diff --git a/common/config.go b/common/config.go
index 1b24ee5..f4d7ec2 100644
--- a/common/config.go
+++ b/common/config.go
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ const (
 	CfgSubchainMainchainBlockIntervalInSeconds  = "subchain.mainchainBlockIntervalInSeconds"
 	CfgSubchainMainchainWitenessStartScanHeight = "subchain.mainchainWitenessStartScanHeight"
 	CfgSubchainSubchainWitenessStartScanHeight  = "subchain.subchainWitenessStartScanHeight"
+	CfgSubchainForceWitnessStartScanHeight      = "subchain.forceWitenessStartScanHeight"
 
 	// CfgSubchainID defines the subchainID
 	CfgSubchainID = "subchain.chainID"
@@ -240,6 +241,7 @@ func init() {
 	viper.SetDefault(CfgSubchainEthRpcURL, "http://127.0.0.1:19888")
 	viper.SetDefault(CfgSubchainMainchainWitenessStartScanHeight, -1)
 	viper.SetDefault(CfgSubchainSubchainWitenessStartScanHeight, -1)
+	viper.SetDefault(CfgSubchainForceWitnessStartScanHeight, false)
 
 	viper.SetDefault(CfgSubchainID, 360777)
 }
diff --git a/interchain/witness/metachain_witness.go b/interchain/witness/metachain_witness.go
index 565e00f..d03b119 100644
--- a/interchain/witness/metachain_witness.go
+++ b/interchain/witness/metachain_witness.go
@@ -314,7 +314,8 @@ func (mw *MetachainWitness) collectInterChainMessageEventsOnChain(queriedChainID
 	// mw.getBlockScanStartingHeight(queriedChainID) // testing code
 
 	fromBlock, err := mw.witnessState.getLastQueryedHeightForType(queriedChainID)
-	if err == store.ErrKeyNotFound {
+	forceWitnessStartScanHeight := viper.GetBool(scom.CfgSubchainForceWitnessStartScanHeight)
+	if forceWitnessStartScanHeight || err == store.ErrKeyNotFound {
 		logger.Infof("Seting the initial block scanning height for chain %v", queriedChainID.String())
 		if queriedChainID.Cmp(mw.mainchainID) == 0 && viper.GetInt(scom.CfgSubchainMainchainWitenessStartScanHeight) >= 0 {
 			// if the start scanning height is specified in the config, use the config value