diff --git a/consensus/bor/bor.go b/consensus/bor/bor.go
index 87770f49ab..826a45dae2 100644
--- a/consensus/bor/bor.go
+++ b/consensus/bor/bor.go
@@ -960,7 +960,9 @@ func (c *Bor) APIs(chain consensus.ChainHeaderReader) []rpc.API {
 // Close implements consensus.Engine. It's a noop for bor as there are no background threads.
 func (c *Bor) Close() error {
 	c.closeOnce.Do(func() {
-		c.HeimdallClient.Close()
+		if c.HeimdallClient != nil {
+			c.HeimdallClient.Close()
+		}
 	})
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/eth/ethconfig/config.go b/eth/ethconfig/config.go
index a3c7f49e39..091600d8b5 100644
--- a/eth/ethconfig/config.go
+++ b/eth/ethconfig/config.go
@@ -243,7 +243,11 @@ func CreateConsensusEngine(stack *node.Node, chainConfig *params.ChainConfig, et
 		genesisContractsClient := contract.NewGenesisContractsClient(chainConfig, chainConfig.Bor.ValidatorContract, chainConfig.Bor.StateReceiverContract, blockchainAPI)
 		spanner := span.NewChainSpanner(blockchainAPI, contract.ValidatorSet(), chainConfig, common.HexToAddress(chainConfig.Bor.ValidatorContract))
 
-		return bor.New(chainConfig, db, blockchainAPI, spanner, heimdall.NewHeimdallClient(ethConfig.HeimdallURL), genesisContractsClient)
+		if ethConfig.WithoutHeimdall {
+			return bor.New(chainConfig, db, blockchainAPI, spanner, nil, genesisContractsClient)
+		} else {
+			return bor.New(chainConfig, db, blockchainAPI, spanner, heimdall.NewHeimdallClient(ethConfig.HeimdallURL), genesisContractsClient)
+		}
 	} else {
 		switch config.PowMode {
 		case ethash.ModeFake: