diff --git a/core/vm/eips.go b/core/vm/eips.go
index 6bb941d5f9d7..ede00827ab9a 100644
--- a/core/vm/eips.go
+++ b/core/vm/eips.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ var activators = map[int]func(*JumpTable){
 	2200: enable2200,
 	1884: enable1884,
 	1344: enable1344,
+	3541: enable3541,
 }
 
 // EnableEIP enables the given EIP on the config.
@@ -144,3 +145,7 @@ func enable2929(jt *JumpTable) {
 	jt[SELFDESTRUCT].constantGas = params.SelfdestructGasEIP150
 	jt[SELFDESTRUCT].dynamicGas = gasSelfdestructEIP2929
 }
+
+func enable3541(jt *JumpTable) {
+	// Do nothing.
+}
diff --git a/core/vm/errors.go b/core/vm/errors.go
index c813aa36af36..fd80a89025fc 100644
--- a/core/vm/errors.go
+++ b/core/vm/errors.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ var (
 	ErrWriteProtection          = errors.New("write protection")
 	ErrReturnDataOutOfBounds    = errors.New("return data out of bounds")
 	ErrGasUintOverflow          = errors.New("gas uint64 overflow")
+	ErrInvalidCode              = errors.New("invalid code")
 )
 
 // ErrStackUnderflow wraps an evm error when the items on the stack less
diff --git a/core/vm/evm.go b/core/vm/evm.go
index bd54e855c6b7..7e3063767885 100644
--- a/core/vm/evm.go
+++ b/core/vm/evm.go
@@ -417,6 +417,15 @@ func (c *codeAndHash) Hash() common.Hash {
 	return c.hash
 }
 
+func hasEIP3541(vmConfig *Config) bool {
+	for _, eip := range vmConfig.ExtraEips {
+		if eip == 3541 {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // create creates a new contract using code as deployment code.
 func (evm *EVM) create(caller ContractRef, codeAndHash *codeAndHash, gas uint64, value *big.Int, address common.Address) ([]byte, common.Address, uint64, error) {
 	// Depth check execution. Fail if we're trying to execute above the
@@ -468,6 +477,11 @@ func (evm *EVM) create(caller ContractRef, codeAndHash *codeAndHash, gas uint64,
 		err = ErrMaxCodeSizeExceeded
 	}
 
+	// Reject code starting with 0xEF if EIP-3541 is enabled.
+	if err == nil && len(ret) >= 1 && ret[0] == 0xEF && hasEIP3541(&evm.vmConfig) {
+		err = ErrInvalidCode
+	}
+
 	// if the contract creation ran successfully and no errors were returned
 	// calculate the gas required to store the code. If the code could not
 	// be stored due to not enough gas set an error and let it be handled