diff --git a/bin/host/src/lib.rs b/bin/host/src/lib.rs
index 90181b63d9..5a472ef2c8 100644
--- a/bin/host/src/lib.rs
+++ b/bin/host/src/lib.rs
@@ -26,9 +26,10 @@ use std::{
     io::{stderr, stdin, stdout},
     os::fd::{AsFd, AsRawFd},
     panic::AssertUnwindSafe,
+    process::Command,
     sync::Arc,
 };
-use tokio::{process::Command, sync::RwLock, task};
+use tokio::{sync::RwLock, task};
 use tracing::{error, info};
 use util::Pipe;
 
@@ -222,7 +223,6 @@ pub async fn start_native_client_program(
 
     let status = command
         .status()
-        .await
         .map_err(|e| {
             error!(target: "client_program", "Failed to execute client program: {:?}", e);
             anyhow!("Failed to execute client program: {:?}", e)
diff --git a/crates/mpt/src/node.rs b/crates/mpt/src/node.rs
index 63bcfd423e..8de48a7240 100644
--- a/crates/mpt/src/node.rs
+++ b/crates/mpt/src/node.rs
@@ -104,14 +104,15 @@ impl TrieNode {
     }
 
     /// Returns the commitment of a [TrieNode::Blinded] node, if `self` is of the
-    /// [TrieNode::Blinded] variant.
+    /// [TrieNode::Blinded] or [TrieNode::Empty] variants.
     ///
     /// ## Returns
     /// - `Some(B256)` - The commitment of the blinded node
     /// - `None` - `self` is not a [TrieNode::Blinded] node
     pub fn blinded_commitment(&self) -> Option<B256> {
         match self {
-            TrieNode::Blinded { commitment } => Some(*commitment),
+            Self::Blinded { commitment } => Some(*commitment),
+            Self::Empty => Some(EMPTY_ROOT_HASH),
             _ => None,
         }
     }
@@ -680,6 +681,12 @@ mod test {
     use alloy_trie::{HashBuilder, Nibbles};
     use rand::prelude::SliceRandom;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_empty_blinded() {
+        let trie_node = TrieNode::Empty;
+        assert_eq!(trie_node.blinded_commitment().unwrap(), EMPTY_ROOT_HASH);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_decode_branch() {
         const BRANCH_RLP: [u8; 83] = hex!("f851a0eb08a66a94882454bec899d3e82952dcc918ba4b35a09a84acd98019aef4345080808080808080a05d87a81d9bbf5aee61a6bfeab3a5643347e2c751b36789d988a5b6b163d496518080808080808080");