData.Credits.Value - iotago.BlockIssuanceCredits(decayedPreviousCredits)
diff --git a/pkg/tests/accounts_test.go b/pkg/tests/accounts_test.go
index dfe4cde40..8c32a9352 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/accounts_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/accounts_test.go
@@ -464,7 +464,10 @@ func Test_NegativeBIC_BlockIssuerLocked(t *testing.T) {
 				iotago.SlotIndex(0),
 				testsuite.GenesisTimeWithOffsetBySlots(iotago.SlotIndex(200), testsuite.DefaultSlotDurationInSeconds),
 				testsuite.DefaultSlotDurationInSeconds,
-				testsuite.DefaultSlotsPerEpochExponent,
+				3,
+			),
+			iotago.WithLivenessOptions(
+				10, 10, 2, 4, 5,
 			),
 		),
 	)
@@ -588,6 +591,7 @@ func Test_NegativeBIC_BlockIssuerLocked(t *testing.T) {
 	// Allot some mana to the locked account to unlock it.
 	// The locked wallet 2 is preparing and signs the transaction, but it's issued by wallet 1 whose account is not locked.
 	{
+		latestParents = ts.CommitUntilSlot(block3Slot+ts.API.TimeProvider().EpochDurationSlots(), ts.BlockID("block2.1"))
 		allottedBIC := testPayloadCost
 		tx1 := wallet2.AllotManaFromInputs("TX1",
 			iotago.Allotments{&iotago.Allotment{
@@ -608,7 +612,7 @@ func Test_NegativeBIC_BlockIssuerLocked(t *testing.T) {
 
 		ts.AssertAccountData(&accounts.AccountData{
 			ID:              wallet1.BlockIssuer.AccountData.ID,
-			Credits:         accounts.NewBlockIssuanceCredits(wallet1BIC, block3Slot),
+			Credits:         accounts.NewBlockIssuanceCredits(wallet1BIC, block31.ID().Slot()),
 			OutputID:        wallet1OutputID,
 			ExpirySlot:      iotago.MaxSlotIndex,
 			BlockIssuerKeys: wallet1.BlockIssuer.BlockIssuerKeys(),
@@ -616,7 +620,7 @@ func Test_NegativeBIC_BlockIssuerLocked(t *testing.T) {
 
 		ts.AssertAccountData(&accounts.AccountData{
 			ID:              wallet2.BlockIssuer.AccountData.ID,
-			Credits:         accounts.NewBlockIssuanceCredits(wallet2BIC, block3Slot),
+			Credits:         accounts.NewBlockIssuanceCredits(wallet2BIC, block31.ID().Slot()),
 			ExpirySlot:      iotago.MaxSlotIndex,
 			OutputID:        wallet2OutputID,
 			BlockIssuerKeys: wallet2.BlockIssuer.BlockIssuerKeys(),
@@ -639,7 +643,7 @@ func Test_NegativeBIC_BlockIssuerLocked(t *testing.T) {
 
 		ts.AssertAccountData(&accounts.AccountData{
 			ID:              wallet1.BlockIssuer.AccountData.ID,
-			Credits:         accounts.NewBlockIssuanceCredits(wallet1BIC, block3Slot),
+			Credits:         accounts.NewBlockIssuanceCredits(wallet1BIC, ts.BlockID("block3.1").Slot()),
 			OutputID:        wallet1OutputID,
 			ExpirySlot:      iotago.MaxSlotIndex,
 			BlockIssuerKeys: wallet1.BlockIssuer.BlockIssuerKeys(),