diff --git a/lib/babe/helpers_test.go b/lib/babe/helpers_test.go
index 697103cf6f..b49fd3b45a 100644
--- a/lib/babe/helpers_test.go
+++ b/lib/babe/helpers_test.go
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ func createTestService(t *testing.T, cfg ServiceConfig, genesis genesis.Genesis,
 	dbSrv := state.NewService(config)
 	dbSrv.UseMemDB()
 
+	dbSrv.Transaction = state.NewTransactionState(telemetryMock)
+
 	err := dbSrv.Initialise(&genesis, &genesisHeader, &genesisTrie)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -215,6 +217,7 @@ func createTestService(t *testing.T, cfg ServiceConfig, genesis genesis.Genesis,
 	nodeStorage.BaseDB = dbSrv.Base
 
 	rtCfg.NodeStorage = nodeStorage
+	rtCfg.Transaction = dbSrv.Transaction
 	runtime, err := wasmer.NewRuntimeFromGenesis(rtCfg)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	cfg.BlockState.(*state.BlockState).StoreRuntime(cfg.BlockState.BestBlockHash(), runtime)
diff --git a/lib/babe/verify.go b/lib/babe/verify.go
index 3b8d98360d..7c1342b757 100644
--- a/lib/babe/verify.go
+++ b/lib/babe/verify.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package babe
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -13,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/pkg/scale"
 )
 
+var errEmptyKeyOwnershipProof = errors.New("key ownership proof is nil")
+
 // verifierInfo contains the information needed to verify blocks
 // it remains the same for an epoch
 type verifierInfo struct {
@@ -360,6 +363,8 @@ func (b *verifier) submitAndReportEquivocation(
 	keyOwnershipProof, err := runtimeInstance.BabeGenerateKeyOwnershipProof(slot, offenderPublicKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("getting key ownership proof from runtime: %w", err)
+	} else if keyOwnershipProof == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w", errEmptyKeyOwnershipProof)
 	}
 
 	equivocationProof := &types.BabeEquivocationProof{
diff --git a/lib/babe/verify_integration_test.go b/lib/babe/verify_integration_test.go
index 3c864f91ef..bb0f2f8cbc 100644
--- a/lib/babe/verify_integration_test.go
+++ b/lib/babe/verify_integration_test.go
@@ -433,18 +433,11 @@ func TestVerifyAuthorshipRight(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
-// TODO this test failing is related too issue #3136
 func TestVerifyAuthorshipRight_Equivocation(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Skip()
-	kp, err := sr25519.GenerateKeypair()
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	cfg := ServiceConfig{
-		Keypair: kp,
-	}
-
 	genesis, genesisTrie, genesisHeader := newWestendDevGenesisWithTrieAndHeader(t)
-	babeService := createTestService(t, cfg, genesis, genesisTrie, genesisHeader, nil)
+	babeService := createTestService(t, ServiceConfig{}, genesis, genesisTrie, genesisHeader, nil)
+	verificationManager := NewVerificationManager(babeService.blockState, babeService.epochState)
+
 	epochData, err := babeService.initiateEpoch(testEpochIndex)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -452,19 +445,6 @@ func TestVerifyAuthorshipRight_Equivocation(t *testing.T) {
 	runtime, err := babeService.blockState.GetRuntime(bestBlockHash)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	epochData.threshold = maxThreshold
-	epochData.authorities = []types.Authority{
-		{
-			Key: kp.Public().(*sr25519.PublicKey),
-		},
-	}
-
-	verifier := newVerifier(babeService.blockState, testEpochIndex, &verifierInfo{
-		authorities: epochData.authorities,
-		threshold:   epochData.threshold,
-		randomness:  epochData.randomness,
-	})
-
 	// slots are 6 seconds on westend and using time.Now() allows us to create a block at any point in the slot.
 	// So we need to manually set time to produce consistent results. See here:
 	// https://github.com/paritytech/substrate/blob/09de7b41599add51cf27eca8f1bc4c50ed8e9453/frame/timestamp/src/lib.rs#L229
@@ -481,13 +461,13 @@ func TestVerifyAuthorshipRight_Equivocation(t *testing.T) {
 	err = babeService.blockState.AddBlock(block)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	err = verifier.verifyAuthorshipRight(&block.Header)
+	err = verificationManager.VerifyBlock(&block.Header)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	err = babeService.blockState.AddBlock(block2)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	err = verifier.verifyAuthorshipRight(&block2.Header)
+	err = verificationManager.VerifyBlock(&block2.Header)
 	require.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrProducerEquivocated)
 	require.EqualError(t, err, fmt.Sprintf("%s for block header %s", ErrProducerEquivocated, block2.Header.Hash()))
 }
diff --git a/lib/grandpa/vote_message.go b/lib/grandpa/vote_message.go
index 43ba96ee60..6fe9555ebc 100644
--- a/lib/grandpa/vote_message.go
+++ b/lib/grandpa/vote_message.go
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/peer"
 )
 
-var errBeforeFinalizedBlock = errors.New("before latest finalized block")
+var (
+	errBeforeFinalizedBlock   = errors.New("before latest finalized block")
+	errEmptyKeyOwnershipProof = errors.New("key ownership proof is nil")
+)
 
 type networkVoteMessage struct {
 	from peer.ID
@@ -284,6 +287,8 @@ func (s *Service) reportEquivocation(stage Subround, existingVote *SignedVote, c
 	opaqueKeyOwnershipProof, err := runtime.GrandpaGenerateKeyOwnershipProof(setID, pubKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("getting key ownership proof: %w", err)
+	} else if opaqueKeyOwnershipProof == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w", errEmptyKeyOwnershipProof)
 	}
 
 	grandpaEquivocation := types.GrandpaEquivocation{
diff --git a/lib/runtime/wasmer/exports.go b/lib/runtime/wasmer/exports.go
index b7298cb574..e659d01f8e 100644
--- a/lib/runtime/wasmer/exports.go
+++ b/lib/runtime/wasmer/exports.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package wasmer
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/dot/types"
@@ -14,6 +15,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/pkg/scale"
 )
 
+var errEmptyKeyOwnershipProof = errors.New("key ownership proof is nil")
+
 // ValidateTransaction runs the extrinsic through the runtime function
 // TaggedTransactionQueue_validate_transaction and returns *transaction.Validity. The error can
 // be a VDT of either transaction.InvalidTransaction or transaction.UnknownTransaction, or can represent
@@ -110,13 +113,18 @@ func (in *Instance) BabeGenerateKeyOwnershipProof(slot uint64, authorityID [32]b
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("executing %s: %w", runtime.BabeAPIGenerateKeyOwnershipProof, err)
 	}
 
-	keyOwnershipProof := types.OpaqueKeyOwnershipProof{}
+	var keyOwnershipProof *types.OpaqueKeyOwnershipProof
 	err = scale.Unmarshal(encodedKeyOwnershipProof, &keyOwnershipProof)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scale decoding key ownership proof: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	return keyOwnershipProof, nil
+	// TODO check with team if returning error is preferred or should we keep just returning empty value
+	if keyOwnershipProof == nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	return *keyOwnershipProof, nil
 }
 
 // BabeSubmitReportEquivocationUnsignedExtrinsic reports equivocation report to the runtime.
@@ -297,13 +305,17 @@ func (in *Instance) GrandpaGenerateKeyOwnershipProof(authSetID uint64, authority
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	keyOwnershipProof := types.GrandpaOpaqueKeyOwnershipProof{}
+	var keyOwnershipProof *types.GrandpaOpaqueKeyOwnershipProof
 	err = scale.Unmarshal(encodedOpaqueKeyOwnershipProof, &keyOwnershipProof)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scale decoding: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	return keyOwnershipProof, nil
+	if keyOwnershipProof == nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	return *keyOwnershipProof, nil
 }
 
 // GrandpaSubmitReportEquivocationUnsignedExtrinsic reports an equivocation report to the runtime.
diff --git a/lib/runtime/wasmer/exports_test.go b/lib/runtime/wasmer/exports_test.go
index a6da3188ac..7303e6a3e7 100644
--- a/lib/runtime/wasmer/exports_test.go
+++ b/lib/runtime/wasmer/exports_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2021 ChainSafe Systems (ON)
+// Copyright 2023 ChainSafe Systems (ON)
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-only
 
 package wasmer
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package wasmer
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"github.com/centrifuge/go-substrate-rpc-client/v4/signature"
 	"math/big"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
@@ -21,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/trie"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/utils"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/pkg/scale"
-	"github.com/centrifuge/go-substrate-rpc-client/v4/signature"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func balanceKey(t *testing.T, pub []byte) []byte {
 	return append(append(append(h0, h1...), h2...), pub...)
 }
 
-func TestNodeRuntime_ValidateTransaction(t *testing.T) {
+func TestWestendRuntime_ValidateTransaction(t *testing.T) {
 	genesisPath := utils.GetWestendDevRawGenesisPath(t)
 	gen := genesisFromRawJSON(t, genesisPath)
 	genTrie, err := NewTrieFromGenesis(gen)
@@ -316,8 +316,9 @@ func TestInstance_BabeGenerateKeyOwnershipProof(t *testing.T) {
 			authorityID := babeConfig.GenesisAuthorities[0].Key
 
 			const slot = uint64(10)
-			_, err = rt.BabeGenerateKeyOwnershipProof(slot, authorityID)
+			res, err := rt.BabeGenerateKeyOwnershipProof(slot, authorityID)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Nil(t, res)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -506,6 +507,22 @@ func TestInstance_ExecuteBlock_PolkadotRuntime(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
+// TODO fix
+//func TestInstance_ExecuteBlock_PolkadotRuntime(t *testing.T) {
+//	DefaultTestLogLvl = 0
+//
+//	instance := NewTestInstance(t, runtime.POLKADOT_RUNTIME)
+//
+//	block := runtime.InitializeRuntimeToTest(t, instance, &types.Header{})
+//
+//	// reset state back to parent state before executing
+//	parentState := storage.NewTrieState(nil)
+//	instance.SetContextStorage(parentState)
+//
+//	_, err := instance.ExecuteBlock(block)
+//	require.NoError(t, err)
+//}
+
 func TestInstance_ExecuteBlock_PolkadotRuntime_PolkadotBlock1(t *testing.T) {
 	genesisPath := utils.GetPolkadotGenesisPath(t)
 	gen := genesisFromRawJSON(t, genesisPath)
@@ -1103,10 +1120,10 @@ func TestInstance_GrandpaGenerateKeyOwnershipProof(t *testing.T) {
 	identityPubKey, _ := ed25519.NewPublicKey(identity)
 	authorityID := identityPubKey.AsBytes()
 
-	encodedOpaqueKeyOwnershipProof, err := instance.GrandpaGenerateKeyOwnershipProof(uint64(0), authorityID)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	res, err := instance.GrandpaGenerateKeyOwnershipProof(uint64(0), authorityID)
 	// Since the input is not valid with respect to the instance, an empty proof is returned
-	require.Empty(t, encodedOpaqueKeyOwnershipProof)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Nil(t, res)
 }
 
 func TestInstance_GrandpaSubmitReportEquivocationUnsignedExtrinsic(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/lib/runtime/wasmer/genesis_test.go b/lib/runtime/wasmer/genesis_test.go
index b5e93df355..6f74c1801e 100644
--- a/lib/runtime/wasmer/genesis_test.go
+++ b/lib/runtime/wasmer/genesis_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2022 ChainSafe Systems (ON)
+// Copyright 2023 ChainSafe Systems (ON)
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-only
 
 package wasmer
diff --git a/lib/runtime/wasmer/helpers_test.go b/lib/runtime/wasmer/helpers_test.go
index 6e6f5fc941..38fb5e6946 100644
--- a/lib/runtime/wasmer/helpers_test.go
+++ b/lib/runtime/wasmer/helpers_test.go
@@ -5,15 +5,17 @@ package wasmer
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+
 	"errors"
 	"math"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/genesis"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
 )
 
 func genesisFromRawJSON(t *testing.T, jsonFilepath string) (gen genesis.Genesis) {
diff --git a/lib/runtime/wasmer/imports.go b/lib/runtime/wasmer/imports.go
index 04943208ae..1b9bf7ce10 100644
--- a/lib/runtime/wasmer/imports.go
+++ b/lib/runtime/wasmer/imports.go
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@ func ext_crypto_sr25519_verify_version_1(env interface{}, args []wasmer.Value) (
 	pub, err := sr25519.NewPublicKey(memory[key : key+32])
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error("invalid sr25519 public key")
-		return []wasmer.Value{wasmer.NewI32(0)}, nil //nolint
+		return []wasmer.Value{wasmer.NewI32(0)}, nil
 	}
 
 	logger.Debugf(
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ func ext_crypto_sr25519_verify_version_2(env interface{}, args []wasmer.Value) (
 	pub, err := sr25519.NewPublicKey(memory[key : key+32])
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error("invalid sr25519 public key")
-		return []wasmer.Value{wasmer.NewI32(0)}, nil //nolint
+		return []wasmer.Value{wasmer.NewI32(0)}, nil
 	}
 
 	logger.Debugf(
diff --git a/lib/runtime/wasmer/imports_test.go b/lib/runtime/wasmer/imports_test.go
index 1bc47992b6..351dff53c7 100644
--- a/lib/runtime/wasmer/imports_test.go
+++ b/lib/runtime/wasmer/imports_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2021 ChainSafe Systems (ON)
+// Copyright 2023 ChainSafe Systems (ON)
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-only
 
 package wasmer
@@ -1572,6 +1572,7 @@ func Test_ext_default_child_storage_storage_kill_version_3(t *testing.T) {
 		errMsg   string
 	}{
 		{
+			// TODO this test case is causing grief
 			key:      []byte(`fakekey`),
 			limit:    optLimit2,
 			expected: []byte{0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
diff --git a/lib/runtime/wasmer/instance_test.go b/lib/runtime/wasmer/instance_test.go
index e2f20d3410..f2d9a84270 100644
--- a/lib/runtime/wasmer/instance_test.go
+++ b/lib/runtime/wasmer/instance_test.go
@@ -5,12 +5,11 @@ package wasmer
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"os"
-	"testing"
-
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/runtime"
 	"github.com/klauspost/compress/zstd"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
 )
 
 // test used for ensuring runtime exec calls can be made concurrently
diff --git a/lib/runtime/wasmer/test_helpers.go b/lib/runtime/wasmer/test_helpers.go
index ac5c5a900d..a8b87fa7b7 100644
--- a/lib/runtime/wasmer/test_helpers.go
+++ b/lib/runtime/wasmer/test_helpers.go
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ package wasmer
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"testing"
-
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/internal/log"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/common"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/keystore"
@@ -16,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/trie"
 	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"testing"
 )
 
 // DefaultTestLogLvl is the log level used for test runtime instances