diff --git a/core/chain_makers.go b/core/chain_makers.go
index 0ea272bc60..a98bfe868a 100644
--- a/core/chain_makers.go
+++ b/core/chain_makers.go
@@ -416,7 +416,15 @@ func GenerateChain(config *params.ChainConfig, parent *types.Block, engine conse
 			Uncles:       b.uncles,
 			Withdrawals:  b.withdrawals,
 		}
-
+		if !config.IsShanghai(b.header.Number, b.header.Time) {
+			if body.Withdrawals != nil {
+				panic("unexpected withdrawal before shanghai")
+			}
+		} else {
+			if body.Withdrawals == nil {
+				body.Withdrawals = make([]*types.Withdrawal, 0)
+			}
+		}
 		// Finalize the state transition by applying operations such as withdrawals,
 		// uncle rewards, and related processing.
 		b.engine.Finalize(cm, b.header, statedb, &body)
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/simulate.go b/internal/ethapi/simulate.go
index 4fe690030d..5fb911fe90 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/simulate.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/simulate.go
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ func (sim *simulator) processBlock(ctx context.Context, block *simBlock, header,
 
 	blockBody := &types.Body{
 		Transactions: txes,
-		Withdrawals:  *block.BlockOverrides.Withdrawals,
+		Withdrawals:  *block.BlockOverrides.Withdrawals, // Withdrawal is also sanitized as non-nil
 	}
 	chainHeadReader := &simChainHeadReader{ctx, sim.b}
 
diff --git a/miner/worker.go b/miner/worker.go
index f35406198c..7e0be2f852 100644
--- a/miner/worker.go
+++ b/miner/worker.go
@@ -190,7 +190,11 @@ func (miner *Miner) generateWork(ctx context.Context, genParam *generateParams,
 		Transactions: work.txs,
 		Withdrawals:  genParam.withdrawals,
 	}
-	if miner.chainConfig.IsShanghai(work.header.Number, work.header.Time) {
+	if !miner.chainConfig.IsShanghai(work.header.Number, work.header.Time) {
+		if body.Withdrawals != nil {
+			return &newPayloadResult{err: errors.New("unexpected withdrawals before shanghai")}
+		}
+	} else {
 		if body.Withdrawals == nil {
 			body.Withdrawals = make([]*types.Withdrawal, 0)
 		}