diff --git a/execution.go b/execution.go
index 876addf..48662d9 100644
--- a/execution.go
+++ b/execution.go
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func (c *EngineAPIExecutionClient) InitChain(ctx context.Context, genesisTime ti
 		return execution_types.Hash{}, 0, fmt.Errorf("engine_getPayloadV3 failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	stateRoot := common.HexToHash(payloadResult.ExecutionPayload.StateRoot.Hex())
+	stateRoot := payloadResult.ExecutionPayload.StateRoot
 	rollkitStateRoot := execution_types.Hash(stateRoot[:])
 
 	gasLimit := payloadResult.ExecutionPayload.GasLimit
diff --git a/execution_test.go b/execution_test.go
index c66d367..c8d9155 100644
--- a/execution_test.go
+++ b/execution_test.go
@@ -77,12 +77,14 @@ func TestEngineAPIExecutionClient_ExecuteTxs(t *testing.T) {
 	defer mockEth.Close()
 
 	jwtSecret := generateTestJWTSecret()
+	prevStateRoot := execution_types.Hash(common.Hex2Bytes("111122223333444455556666777788889999aaaabbbbccccddddeeeeffff0000"))
+
 	client, err := NewEngineAPIExecutionClient(
 		&proxy_json_rpc.Config{},
 		mockEth.URL,
 		mockEngine.URL,
 		jwtSecret,
-		common.Hash{},
+		common.Hash(prevStateRoot),
 		common.Address{},
 	)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -90,8 +92,6 @@ func TestEngineAPIExecutionClient_ExecuteTxs(t *testing.T) {
 	blockHeight := uint64(1)
 	timestamp := time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Second)
 
-	prevStateRoot := execution_types.Hash(common.Hex2Bytes("111122223333444455556666777788889999aaaabbbbccccddddeeeeffff0000"))
-
 	testTxBytes, err := types.NewTransaction(1, common.Address{}, big.NewInt(0), 1000, big.NewInt(875000000), nil).MarshalBinary()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	testTx := execution_types.Tx(testTxBytes)
@@ -113,10 +113,8 @@ func TestEngineAPIExecutionClient_ExecuteTxs(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, common.BytesToHash(prevStateRoot[:]).Hex(), lastCall.FinalizedBlockHash)
 
 	mockStateRoot := common.HexToHash("0x0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef")
-	var expectedStateRoot execution_types.Hash
-	copy(expectedStateRoot[:], mockStateRoot.Bytes())
 
-	require.Equal(t, expectedStateRoot, stateRoot)
+	require.Equal(t, execution_types.Hash(mockStateRoot[:]), stateRoot)
 	require.Equal(t, uint64(21000), gasUsed)
 }
 
diff --git a/integration_test.go b/integration_test.go
index 43e4135..0157e87 100644
--- a/integration_test.go
+++ b/integration_test.go
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func TestExecutionClientLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 		stateroot, gasUsed, err := executionClient.ExecuteTxs(context.Background(), []rollkit_types.Tx{rollkit_types.Tx(txBytes)}, blockHeight, blockTime, rollkitGenesisStateRoot)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Greater(t, gasLimit, gasUsed)
-		assert.Equal(t, newStateroot.Bytes(), []byte(stateroot))
+		assert.Equal(t, rollkit_types.Hash(newStateroot[:]), stateroot)
 	})
 }