diff --git a/crates/hotshot/examples/infra/mod.rs b/crates/hotshot/examples/infra/mod.rs
index 5b9fd0e58e..9763c0696f 100644
--- a/crates/hotshot/examples/infra/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/hotshot/examples/infra/mod.rs
@@ -383,7 +383,6 @@ pub trait RunDA<
             memberships,
             networks_bundle,
             initializer,
-            TestInstanceState {},
             ConsensusMetricsValue::default(),
         )
         .await
diff --git a/crates/hotshot/src/lib.rs b/crates/hotshot/src/lib.rs
index 86ed946078..073c60ac29 100644
--- a/crates/hotshot/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/hotshot/src/lib.rs
@@ -195,13 +195,13 @@ impl<TYPES: NodeType, I: NodeImplementation<TYPES>> SystemContext<TYPES, I> {
         memberships: Memberships<TYPES>,
         networks: Networks<TYPES, I>,
         initializer: HotShotInitializer<TYPES>,
-        instance_state: TYPES::InstanceState,
         metrics: ConsensusMetricsValue,
     ) -> Result<Self, HotShotError<TYPES>> {
         debug!("Creating a new hotshot");
 
         let consensus_metrics = Arc::new(metrics);
         let anchored_leaf = initializer.inner;
+        let instance_state = initializer.instance_state;
 
         // insert to storage
         storage
@@ -442,7 +442,6 @@ impl<TYPES: NodeType, I: NodeImplementation<TYPES>> SystemContext<TYPES, I> {
         memberships: Memberships<TYPES>,
         networks: Networks<TYPES, I>,
         initializer: HotShotInitializer<TYPES>,
-        instance_state: TYPES::InstanceState,
         metrics: ConsensusMetricsValue,
     ) -> Result<
         (
@@ -461,7 +460,6 @@ impl<TYPES: NodeType, I: NodeImplementation<TYPES>> SystemContext<TYPES, I> {
             memberships,
             networks,
             initializer,
-            instance_state,
             metrics,
         )
         .await?;
@@ -749,6 +747,9 @@ impl<TYPES: NodeType, I: NodeImplementation<TYPES>> ConsensusApi<TYPES, I>
 pub struct HotShotInitializer<TYPES: NodeType> {
     /// the leaf specified initialization
     inner: Leaf<TYPES>,
+
+    /// Instance-level state.
+    instance_state: TYPES::InstanceState,
 }
 
 impl<TYPES: NodeType> HotShotInitializer<TYPES> {
@@ -760,11 +761,15 @@ impl<TYPES: NodeType> HotShotInitializer<TYPES> {
     ) -> Result<Self, HotShotError<TYPES>> {
         Ok(Self {
             inner: Leaf::genesis(instance_state),
+            instance_state: instance_state.clone(),
         })
     }
 
-    /// reload previous state based on most recent leaf
-    pub fn from_reload(anchor_leaf: Leaf<TYPES>) -> Self {
-        Self { inner: anchor_leaf }
+    /// reload previous state based on most recent leaf and the instance-level state.
+    pub fn from_reload(anchor_leaf: Leaf<TYPES>, instance_state: TYPES::InstanceState) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            inner: anchor_leaf,
+            instance_state,
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/task-impls/src/consensus.rs b/crates/task-impls/src/consensus.rs
index 6b862f4063..9c35a62abe 100644
--- a/crates/task-impls/src/consensus.rs
+++ b/crates/task-impls/src/consensus.rs
@@ -594,9 +594,8 @@ impl<TYPES: NodeType, I: NodeImplementation<TYPES>, A: ConsensusApi<TYPES, I> +
                 };
                 let Ok(state) = parent_state.validate_and_apply_header(
                     &consensus.instance_state,
-                    &proposal.data.block_header.clone(),
                     &parent.block_header.clone(),
-                    &view,
+                    &proposal.data.block_header.clone(),
                 ) else {
                     error!("Block header doesn't extend the proposal",);
                     return;
@@ -1218,11 +1217,11 @@ impl<TYPES: NodeType, I: NodeImplementation<TYPES>, A: ConsensusApi<TYPES, I> +
 
         if let Some(commit_and_metadata) = &self.payload_commitment_and_metadata {
             let block_header = TYPES::BlockHeader::new(
-                commit_and_metadata.commitment,
-                commit_and_metadata.metadata.clone(),
+                state,
                 &consensus.instance_state,
                 &parent_header,
-                state,
+                commit_and_metadata.commitment,
+                commit_and_metadata.metadata.clone(),
             );
             let leaf = Leaf {
                 view_number: view,
diff --git a/crates/testing/src/block_types.rs b/crates/testing/src/block_types.rs
index b58a116932..c581f7726a 100644
--- a/crates/testing/src/block_types.rs
+++ b/crates/testing/src/block_types.rs
@@ -185,11 +185,11 @@ impl BlockHeader for TestBlockHeader {
     type State = TestValidatedState;
 
     fn new(
-        payload_commitment: VidCommitment,
-        _metadata: <Self::Payload as BlockPayload>::Metadata,
+        _parent_state: &Self::State,
         _instance_state: &<Self::State as ValidatedState>::Instance,
         parent_header: &Self,
-        _parent_state: &Self::State,
+        payload_commitment: VidCommitment,
+        _metadata: <Self::Payload as BlockPayload>::Metadata,
     ) -> Self {
         Self {
             block_number: parent_header.block_number + 1,
diff --git a/crates/testing/src/state_types.rs b/crates/testing/src/state_types.rs
index 4241ab783f..7d2c6794b5 100644
--- a/crates/testing/src/state_types.rs
+++ b/crates/testing/src/state_types.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ use commit::{Commitment, Committable};
 use hotshot_types::{
     data::{fake_commitment, BlockError, ViewNumber},
     traits::{
-        node_implementation::ConsensusTime,
         states::{InstanceState, TestableState, ValidatedState},
         BlockPayload,
     },
@@ -18,7 +17,7 @@ use crate::block_types::{TestBlockHeader, TestBlockPayload};
 pub use crate::node_types::TestTypes;
 
 /// Instance-level state implementation for testing purposes.
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct TestInstanceState {}
 
 impl InstanceState for TestInstanceState {}
@@ -28,8 +27,6 @@ impl InstanceState for TestInstanceState {}
 pub struct TestValidatedState {
     /// the block height
     block_height: u64,
-    /// the view number
-    view_number: ViewNumber,
     /// the previous state commitment
     prev_state_commitment: Commitment<Self>,
 }
@@ -38,7 +35,6 @@ impl Committable for TestValidatedState {
     fn commit(&self) -> Commitment<Self> {
         commit::RawCommitmentBuilder::new("Test State Commit")
             .u64_field("block_height", self.block_height)
-            .u64_field("view_number", *self.view_number)
             .field("prev_state_commitment", self.prev_state_commitment)
             .finalize()
     }
@@ -52,7 +48,6 @@ impl Default for TestValidatedState {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
             block_height: 0,
-            view_number: ViewNumber::genesis(),
             prev_state_commitment: fake_commitment(),
         }
     }
@@ -72,20 +67,11 @@ impl ValidatedState for TestValidatedState {
     fn validate_and_apply_header(
         &self,
         _instance: &Self::Instance,
-        _proposed_header: &Self::BlockHeader,
         _parent_header: &Self::BlockHeader,
-        view_number: &Self::Time,
+        _proposed_header: &Self::BlockHeader,
     ) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
-        if view_number == &ViewNumber::genesis() {
-            if &self.view_number != view_number {
-                return Err(BlockError::InvalidBlockHeader);
-            }
-        } else if self.view_number >= *view_number {
-            return Err(BlockError::InvalidBlockHeader);
-        }
         Ok(TestValidatedState {
             block_height: self.block_height + 1,
-            view_number: *view_number,
             prev_state_commitment: self.commit(),
         })
     }
diff --git a/crates/testing/src/task_helpers.rs b/crates/testing/src/task_helpers.rs
index 9ca92cacdd..73068e94eb 100644
--- a/crates/testing/src/task_helpers.rs
+++ b/crates/testing/src/task_helpers.rs
@@ -113,7 +113,6 @@ pub async fn build_system_handle(
         memberships,
         networks_bundle,
         initializer,
-        TestInstanceState {},
         ConsensusMetricsValue::default(),
     )
     .await
@@ -242,11 +241,11 @@ async fn build_quorum_proposal_and_signature(
     let mut parent_state =
         <TestValidatedState as ValidatedState>::from_header(&parent_leaf.block_header);
     let block_header = TestBlockHeader::new(
-        payload_commitment,
-        (),
+        &parent_state,
         &TestInstanceState {},
         &parent_leaf.block_header,
-        &parent_state,
+        payload_commitment,
+        (),
     );
     // current leaf that can be re-assigned everytime when entering a new view
     let mut leaf = Leaf {
@@ -271,12 +270,7 @@ async fn build_quorum_proposal_and_signature(
     // Only view 2 is tested, higher views are not tested
     for cur_view in 2..=view {
         let state_new_view = parent_state
-            .validate_and_apply_header(
-                &TestInstanceState {},
-                &block_header,
-                &block_header,
-                &ViewNumber::new(cur_view - 1),
-            )
+            .validate_and_apply_header(&TestInstanceState {}, &block_header, &block_header)
             .unwrap();
         // save states for the previous view to pass all the qc checks
         // In the long term, we want to get rid of this, do not manually update consensus state
diff --git a/crates/testing/src/test_runner.rs b/crates/testing/src/test_runner.rs
index 6f7c466323..f1d4cf237b 100644
--- a/crates/testing/src/test_runner.rs
+++ b/crates/testing/src/test_runner.rs
@@ -321,7 +321,6 @@ where
             memberships,
             network_bundle,
             initializer,
-            TestInstanceState {},
             ConsensusMetricsValue::default(),
         )
         .await
diff --git a/crates/types/src/traits/block_contents.rs b/crates/types/src/traits/block_contents.rs
index 0feb0e1382..92785ed1b2 100644
--- a/crates/types/src/traits/block_contents.rs
+++ b/crates/types/src/traits/block_contents.rs
@@ -118,11 +118,11 @@ pub trait BlockHeader:
     /// Build a header with the payload commitment, metadata, instance-level state, parent header,
     /// and parent state.
     fn new(
-        payload_commitment: VidCommitment,
-        metadata: <Self::Payload as BlockPayload>::Metadata,
+        parent_state: &Self::State,
         instance_state: &<Self::State as ValidatedState>::Instance,
         parent_header: &Self,
-        parent_state: &Self::State,
+        payload_commitment: VidCommitment,
+        metadata: <Self::Payload as BlockPayload>::Metadata,
     ) -> Self;
 
     /// Build the genesis header, payload, and metadata.
diff --git a/crates/types/src/traits/states.rs b/crates/types/src/traits/states.rs
index 3c1e58d828..0d7d5fe5ee 100644
--- a/crates/types/src/traits/states.rs
+++ b/crates/types/src/traits/states.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use serde::{de::DeserializeOwned, Serialize};
 use std::{error::Error, fmt::Debug, hash::Hash};
 
 /// Instance-level state, which allows us to fetch missing validated state.
-pub trait InstanceState: Debug + Send + Sync {}
+pub trait InstanceState: Clone + Debug + Send + Sync {}
 
 /// Abstraction over the state that blocks modify
 ///
@@ -48,9 +48,8 @@ pub trait ValidatedState:
     fn validate_and_apply_header(
         &self,
         instance: &Self::Instance,
-        proposed_header: &Self::BlockHeader,
         parent_header: &Self::BlockHeader,
-        view_number: &Self::Time,
+        proposed_header: &Self::BlockHeader,
     ) -> Result<Self, Self::Error>;
 
     /// Construct the state with the given block header.