diff --git a/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go b/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go
index 9ab6335205f5..2179b61032b6 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/chaincmd.go
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ func initGenesis(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		}
 		triedb := trie.NewDatabaseWithConfig(chaindb, &trie.Config{
 			Preimages: ctx.Bool(utils.CachePreimagesFlag.Name),
+			Verkle:    genesis.IsVerkle(),
 		})
 		_, hash, err := core.SetupGenesisBlockWithOverride(chaindb, triedb, genesis, &overrides)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/core/blockchain.go b/core/blockchain.go
index 173613e2c5c2..e39cccad5b79 100644
--- a/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/core/blockchain.go
@@ -312,6 +312,12 @@ func NewBlockChain(db ethdb.Database, cacheConfig *CacheConfig, genesis *Genesis
 
 	// Declare the end of the verkle transition if need be
 	if bc.chainConfig.Rules(head.Number, false /* XXX */, head.Time).IsPrague {
+		// TODO this only works when resuming a chain that has already gone
+		// through the conversion. All pointers should be saved to the DB
+		// for it to be able to recover if interrupted during the transition
+   // but that's left out to a later PR since there's not really a need
+   // right now.
+		bc.stateCache.InitTransitionStatus(true, true)
 		bc.stateCache.EndVerkleTransition()
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/genesis.go b/core/genesis.go
index 74294afb7272..efa339024c7e 100644
--- a/core/genesis.go
+++ b/core/genesis.go
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ func (ga *GenesisAlloc) deriveHash(cfg *params.ChainConfig, timestamp uint64) (c
 	// all the derived states will be discarded to not pollute disk.
 	db := state.NewDatabase(rawdb.NewMemoryDatabase())
 	if cfg.IsPrague(big.NewInt(int64(0)), timestamp) {
+		db.StartVerkleTransition(common.Hash{}, common.Hash{}, cfg, &timestamp, common.Hash{})
 		db.EndVerkleTransition()
 	}
 	statedb, err := state.New(types.EmptyRootHash, db, nil)
@@ -146,15 +147,17 @@ func (ga *GenesisAlloc) deriveHash(cfg *params.ChainConfig, timestamp uint64) (c
 // flush is very similar with deriveHash, but the main difference is
 // all the generated states will be persisted into the given database.
 // Also, the genesis state specification will be flushed as well.
-func (ga *GenesisAlloc) flush(db ethdb.Database, triedb *trie.Database, blockhash common.Hash, cfg *params.ChainConfig) error {
-	statedb, err := state.New(types.EmptyRootHash, state.NewDatabaseWithNodeDB(db, triedb), nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+func (ga *GenesisAlloc) flush(db ethdb.Database, triedb *trie.Database, blockhash common.Hash, cfg *params.ChainConfig, timestamp *uint64) error {
+	database := state.NewDatabaseWithNodeDB(db, triedb)
+	// End the verkle conversion at genesis if the fork block is 0
+	if timestamp != nil && cfg.IsPrague(big.NewInt(int64(0)), *timestamp) {
+		database.StartVerkleTransition(common.Hash{}, common.Hash{}, cfg, timestamp, common.Hash{})
+		database.EndVerkleTransition()
 	}
 
-	// End the verkle conversion at genesis if the fork block is 0
-	if triedb.IsVerkle() {
-		statedb.Database().EndVerkleTransition()
+	statedb, err := state.New(types.EmptyRootHash, database, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	for addr, account := range *ga {
@@ -221,7 +224,7 @@ func CommitGenesisState(db ethdb.Database, triedb *trie.Database, blockhash comm
 			return errors.New("not found")
 		}
 	}
-	return alloc.flush(db, triedb, blockhash, config)
+	return alloc.flush(db, triedb, blockhash, config, nil)
 }
 
 // GenesisAccount is an account in the state of the genesis block.
@@ -456,6 +459,12 @@ func (g *Genesis) configOrDefault(ghash common.Hash) *params.ChainConfig {
 	}
 }
 
+// IsVerkle indicates whether the state is already stored in a verkle
+// tree at genesis time.
+func (g *Genesis) IsVerkle() bool {
+	return g.Config.IsPrague(new(big.Int).SetUint64(g.Number), g.Timestamp)
+}
+
 // ToBlock returns the genesis block according to genesis specification.
 func (g *Genesis) ToBlock() *types.Block {
 	root, err := g.Alloc.deriveHash(g.Config, g.Timestamp)
@@ -530,7 +539,7 @@ func (g *Genesis) Commit(db ethdb.Database, triedb *trie.Database) (*types.Block
 	// All the checks has passed, flush the states derived from the genesis
 	// specification as well as the specification itself into the provided
 	// database.
-	if err := g.Alloc.flush(db, triedb, block.Hash(), g.Config); err != nil {
+	if err := g.Alloc.flush(db, triedb, block.Hash(), g.Config, &g.Timestamp); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	rawdb.WriteTd(db, block.Hash(), block.NumberU64(), block.Difficulty())
diff --git a/core/state/database.go b/core/state/database.go
index 342a90196b58..e58d3f848226 100644
--- a/core/state/database.go
+++ b/core/state/database.go
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ type Database interface {
 
 	Transitioned() bool
 
+	InitTransitionStatus(bool, bool)
+
 	SetCurrentSlotHash(common.Hash)
 
 	GetCurrentAccountAddress() *common.Address
@@ -241,6 +243,14 @@ func (db *cachingDB) ReorgThroughVerkleTransition() {
 	log.Warn("trying to reorg through the transition, which makes no sense at this point")
 }
 
+func (db *cachingDB) InitTransitionStatus(started, ended bool) {
+	db.CurrentTransitionState = &TransitionState{
+		ended:   ended,
+		started: started,
+		// TODO add other fields when we handle mid-transition interrupts
+	}
+}
+
 func (db *cachingDB) EndVerkleTransition() {
 	if !db.CurrentTransitionState.started {
 		db.CurrentTransitionState.started = true
diff --git a/light/trie.go b/light/trie.go
index d18f2a41ed52..df300c8c6ed2 100644
--- a/light/trie.go
+++ b/light/trie.go
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@ func (db *odrDatabase) Transitioned() bool {
 	panic("not implemented") // TODO: Implement
 }
 
+func (db *odrDatabase) InitTransitionStatus(bool, bool) {
+	panic("not implemented") // TODO: Implement
+}
+
 func (db *odrDatabase) SetCurrentSlotHash(common.Hash) {
 	panic("not implemented") // TODO: Implement
 }