diff --git a/consensus/XDPoS/engines/engine_v2/engine.go b/consensus/XDPoS/engines/engine_v2/engine.go
index e643b9be21..3a62b58f6e 100644
--- a/consensus/XDPoS/engines/engine_v2/engine.go
+++ b/consensus/XDPoS/engines/engine_v2/engine.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/XinFinOrg/XDPoSChain/consensus"
 	"github.com/XinFinOrg/XDPoSChain/consensus/XDPoS/utils"
 	"github.com/XinFinOrg/XDPoSChain/consensus/clique"
+	"github.com/XinFinOrg/XDPoSChain/consensus/misc"
 	"github.com/XinFinOrg/XDPoSChain/core/state"
 	"github.com/XinFinOrg/XDPoSChain/core/types"
 	"github.com/XinFinOrg/XDPoSChain/ethdb"
@@ -331,11 +332,18 @@ func (x *XDPoS_v2) Prepare(chain consensus.ChainReader, header *types.Header) er
 	number := header.Number.Uint64()
 	parent := chain.GetHeader(header.ParentHash, number-1)
 
-	log.Info("Preparing new block!", "Number", number, "Parent Hash", parent.Hash())
 	if parent == nil {
 		return consensus.ErrUnknownAncestor
 	}
+	// Ensure gas settings are bounded
+	if err := misc.VerifyGaslimit(parent.GasLimit, header.GasLimit); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if header.GasUsed > header.GasLimit {
+		return fmt.Errorf("gas used exceeded gaslimit, gas used: %d, gas limit: %d", header.GasUsed, header.GasLimit)
+	}
 
+	log.Info("Preparing new block!", "Number", number, "Parent Hash", parent.Hash())
 	x.signLock.RLock()
 	signer := x.signer
 	x.signLock.RUnlock()
@@ -434,6 +442,17 @@ func (x *XDPoS_v2) Finalize(chain consensus.ChainReader, header *types.Header, s
 			x.saveRewardToFile(header.Hash(), header.Number.Uint64())
 		}
 	}
+	parentHeader := chain.GetHeader(header.ParentHash, header.Number.Uint64()-1)
+	if parentHeader == nil {
+		return nil, consensus.ErrUnknownAncestor
+	}
+	// Ensure gas settings are bounded
+	if err := misc.VerifyGaslimit(parentHeader.GasLimit, header.GasLimit); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if header.GasUsed > header.GasLimit {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("gas used exceeded gaslimit, gas used: %d, gas limit: %d", header.GasUsed, header.GasLimit)
+	}
 
 	// the state remains as is and uncles are dropped
 	header.Root = state.IntermediateRoot(chain.Config().IsEIP158(header.Number))
diff --git a/consensus/XDPoS/engines/engine_v2/verifyHeader.go b/consensus/XDPoS/engines/engine_v2/verifyHeader.go
index f78cddb5e9..20f18cbe05 100644
--- a/consensus/XDPoS/engines/engine_v2/verifyHeader.go
+++ b/consensus/XDPoS/engines/engine_v2/verifyHeader.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package engine_v2
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 	"time"
 
@@ -62,7 +63,16 @@ func (x *XDPoS_v2) verifyHeader(chain consensus.ChainReader, header *types.Heade
 		return consensus.ErrUnknownAncestor
 	}
 
-	// Verify this is truly a v2 block first
+	// Ensure gas limit is consistent with parent
+	if err := misc.VerifyGaslimit(parent.GasLimit, header.GasLimit); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// Ensure gas used is less than or equal to gas limit
+	if header.GasUsed > header.GasLimit {
+		return fmt.Errorf("gas used exceeded gaslimit, gas used: %d, gas limit: %d", header.GasUsed, header.GasLimit)
+	}
+
+	// Verify this is truely a v2 block first
 	quorumCert, round, _, err := x.getExtraFields(header)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Warn("[verifyHeader] decode extra field error", "err", err)
@@ -96,10 +106,6 @@ func (x *XDPoS_v2) verifyHeader(chain consensus.ChainReader, header *types.Heade
 	if header.UncleHash != utils.UncleHash {
 		return utils.ErrInvalidUncleHash
 	}
-	// Verify that the gas limit remains within allowed bounds
-	if err := misc.VerifyGaslimit(parent.GasLimit, header.GasLimit); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 	// Verify the header's EIP-1559 attributes.
 	if err := eip1559.VerifyEip1559Header(chain.Config(), header); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/helper.go b/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/helper.go
index aa5b473d25..8e57e03e5c 100644
--- a/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/helper.go
+++ b/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/helper.go
@@ -876,7 +876,7 @@ func createBlockFromHeader(bc *core.BlockChain, customHeader *types.Header, txs
 		Coinbase:    customHeader.Coinbase,
 		Difficulty:  difficulty,
 		Number:      customHeader.Number,
-		GasLimit:    1200000000,
+		GasLimit:    params.V2TestsGasLimit,
 		Time:        uint64(time.Now().Unix() - 1000000 + int64(customHeader.Number.Uint64()*10)),
 		Extra:       customHeader.Extra,
 		Validator:   customHeader.Validator,
diff --git a/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/mine_test.go b/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/mine_test.go
index 6ae82986e2..286f7ef88c 100644
--- a/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/mine_test.go
+++ b/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/mine_test.go
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func TestPrepareFail(t *testing.T) {
 	notReadyToProposeHeader := &types.Header{
 		ParentHash: currentBlock.Hash(),
 		Number:     big.NewInt(int64(901)),
-		GasLimit:   params.TargetGasLimit,
+		GasLimit:   params.V2TestsGasLimit,
 		Time:       tstamp,
 		Coinbase:   signer,
 	}
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func TestPrepareFail(t *testing.T) {
 	notReadyToMine := &types.Header{
 		ParentHash: currentBlock.Hash(),
 		Number:     big.NewInt(int64(901)),
-		GasLimit:   params.TargetGasLimit,
+		GasLimit:   params.V2TestsGasLimit,
 		Time:       tstamp,
 		Coinbase:   signer,
 	}
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ func TestPrepareFail(t *testing.T) {
 	header901WithoutCoinbase := &types.Header{
 		ParentHash: currentBlock.Hash(),
 		Number:     big.NewInt(int64(901)),
-		GasLimit:   params.TargetGasLimit,
+		GasLimit:   params.V2TestsGasLimit,
 		Time:       tstamp,
 	}
 
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func TestPrepareHappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 	header901 := &types.Header{
 		ParentHash: currentBlock.Hash(),
 		Number:     big.NewInt(int64(901)),
-		GasLimit:   params.TargetGasLimit,
+		GasLimit:   params.V2TestsGasLimit,
 		Time:       tstamp,
 		Coinbase:   signer,
 	}
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ func TestUpdateMultipleMasterNodes(t *testing.T) {
 	header1800 := &types.Header{
 		ParentHash: parentBlock.Hash(),
 		Number:     big.NewInt(int64(1800)),
-		GasLimit:   params.TargetGasLimit,
+		GasLimit:   params.V2TestsGasLimit,
 		Time:       tstamp,
 		Coinbase:   voterAddr,
 	}
diff --git a/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/penalty_test.go b/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/penalty_test.go
index 85c41849d0..0fa80f2036 100644
--- a/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/penalty_test.go
+++ b/consensus/tests/engine_v2_tests/penalty_test.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func TestHookPenaltyV2Mining(t *testing.T) {
 	headerMining := &types.Header{
 		ParentHash: header2100.ParentHash,
 		Number:     header2100.Number,
-		GasLimit:   params.TargetGasLimit,
+		GasLimit:   params.V2TestsGasLimit,
 		Time:       header2100.Time,
 		Coinbase:   acc1Addr,
 	}
diff --git a/params/protocol_params.go b/params/protocol_params.go
index 1799a24b0c..b119c98a08 100644
--- a/params/protocol_params.go
+++ b/params/protocol_params.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import "math/big"
 
 var (
 	TargetGasLimit uint64 = XDCGenesisGasLimit // The artificial target
+	V2TestsGasLimit uint64 = 1200000000        // The gas limit used in the v2 consensus tests
 )
 
 const (