diff --git a/cl/phase1/core/state/accessors.go b/cl/phase1/core/state/accessors.go
index fca4b5103f4..99563c98d7c 100644
--- a/cl/phase1/core/state/accessors.go
+++ b/cl/phase1/core/state/accessors.go
@@ -246,6 +246,12 @@ func IsValidatorEligibleForActivation(b abstract.BeaconState, validator solid.Va
 
 // IsMergeTransitionComplete returns whether a merge transition is complete by verifying the presence of a valid execution payload header.
 func IsMergeTransitionComplete(b abstract.BeaconState) bool {
+	if b.Version() < clparams.BellatrixVersion {
+		return false
+	}
+	if b.Version() > clparams.BellatrixVersion {
+		return true
+	}
 	return !b.LatestExecutionPayloadHeader().IsZero()
 }
 
diff --git a/cl/spectest/consensus_tests/operations.go b/cl/spectest/consensus_tests/operations.go
index df059698053..0e3b7a3acc4 100644
--- a/cl/spectest/consensus_tests/operations.go
+++ b/cl/spectest/consensus_tests/operations.go
@@ -480,7 +480,6 @@ func operationExecutionPayloadHandler(t *testing.T, root fs.FS, c spectest.TestC
 		return err
 	}
 	if err := c.Machine.ProcessExecutionPayload(preState, body); err != nil {
-		//if err := machine.ProcessBlock(c.Machine, preState, body); err != nil {
 		if expectedError {
 			return nil
 		}
diff --git a/cl/transition/impl/eth2/operations.go b/cl/transition/impl/eth2/operations.go
index 09a89afbe50..13f015f8120 100644
--- a/cl/transition/impl/eth2/operations.go
+++ b/cl/transition/impl/eth2/operations.go
@@ -368,16 +368,17 @@ func (I *impl) ProcessExecutionPayload(s abstract.BeaconState, body cltypes.Gene
 	if state.IsMergeTransitionComplete(s) {
 		// Verify consistency of the parent hash with respect to the previous execution payload header
 		// assert payload.parent_hash == state.latest_execution_payload_header.block_hash
-		if parentHash != s.LatestExecutionPayloadHeader().BlockHash {
+		if !bytes.Equal(parentHash[:], s.LatestExecutionPayloadHeader().BlockHash[:]) {
 			return errors.New("ProcessExecutionPayload: invalid eth1 chain. mismatching parent")
 		}
 	}
-	if prevRandao != s.GetRandaoMixes(state.Epoch(s)) {
+	random := s.GetRandaoMixes(state.Epoch(s))
+	if !bytes.Equal(prevRandao[:], random[:]) {
 		// Verify prev_randao
 		// assert payload.prev_randao == get_randao_mix(state, get_current_epoch(state))
 		return fmt.Errorf(
 			"ProcessExecutionPayload: randao mix mismatches with mix digest, expected %x, got %x",
-			s.GetRandaoMixes(state.Epoch(s)),
+			random,
 			prevRandao,
 		)
 	}