diff --git a/params/config.go b/params/config.go
index 1708bc78de76..4690569f6120 100644
--- a/params/config.go
+++ b/params/config.go
@@ -880,7 +880,7 @@ func newTimestampCompatError(what string, storedtime, newtime *uint64) *ConfigCo
 		NewTime:      newtime,
 		RewindToTime: 0,
 	}
-	if rew != nil {
+	if rew != nil && *rew != 0 {
 		err.RewindToTime = *rew - 1
 	}
 	return err
@@ -890,7 +890,15 @@ func (err *ConfigCompatError) Error() string {
 	if err.StoredBlock != nil {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("mismatching %s in database (have block %d, want block %d, rewindto block %d)", err.What, err.StoredBlock, err.NewBlock, err.RewindToBlock)
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("mismatching %s in database (have timestamp %d, want timestamp %d, rewindto timestamp %d)", err.What, err.StoredTime, err.NewTime, err.RewindToTime)
+
+	if err.StoredTime == nil && err.NewTime == nil {
+		return ""
+	} else if err.StoredTime == nil && err.NewTime != nil {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("mismatching %s in database (have timestamp nil, want timestamp %d, rewindto timestamp %d)", err.What, *err.NewTime, err.RewindToTime)
+	} else if err.StoredTime != nil && err.NewTime == nil {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("mismatching %s in database (have timestamp %d, want timestamp nil, rewindto timestamp %d)", err.What, *err.StoredTime, err.RewindToTime)
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("mismatching %s in database (have timestamp %d, want timestamp %d, rewindto timestamp %d)", err.What, *err.StoredTime, *err.NewTime, err.RewindToTime)
 }
 
 // Rules wraps ChainConfig and is merely syntactic sugar or can be used for functions
diff --git a/params/config_test.go b/params/config_test.go
index 707566aa46fc..6b222d3a6735 100644
--- a/params/config_test.go
+++ b/params/config_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ava-labs/libevm/common/math"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func TestCheckCompatible(t *testing.T) {
@@ -137,3 +138,20 @@ func TestConfigRules(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected %v to be shanghai", stamp)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestTimestampCompatError(t *testing.T) {
+	require.Equal(t, new(ConfigCompatError).Error(), "")
+
+	errWhat := "Shanghai fork timestamp"
+	require.Equal(t, newTimestampCompatError(errWhat, nil, newUint64(1681338455)).Error(),
+		"mismatching Shanghai fork timestamp in database (have timestamp nil, want timestamp 1681338455, rewindto timestamp 1681338454)")
+
+	require.Equal(t, newTimestampCompatError(errWhat, newUint64(1681338455), nil).Error(),
+		"mismatching Shanghai fork timestamp in database (have timestamp 1681338455, want timestamp nil, rewindto timestamp 1681338454)")
+
+	require.Equal(t, newTimestampCompatError(errWhat, newUint64(1681338455), newUint64(600624000)).Error(),
+		"mismatching Shanghai fork timestamp in database (have timestamp 1681338455, want timestamp 600624000, rewindto timestamp 600623999)")
+
+	require.Equal(t, newTimestampCompatError(errWhat, newUint64(0), newUint64(1681338455)).Error(),
+		"mismatching Shanghai fork timestamp in database (have timestamp 0, want timestamp 1681338455, rewindto timestamp 0)")
+}