diff --git a/core/genesis.go b/core/genesis.go
index f2ec9865ea..d01f86312c 100644
--- a/core/genesis.go
+++ b/core/genesis.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package core
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -149,9 +150,35 @@ func SetupGenesisBlock(db ethdb.Database, genesis *Genesis) (*params.ChainConfig
 			log.Info("Writing custom genesis block")
 		}
 		block, err := genesis.Commit(db)
+		if err != nil {
+			return genesis.Config, common.Hash{}, err
+		}
 		return genesis.Config, block.Hash(), err
 	}
 
+	// We have the genesis block in database (perhaps in ancient database)
+	// but the corresponding state is missing.
+	header := rawdb.ReadHeader(db, stored, 0)
+	if header == nil {
+		cfg := genesis.configOrDefault(stored)
+		return cfg, stored, fmt.Errorf("missing genesis header for hash: %s", stored.Hex())
+	}
+	if _, err := state.New(header.Root, state.NewDatabaseWithConfig(db, nil)); err != nil {
+		if genesis == nil {
+			genesis = DefaultGenesisBlock()
+		}
+		// Ensure the stored genesis matches with the given one.
+		hash := genesis.ToBlock(nil).Hash()
+		if hash != stored {
+			return genesis.Config, hash, &GenesisMismatchError{stored, hash}
+		}
+		block, err := genesis.Commit(db)
+		if err != nil {
+			return genesis.Config, hash, err
+		}
+		return genesis.Config, block.Hash(), nil
+	}
+
 	// Check whether the genesis block is already written.
 	if genesis != nil {
 		hash := genesis.ToBlock(nil).Hash()
@@ -186,7 +213,18 @@ func SetupGenesisBlock(db ethdb.Database, genesis *Genesis) (*params.ChainConfig
 	if compatErr != nil && *height != 0 && compatErr.RewindTo != 0 {
 		return newcfg, stored, compatErr
 	}
-	rawdb.WriteChainConfig(db, stored, newcfg)
+	// Don't overwrite if the old is identical to the new
+	storedData, err := json.Marshal(storedcfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return newcfg, stored, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal stored chain config: %w", err)
+	}
+	newData, err := json.Marshal(newcfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return newcfg, stored, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal new chain config: %w", err)
+	}
+	if !bytes.Equal(storedData, newData) {
+		rawdb.WriteChainConfig(db, stored, newcfg)
+	}
 	return newcfg, stored, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/core/genesis_test.go b/core/genesis_test.go
index 483fd50629..83d4da1626 100644
--- a/core/genesis_test.go
+++ b/core/genesis_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 package core
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
@@ -105,6 +107,53 @@ func TestSetupGenesis(t *testing.T) {
 			wantHash:   params.TestnetGenesisHash,
 			wantConfig: params.TestnetChainConfig,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "stored canonical hash without header",
+			fn: func(db ethdb.Database) (*params.ChainConfig, common.Hash, error) {
+				missingHash := common.HexToHash("0xaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa")
+				rawdb.WriteCanonicalHash(db, missingHash, 0)
+				return SetupGenesisBlock(db, nil)
+			},
+			wantErr:    fmt.Errorf("missing genesis header for hash: %s", common.HexToHash("0xaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa").Hex()),
+			wantHash:   common.HexToHash("0xaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"),
+			wantConfig: params.AllEthashProtocolChanges,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "genesis header present but state missing",
+			fn: func(db ethdb.Database) (*params.ChainConfig, common.Hash, error) {
+				block := DefaultGenesisBlock().ToBlock(nil)
+				rawdb.WriteCanonicalHash(db, block.Hash(), 0)
+				rawdb.WriteHeader(db, block.Header())
+				return SetupGenesisBlock(db, nil)
+			},
+			wantHash:   params.MainnetGenesisHash,
+			wantConfig: params.XDCMainnetChainConfig,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "genesis block without chain config",
+			fn: func(db ethdb.Database) (*params.ChainConfig, common.Hash, error) {
+				block := DefaultGenesisBlock().ToBlock(db)
+				rawdb.WriteBlock(db, block)
+				rawdb.WriteCanonicalHash(db, block.Hash(), 0)
+				return SetupGenesisBlock(db, nil)
+			},
+			wantHash:   params.MainnetGenesisHash,
+			wantConfig: params.XDCMainnetChainConfig,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "missing block number for head header hash",
+			fn: func(db ethdb.Database) (*params.ChainConfig, common.Hash, error) {
+				block := DefaultGenesisBlock().ToBlock(db)
+				rawdb.WriteBlock(db, block)
+				rawdb.WriteCanonicalHash(db, block.Hash(), 0)
+				rawdb.WriteChainConfig(db, block.Hash(), params.XDCMainnetChainConfig)
+				rawdb.WriteHeadHeaderHash(db, common.HexToHash("0xbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb"))
+				return SetupGenesisBlock(db, nil)
+			},
+			wantErr:    errors.New("missing block number for head header hash"),
+			wantHash:   params.MainnetGenesisHash,
+			wantConfig: params.XDCMainnetChainConfig,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "compatible config in DB",
 			fn: func(db ethdb.Database) (*params.ChainConfig, common.Hash, error) {
@@ -145,7 +194,7 @@ func TestSetupGenesis(t *testing.T) {
 		db := rawdb.NewMemoryDatabase()
 		config, hash, err := test.fn(db)
 		// Check the return values.
-		if !reflect.DeepEqual(err, test.wantErr) {
+		if (err == nil) != (test.wantErr == nil) || (err != nil && test.wantErr != nil && !errors.Is(err, test.wantErr) && err.Error() != test.wantErr.Error()) {
 			spew := spew.ConfigState{DisablePointerAddresses: true, DisableCapacities: true}
 			t.Errorf("%s: returned error %#v, want %#v", test.name, spew.NewFormatter(err), spew.NewFormatter(test.wantErr))
 		}