diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV3.java b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV3.java
index ed9857d2003..beb566cfc98 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV3.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV3.java
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ protected ValidationResult<RpcErrorType> validateParameters(
       return ValidationResult.invalid(
           RpcErrorType.INVALID_PARENT_BEACON_BLOCK_ROOT_PARAMS,
           "Missing parent beacon block root field");
+    } else if (maybeRequestsParam.isPresent()) {
+      return ValidationResult.invalid(
+          RpcErrorType.INVALID_EXECUTION_REQUESTS_PARAMS,
+          "Unexpected execution requests field present");
     } else {
       return ValidationResult.valid();
     }
diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/ForkSupportHelper.java b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/ForkSupportHelper.java
index d2fe1c12d5f..c5a022f997f 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/ForkSupportHelper.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/ForkSupportHelper.java
@@ -22,19 +22,21 @@
 
 public class ForkSupportHelper {
   public static ValidationResult<RpcErrorType> validateForkSupported(
-      final HardforkId hardforkId,
+      final HardforkId firstSupportedHardforkId,
       final Optional<Long> maybeForkMilestone,
       final long blockTimestamp) {
     if (maybeForkMilestone.isEmpty()) {
       return ValidationResult.invalid(
           RpcErrorType.UNSUPPORTED_FORK,
-          "Configuration error, no schedule for " + hardforkId.name() + " fork set");
+          "Configuration error, no schedule for " + firstSupportedHardforkId.name() + " fork set");
     }
 
     if (Long.compareUnsigned(blockTimestamp, maybeForkMilestone.get()) < 0) {
       return ValidationResult.invalid(
           RpcErrorType.UNSUPPORTED_FORK,
-          hardforkId.name() + " configured to start at timestamp: " + maybeForkMilestone.get());
+          firstSupportedHardforkId.name()
+              + " configured to start at timestamp: "
+              + maybeForkMilestone.get());
     }
 
     return ValidationResult.valid();
diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV3Test.java b/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV3Test.java
index 205f11ec5f1..2fb45124821 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV3Test.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV3Test.java
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ public void shouldInvalidVersionedHash_whenShortVersionedHash() {
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void shouldValidVersionedHash_whenListIsEmpty() {
+  public void validateVersionedHash_whenListIsPresentAndEmpty() {
     final BlockHeader mockHeader =
         setupValidPayload(
             new BlockProcessingResult(Optional.of(new BlockProcessingOutputs(null, List.of()))),
@@ -153,10 +153,28 @@ public void shouldValidVersionedHash_whenListIsEmpty() {
             payload,
             Optional.of(List.of()),
             Optional.of("0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"),
-            Optional.of(emptyList()));
+            Optional.empty());
     assertThat(res.isValid()).isTrue();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void validateExecutionRequests_whenPresent() {
+    final BlockHeader mockHeader =
+        setupValidPayload(
+            new BlockProcessingResult(Optional.of(new BlockProcessingOutputs(null, List.of()))),
+            Optional.empty());
+    final EnginePayloadParameter payload = mockEnginePayload(mockHeader, emptyList(), null);
+
+    ValidationResult<RpcErrorType> res =
+        method.validateParameters(
+            payload,
+            Optional.of(List.of()),
+            Optional.of("0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"),
+            Optional.of(emptyList()));
+    assertThat(res.isValid()).isFalse();
+    assertThat(res.getInvalidReason()).isEqualTo(RpcErrorType.INVALID_EXECUTION_REQUESTS_PARAMS);
+  }
+
   @Override
   protected BlockHeader createBlockHeader(final Optional<List<Withdrawal>> maybeWithdrawals) {
     BlockHeader parentBlockHeader =
diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV4Test.java b/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV4Test.java
index 525390c8520..8dc84418bc2 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV4Test.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/EngineNewPayloadV4Test.java
@@ -35,11 +35,13 @@
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.parameters.EnginePayloadParameter;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.response.JsonRpcError;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.response.JsonRpcResponse;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.api.jsonrpc.internal.response.RpcErrorType;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.BlockHeader;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.BlockHeaderTestFixture;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Request;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.core.Withdrawal;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.BodyValidation;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.ValidationResult;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.requests.MainnetRequestsValidator;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.mainnet.requests.ProhibitedRequestValidator;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.evm.gascalculator.PragueGasCalculator;
@@ -131,6 +133,42 @@ public void shouldReturnInvalidIfRequestsIsNotNull_WhenRequestsProhibited() {
     verify(engineCallListener, times(1)).executionEngineCalled();
   }
 
+  @Override
+  @Test
+  public void validateVersionedHash_whenListIsPresentAndEmpty() {
+    final BlockHeader mockHeader =
+        setupValidPayload(
+            new BlockProcessingResult(Optional.of(new BlockProcessingOutputs(null, List.of()))),
+            Optional.empty());
+    final EnginePayloadParameter payload = mockEnginePayload(mockHeader, emptyList(), null);
+
+    ValidationResult<RpcErrorType> res =
+        method.validateParameters(
+            payload,
+            Optional.of(List.of()),
+            Optional.of("0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"),
+            Optional.of(List.of()));
+    assertThat(res.isValid()).isTrue();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  @Test
+  public void validateExecutionRequests_whenPresent() {
+    final BlockHeader mockHeader =
+        setupValidPayload(
+            new BlockProcessingResult(Optional.of(new BlockProcessingOutputs(null, List.of()))),
+            Optional.empty());
+    final EnginePayloadParameter payload = mockEnginePayload(mockHeader, emptyList(), null);
+
+    ValidationResult<RpcErrorType> res =
+        method.validateParameters(
+            payload,
+            Optional.of(List.of()),
+            Optional.of("0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"),
+            Optional.of(emptyList()));
+    assertThat(res.isValid()).isTrue();
+  }
+
   private BlockHeader createValidBlockHeaderForV4(
       final Optional<List<Withdrawal>> maybeWithdrawals) {
     return createBlockHeaderFixtureForV3(maybeWithdrawals)