diff --git a/op-devstack/sysgo/l2_el.go b/op-devstack/sysgo/l2_el.go
index 8efb7d390aaa9..07881e06b6226 100644
--- a/op-devstack/sysgo/l2_el.go
+++ b/op-devstack/sysgo/l2_el.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ type L2ELConfig struct {
 	P2PNodeKeyHex string
 	StaticPeers   []string
 	TrustedPeers  []string
+	ProofHistory  bool
 }
 
 func L2ELWithSupervisor(supervisorID stack.SupervisorID) L2ELOption {
@@ -30,6 +31,12 @@ func L2ELWithSupervisor(supervisorID stack.SupervisorID) L2ELOption {
 	})
 }
 
+func L2ELWithProofHistory(enable bool) L2ELOption {
+	return L2ELOptionFn(func(p devtest.P, id stack.L2ELNodeID, cfg *L2ELConfig) {
+		cfg.ProofHistory = enable
+	})
+}
+
 // L2ELWithP2PConfig sets deterministic P2P identity and static peers for the L2 EL.
 func L2ELWithP2PConfig(addr string, port int, nodeKeyHex string, staticPeers, trustedPeers []string) L2ELOption {
 	return L2ELOptionFn(func(p devtest.P, id stack.L2ELNodeID, cfg *L2ELConfig) {
@@ -49,6 +56,7 @@ func DefaultL2ELConfig() *L2ELConfig {
 		P2PNodeKeyHex: "",
 		StaticPeers:   nil,
 		TrustedPeers:  nil,
+		ProofHistory:  false,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/op-devstack/sysgo/l2_el_opreth.go b/op-devstack/sysgo/l2_el_opreth.go
index 21496befcf454..e11aa3eaf9e92 100644
--- a/op-devstack/sysgo/l2_el_opreth.go
+++ b/op-devstack/sysgo/l2_el_opreth.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -99,8 +100,8 @@ func (n *OpReth) Start() {
 		})
 		n.userRPC = "ws://" + n.userProxy.Addr()
 	}
-	logOut := logpipe.ToLogger(n.p.Logger().New("component", "op-reth", "src", "stdout"))
-	logErr := logpipe.ToLogger(n.p.Logger().New("component", "op-reth", "src", "stderr"))
+	logOut := logpipe.ToLogger(n.p.Logger().New("component", "op-reth", "src", "stdout", "id", n.id.String()))
+	logErr := logpipe.ToLogger(n.p.Logger().New("component", "op-reth", "src", "stderr", "id", n.id.String()))
 
 	authRPCChan := make(chan string, 1)
 	defer close(authRPCChan)
@@ -273,6 +274,39 @@ func WithOpReth(id stack.L2ELNodeID, opts ...L2ELOption) stack.Option[*Orchestra
 			args = append(args, "--rollup.supervisor-http="+supervisorRPC)
 		}
 
+		// initialise op-reth
+		initArgs := []string{
+			"init",
+			"--datadir=" + dataDirPath,
+			"--chain=" + chainConfigPath,
+		}
+		err = exec.Command(execPath, initArgs...).Run()
+		p.Require().NoError(err, "must init op-reth node")
+
+		if cfg.ProofHistory {
+			proofHistoryDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "proof-history")
+
+			// initialise proof history
+			initProofsArgs := []string{
+				"proofs",
+				"init",
+				"--datadir=" + dataDirPath,
+				"--chain=" + chainConfigPath,
+				"--proofs-history.storage-path=" + proofHistoryDir,
+			}
+			err = exec.Command(execPath, initProofsArgs...).Run()
+			p.Require().NoError(err, "must init op-reth proof history")
+
+			args = append(
+				args,
+				"--proofs-history",
+				// todo: make these configurable via env-vars (ethereum-optimism/optimism#18908)
+				"--proofs-history.window=200",
+				"--proofs-history.prune-interval=1m",
+				"--proofs-history.storage-path="+proofHistoryDir,
+			)
+		}
+
 		l2EL := &OpReth{
 			id:                 id,
 			jwtPath:            jwtPath,