diff --git a/consensus/posv/posv.go b/consensus/posv/posv.go
index 7508a24fc8..6804f348d5 100644
--- a/consensus/posv/posv.go
+++ b/consensus/posv/posv.go
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ import (
 	"math/big"
 	"math/rand"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"reflect"
+	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -424,9 +426,11 @@ func (c *Posv) verifyCascadingFields(chain consensus.ChainReader, header *types.
 				signers = RemovePenaltiesFromBlock(chain, signers, number-uint64(i)*c.config.Epoch)
 			}
 		}
-		byteMasterNodes := common.ExtractAddressToBytes(signers)
 		extraSuffix := len(header.Extra) - extraSeal
-		if !bytes.Equal(header.Extra[extraVanity:extraSuffix], byteMasterNodes) {
+		masternodesFromCheckpointHeader := common.ExtractAddressFromBytes(header.Extra[extraVanity:extraSuffix])
+		validSigners := compareSignersLists(masternodesFromCheckpointHeader, signers)
+		if !validSigners {
+			log.Error("Masternodes lists are different in checkpoint header and snapshot", "number", number, "masternodes_from_checkpoint_header", masternodesFromCheckpointHeader, "masternodes_in_snapshot", signers, "penList", penPenalties)
 			return errInvalidCheckpointSigners
 		}
 		if c.HookVerifyMNs != nil {
@@ -440,6 +444,21 @@ func (c *Posv) verifyCascadingFields(chain consensus.ChainReader, header *types.
 	return c.verifySeal(chain, header, parents, fullVerify)
 }
 
+// compare 2 signers lists
+// return true if they are same elements, otherwise return false
+func compareSignersLists(list1 []common.Address, list2 []common.Address) bool {
+	if len(list1) == 0 && len(list2) == 0 {
+		return true
+	}
+	sort.Slice(list1, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return list1[i].String() <= list1[j].String()
+	})
+	sort.Slice(list2, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return list2[i].String() <= list2[j].String()
+	})
+	return reflect.DeepEqual(list1, list2)
+}
+
 func (c *Posv) GetSnapshot(chain consensus.ChainReader, header *types.Header) (*Snapshot, error) {
 	number := header.Number.Uint64()
 	log.Trace("take snapshot", "number", number, "hash", header.Hash())
diff --git a/consensus/posv/posv_test.go b/consensus/posv/posv_test.go
index 2f41f1395c..7019cd4a52 100644
--- a/consensus/posv/posv_test.go
+++ b/consensus/posv/posv_test.go
@@ -47,3 +47,38 @@ func TestGetM1M2FromCheckpointHeader(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCompareSignersLists(t *testing.T) {
+	list1 := []common.Address{
+		common.StringToAddress("aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"),
+		common.StringToAddress("bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb"),
+		common.StringToAddress("cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc"),
+		common.StringToAddress("dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd"),
+	}
+	list2 := []common.Address{
+		common.StringToAddress("cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc"),
+		common.StringToAddress("aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"),
+		common.StringToAddress("dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd"),
+		common.StringToAddress("bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb"),
+	}
+	list3 := []common.Address{
+		common.StringToAddress("cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc"),
+		common.StringToAddress("dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd"),
+		common.StringToAddress("bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb"),
+	}
+	if !compareSignersLists(list1, list2) {
+		t.Error("list1 should be equal to list2", "list1", list1, "list2", list2)
+	}
+	if compareSignersLists(list1, list3) {
+		t.Error("list1 and list3 should not be same", "list1", list1, "list3", list3)
+	}
+	if !compareSignersLists([]common.Address{}, []common.Address{}) {
+		t.Error("Failed with empty list")
+	}
+	if !compareSignersLists([]common.Address{common.StringToAddress("cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc")}, []common.Address{common.StringToAddress("cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc")}) {
+		t.Error("Failed with list has only one signer")
+	}
+	if compareSignersLists([]common.Address{common.StringToAddress("aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa")}, []common.Address{common.StringToAddress("cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc")}) {
+		t.Error("Failed with list has only one signer")
+	}
+}