diff --git a/params/version.go b/params/version.go
index 481197f291..250a9c4c03 100644
--- a/params/version.go
+++ b/params/version.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 const (
 	VersionMajor = 5         // Major version component of the current release
 	VersionMinor = 4         // Minor version component of the current release
-	VersionPatch = 7         // Patch version component of the current release
+	VersionPatch = 8         // Patch version component of the current release
 	VersionMeta  = "mainnet" // Version metadata to append to the version string
 )
 
diff --git a/rollup/pipeline/pipeline.go b/rollup/pipeline/pipeline.go
index e09eb5d4f7..e4467862de 100644
--- a/rollup/pipeline/pipeline.go
+++ b/rollup/pipeline/pipeline.go
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ func (p *Pipeline) encodeStage(traces <-chan *BlockCandidate) <-chan *BlockCandi
 				encodeTimer.UpdateSince(encodeStart)
 
 				stallStart := time.Now()
-				if sendCancellable(downstreamCh, trace, p.ctx.Done()) {
+				if sendCancellable(downstreamCh, trace, p.ctx.Done()) && trace.RustTrace != nil {
 					// failed to send the trace downstream, free it here.
 					circuitcapacitychecker.FreeRustTrace(trace.RustTrace)
 				}