diff --git a/f3-sidecar/go.mod b/f3-sidecar/go.mod
index 41cf0d192a91..a0302c7a4bb4 100644
--- a/f3-sidecar/go.mod
+++ b/f3-sidecar/go.mod
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ go 1.25.4
 
 require (
 	github.com/filecoin-project/go-f3 v0.8.10
-	github.com/filecoin-project/go-jsonrpc v0.9.0
+	github.com/filecoin-project/go-jsonrpc v0.10.0
 	github.com/filecoin-project/go-state-types v0.17.0
 	github.com/ihciah/rust2go v0.0.0-20251204052609-e81751674fa5
 	github.com/ipfs/go-cid v0.6.0
diff --git a/f3-sidecar/go.sum b/f3-sidecar/go.sum
index eb0c2cf246b5..1e90b7b9966f 100644
--- a/f3-sidecar/go.sum
+++ b/f3-sidecar/go.sum
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ github.com/filecoin-project/go-clock v0.1.0 h1:SFbYIM75M8NnFm1yMHhN9Ahy3W5bEZV9g
 github.com/filecoin-project/go-clock v0.1.0/go.mod h1:4uB/O4PvOjlx1VCMdZ9MyDZXRm//gkj1ELEbxfI1AZs=
 github.com/filecoin-project/go-f3 v0.8.10 h1:Mm+daAn9EKqTTDY3ICbPTR2i3Opjb4gr6Y7bJ8oCA84=
 github.com/filecoin-project/go-f3 v0.8.10/go.mod h1:hFvb2CMxHDmlJAVzfiIL/V8zCtNMQqfSnhP5TyM6CHI=
-github.com/filecoin-project/go-jsonrpc v0.9.0 h1:G47qEF52w7GholpI21vPSTVBFvsrip6geIoqNiqyZtQ=
-github.com/filecoin-project/go-jsonrpc v0.9.0/go.mod h1:OG7kVBVh/AbDFHIwx7Kw0l9ARmKOS6gGOr0LbdBpbLc=
+github.com/filecoin-project/go-jsonrpc v0.10.0 h1:gZc1thGVD5Khg5Gp1UJibRWZrnNBEP1iFrGOTn0w5TE=
+github.com/filecoin-project/go-jsonrpc v0.10.0/go.mod h1:OG7kVBVh/AbDFHIwx7Kw0l9ARmKOS6gGOr0LbdBpbLc=
 github.com/filecoin-project/go-state-types v0.17.0 h1:HpBb6G+VSOOI6rQFSnvPVyRsnms8je94cwvU69DJ+9Y=
 github.com/filecoin-project/go-state-types v0.17.0/go.mod h1:em4yo9mglrdyHbcsxelHCSKMjLdJLddLERWQe6J8vYc=
 github.com/flynn/noise v1.1.0 h1:KjPQoQCEFdZDiP03phOvGi11+SVVhBG2wOWAorLsstg=
diff --git a/src/daemon/db_util.rs b/src/daemon/db_util.rs
index b5933e512cc3..d2c2ac1dae26 100644
--- a/src/daemon/db_util.rs
+++ b/src/daemon/db_util.rs
@@ -244,25 +244,35 @@ pub async fn import_chain_as_forest_car(
     let forest_car = ForestCar::try_from(forest_car_db_path.as_path())?;
 
     if let Some(f3_cid) = forest_car.metadata().as_ref().and_then(|m| m.f3_data) {
-        let mut f3_data = forest_car
-            .get_reader(f3_cid)?
-            .with_context(|| format!("f3 data not found, cid: {f3_cid}"))?;
-        let mut temp_f3_snap = tempfile::Builder::new()
-            .suffix(".f3snap.bin")
-            .tempfile_in(forest_car_db_dir)?;
+        if crate::f3::get_f3_sidecar_params(chain_config)
+            .initial_power_table
+            .is_none()
         {
-            let f = temp_f3_snap.as_file_mut();
-            std::io::copy(&mut f3_data, f)?;
-            f.sync_all()?;
-        }
-        if let Err(e) = crate::f3::import_f3_snapshot(
-            chain_config,
-            rpc_endpoint.to_string(),
-            f3_root.display().to_string(),
-            temp_f3_snap.path().display().to_string(),
-        ) {
-            // Do not make it a hard error if anything is wrong with F3 snapshot
-            tracing::error!("Failed to import F3 snapshot: {e}");
+            // To avoid importing old/wrong F3 data without initial power table check
+            tracing::warn!(
+                "skipped importing F3 data as the initial power table CID is not set in the current manifest"
+            );
+        } else {
+            let mut f3_data = forest_car
+                .get_reader(f3_cid)?
+                .with_context(|| format!("f3 data not found, cid: {f3_cid}"))?;
+            let mut temp_f3_snap = tempfile::Builder::new()
+                .suffix(".f3snap.bin")
+                .tempfile_in(forest_car_db_dir)?;
+            {
+                let f = temp_f3_snap.as_file_mut();
+                std::io::copy(&mut f3_data, f)?;
+                f.sync_all()?;
+            }
+            if let Err(e) = crate::f3::import_f3_snapshot(
+                chain_config,
+                rpc_endpoint.to_string(),
+                f3_root.display().to_string(),
+                temp_f3_snap.path().display().to_string(),
+            ) {
+                // Do not make it a hard error if anything is wrong with F3 snapshot
+                tracing::error!("Failed to import F3 snapshot: {e}");
+            }
         }
     }