diff --git a/cmd/geth/config.go b/cmd/geth/config.go
index 5f52f1df5442..17496c13aea1 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/config.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/config.go
@@ -177,6 +177,14 @@ func makeFullNode(ctx *cli.Context) (*node.Node, ethapi.Backend) {
 		v := ctx.Uint64(utils.OverrideVerkle.Name)
 		cfg.Eth.OverrideVerkle = &v
 	}
+	if ctx.IsSet(utils.ZeroFeeAddressesFlag.Name) {
+		for _, addr := range ctx.StringSlice(utils.ZeroFeeAddressesFlag.Name) {
+			cfg.Eth.ZeroFeeAddresses = append(
+				cfg.Eth.ZeroFeeAddresses,
+				common.HexToAddress(strings.TrimSpace(addr)),
+			)
+		}
+	}
 	backend, eth := utils.RegisterEthService(stack, &cfg.Eth)
 
 	// Create gauge with geth system and build information
diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index 2a74c1fd4de8..6e82143e3565 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -2124,7 +2124,6 @@ func MakeChain(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node, readonly bool) (*core.BlockCh
 	if ctx.IsSet(CacheFlag.Name) || ctx.IsSet(CacheGCFlag.Name) {
 		cache.TrieDirtyLimit = ctx.Int(CacheFlag.Name) * ctx.Int(CacheGCFlag.Name) / 100
 	}
-
 	vmcfg := vm.Config{EnablePreimageRecording: ctx.Bool(VMEnableDebugFlag.Name)}
 	if ctx.IsSet(ZeroFeeAddressesFlag.Name) {
 		for _, addr := range ctx.StringSlice(ZeroFeeAddressesFlag.Name) {
diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index aff23a910bcb..241516622ba2 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ func New(stack *node.Node, config *ethconfig.Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 	var (
 		vmConfig = vm.Config{
 			EnablePreimageRecording: config.EnablePreimageRecording,
+			ZeroFeeAddresses:        config.ZeroFeeAddresses,
 		}
 		cacheConfig = &core.CacheConfig{
 			TrieCleanLimit:      config.TrieCleanCache,
diff --git a/eth/ethconfig/config.go b/eth/ethconfig/config.go
index ad664afb5bd1..9a063ff2b958 100644
--- a/eth/ethconfig/config.go
+++ b/eth/ethconfig/config.go
@@ -159,6 +159,9 @@ type Config struct {
 
 	// OverrideVerkle (TODO: remove after the fork)
 	OverrideVerkle *uint64 `toml:",omitempty"`
+
+	// ZeroFeeAddresses is a list of addresses that are exempt from the zero fee policy.
+	ZeroFeeAddresses []common.Address `toml:",omitempty"`
 }
 
 // CreateConsensusEngine creates a consensus engine for the given chain config.
diff --git a/geth-poa/genesis.json b/geth-poa/genesis.json
index ffe42de68b05..b3593df16512 100644
--- a/geth-poa/genesis.json
+++ b/geth-poa/genesis.json
@@ -1,74 +1,32 @@
 {
-    "config": {
-      "chainId": 17864,
-      "homesteadBlock": 0,
-      "eip150Block": 0,
-      "eip155Block": 0,
-      "eip158Block": 0,
-      "byzantiumBlock": 0,
-      "constantinopleBlock": 0,
-      "petersburgBlock": 0,
-      "istanbulBlock": 0,
-      "muirGlacierBlock": 0,
-      "berlinBlock": 0,
-      "londonBlock": 0,
-      "cancunTime": 0,
-      "arrowGlacierBlock": 0,
-      "grayGlacierBlock": 0,
-      "clique": {
-        "period": 200,
-        "epoch": 30000
-      }
-    },
-    "nonce": "0x0",
-    "timestamp": "0x18E0A4E0D22",
-    "extraData": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000d9cd8E5DE6d55f796D980B818D350C0746C25b970000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
-    "gasLimit": "0x1c9c380",
-    "difficulty": "0x1",
-    "mixHash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
-    "coinbase": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
-    "alloc": {
-      "0xBe3dEF3973584FdcC1326634aF188f0d9772D57D": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0xd9cd8E5DE6d55f796D980B818D350C0746C25b97": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0x788EBABe5c3dD422Ef92Ca6714A69e2eabcE1Ee4": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0xf6ba5bca9b489de3a4ac3a57823d5d97d608feb9": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0x0DCaa27B9E4Db92F820189345792f8eC5Ef148F6": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0xf39Fd6e51aad88F6F4ce6aB8827279cffFb92266": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0x3fab184622dc19b6109349b94811493bf2a45362": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0xBcA333b67fb805aB18B4Eb7aa5a0B09aB25E5ce2": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0xB9286CB4782E43A202BfD426AbB72c8cb34f886c": {
-      	"balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0x04F713A0b687c84D4F66aCd1423712Af6F852B78": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0x82b941824b43F33e417be1E92273A3020a0D760c": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0x57508f0B0f3426758F1f3D63ad4935a7c9383620": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0xa51f13769d1466e0b5483cb719e89add8d615052": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      },
-      "0x9a5a8ebd13951c8500c728c1982317a503b3e8ce": {
-        "balance": "10000000000000000000000000000"
-      }
+  "config": {
+    "chainId": 13923,
+    "terminalTotalDifficulty": 500,
+    "homesteadBlock": 0,
+    "eip150Block": 0,
+    "eip155Block": 0,
+    "eip158Block": 0,
+    "byzantiumBlock": 0,
+    "constantinopleBlock": 0,
+    "petersburgBlock": 0,
+    "istanbulBlock": 0,
+    "berlinBlock": 0,
+    "londonBlock": 0,
+    "shanghaiTime": 0,
+    "cancunTime": 0,
+    "pragueTime": 0
+  },
+  "alloc": {
+    "0xc3bc246D6B0094C8B7D054f911F2bE3b07cE8A63": {
+      "balance": "999999999999911111"
     }
-  }
+  },
+  "coinbase": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
+  "difficulty": "0x0",
+  "extraData": "",
+  "gasLimit": "0x2fefd8",
+  "nonce": "0x0000000000000042",
+  "mixhash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
+  "parentHash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
+  "timestamp": "0x00"
+} 
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 7650f9606a47..830151d766c7 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ module github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum
 
 go 1.22.0
 
-toolchain go1.23.1
-
 require (
 	github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/sdk/storage/azblob v1.2.0
 	github.com/Microsoft/go-winio v0.6.1