diff --git a/core/error.go b/core/error.go
index 885acc8f24..f1cc7d8c03 100644
--- a/core/error.go
+++ b/core/error.go
@@ -117,12 +117,10 @@ var (
 
 	// -- EIP-7702 errors --
 
-	// ErrEmptyAuthList is returned if a set code transaction has an empty auth list.
-	ErrEmptyAuthList = errors.New("set code transaction with empty auth list")
-
-	// ErrAuthSignatureVeryHigh is returned if a set code transaction has a
-	// signature with R or S larger than 2^256-1.
-	ErrAuthSignatureVeryHigh = errors.New("set code transaction has authorization with R or S value greater than 2^256 - 1")
+	// Message validation errors:
+	ErrEmptyAuthList         = errors.New("EIP-7702 transaction with empty auth list")
+	ErrSetCodeTxCreate       = errors.New("EIP-7702 transaction cannot be used to create contract")
+	ErrAuthSignatureVeryHigh = errors.New("EIP-7702 authorization with R or S value greater than 2^256 - 1")
 
 	// EIP-7702 state transition errors:
 	ErrAuthorizationWrongChainID       = errors.New("EIP-7702 authorization chain ID mismatch")
diff --git a/core/state_transition.go b/core/state_transition.go
index 43eb3b6d17..a8b600d60f 100644
--- a/core/state_transition.go
+++ b/core/state_transition.go
@@ -372,12 +372,20 @@ func (st *stateTransition) preCheck() error {
 		}
 	}
 	// Check that EIP-7702 authorization list signatures are well formed.
-	for i, auth := range msg.AuthList {
-		switch {
-		case auth.R.BitLen() > 256:
-			return fmt.Errorf("%w: address %v, authorization %d", ErrAuthSignatureVeryHigh, msg.From.Hex(), i)
-		case auth.S.BitLen() > 256:
-			return fmt.Errorf("%w: address %v, authorization %d", ErrAuthSignatureVeryHigh, msg.From.Hex(), i)
+	if msg.AuthList != nil {
+		if msg.To == nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%w (sender %v)", ErrSetCodeTxCreate, msg.From)
+		}
+		if len(msg.AuthList) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%w (sender %v)", ErrEmptyAuthList, msg.From)
+		}
+		for i, auth := range msg.AuthList {
+			switch {
+			case auth.R.BitLen() > 256:
+				return fmt.Errorf("%w: address %v, authorization %d", ErrAuthSignatureVeryHigh, msg.From.Hex(), i)
+			case auth.S.BitLen() > 256:
+				return fmt.Errorf("%w: address %v, authorization %d", ErrAuthSignatureVeryHigh, msg.From.Hex(), i)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return st.buyGas()
@@ -451,11 +459,6 @@ func (st *stateTransition) execute() (*ExecutionResult, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: code size %v limit %v", ErrMaxInitCodeSizeExceeded, len(msg.Data), params.MaxInitCodeSize)
 	}
 
-	// If an authorization list exists, verify it is not empty.
-	if msg.AuthList != nil && len(msg.AuthList) == 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: address %v", ErrEmptyAuthList, msg.From.Hex())
-	}
-
 	// Execute the preparatory steps for state transition which includes:
 	// - prepare accessList(post-berlin)
 	// - reset transient storage(eip 1153)