diff --git a/src/cl/cl_launcher.star b/src/cl/cl_launcher.star
index 87324d3de..a4e9b6ca8 100644
--- a/src/cl/cl_launcher.star
+++ b/src/cl/cl_launcher.star
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ def launch(
 
         cl_service_name = "cl-{0}-{1}-{2}".format(index_str, cl_type, el_type)
         new_cl_node_validator_keystores = None
-        if participant.validator_count != 0:
+        if participant.validator_count != 0 and participant.vc_count != 0:
             new_cl_node_validator_keystores = preregistered_validator_keys_for_nodes[
                 index
             ]
diff --git a/src/package_io/input_parser.star b/src/package_io/input_parser.star
index 9bb927cfa..ac54c8d98 100644
--- a/src/package_io/input_parser.star
+++ b/src/package_io/input_parser.star
@@ -545,7 +545,8 @@ def parse_network_params(plan, input_args):
 
         # If the num validator keys per node is not divisible by vc_count of a participant, fail
         if (
-            result["network_params"]["num_validator_keys_per_node"]
+            participant["vc_count"] > 0
+            and result["network_params"]["num_validator_keys_per_node"]
             % participant["vc_count"]
             != 0
         ):
diff --git a/src/participant_network.star b/src/participant_network.star
index fb1b5f82a..a3ce56365 100644
--- a/src/participant_network.star
+++ b/src/participant_network.star
@@ -391,7 +391,10 @@ def launch_participant_network(
 
         el_context = all_el_contexts[index]
         cl_context = all_cl_contexts[index]
-        vc_context = all_vc_contexts[index]
+        if participant.vc_count != 0:
+            vc_context = all_vc_contexts[index]
+        else:
+            vc_context = None
 
         if participant.snooper_enabled:
             snooper_engine_context = all_snooper_engine_contexts[index]