fix(engine): let consensus impls control which errors are transient

crates/consensus/consensus/src/lib.rs

@@ -104,6 +104,18 @@ pub trait Consensus<B: Block>: HeaderValidator<B::Header> {
     /// Note: validating blocks does not include other validations of the Consensus
     fn validate_block_pre_execution(&self, block: &SealedBlock<B>) -> Result<(), ConsensusError>;
 
+    /// Returns `true` if the given consensus error is transient and may resolve on its own.
+    ///
+    /// On fast chains, clock skew between nodes can cause a valid block's timestamp to
+    /// appear briefly in the future. Caching such blocks as permanently invalid would
+    /// prevent them from being re-validated once the local clock catches up.
+    ///
+    /// Transient errors will not cause the block hash to be cached as permanently invalid,
+    /// allowing the block to be re-validated later.
+    fn is_transient_error(&self, _error: &ConsensusError) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
     /// Validate a block disregarding world state using an optional pre-computed transaction root.
     ///
     /// If `transaction_root` is provided, the implementation should use the pre-computed

crates/engine/tree/src/tree/mod.rs

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use alloy_primitives::B256;
 use alloy_rpc_types_engine::{
     ForkchoiceState, PayloadStatus, PayloadStatusEnum, PayloadValidationError,
 };
-use error::{InsertBlockError, InsertBlockFatalError};
+use error::{InsertBlockError, InsertBlockFatalError, InsertBlockValidationError};
 use reth_chain_state::{
     CanonicalInMemoryState, ComputedTrieData, ExecutedBlock, ExecutionTimingStats,
     MemoryOverlayStateProvider, NewCanonicalChain,
@@ -3019,8 +3019,14 @@ where
         );
         let latest_valid_hash = self.latest_valid_hash_for_invalid_payload(block.parent_hash())?;
 
-        // keep track of the invalid header
-        self.state.invalid_headers.insert(block.block_with_parent());
+        // keep track of the invalid header unless the consensus impl considers it transient
+        let is_transient = match &validation_err {
+            InsertBlockValidationError::Consensus(err) => self.consensus.is_transient_error(err),
+            _ => false,
+        };
+        if !is_transient {
+            self.state.invalid_headers.insert(block.block_with_parent());
+        }
         self.emit_event(EngineApiEvent::BeaconConsensus(ConsensusEngineEvent::InvalidBlock(
             Box::new(block),
         )));