diff --git a/bin/strata-reth/res/alpen-dev-chain.json b/bin/strata-reth/res/alpen-dev-chain.json
index b8514e0ca..edca8cd0f 100644
--- a/bin/strata-reth/res/alpen-dev-chain.json
+++ b/bin/strata-reth/res/alpen-dev-chain.json
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
         "londonBlock": 0,
         "terminalTotalDifficulty": 0,
         "terminalTotalDifficultyPassed": true,
-        "shanghaiTime": 0
+        "shanghaiTime": 0,
+        "mergeNetsplitBlock": 0
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/bin/strata-reth/res/devnet-chain.json b/bin/strata-reth/res/devnet-chain.json
index f8d302bf2..6d2303e24 100644
--- a/bin/strata-reth/res/devnet-chain.json
+++ b/bin/strata-reth/res/devnet-chain.json
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
         "londonBlock": 0,
         "terminalTotalDifficulty": 0,
         "terminalTotalDifficultyPassed": true,
-        "shanghaiTime": 0
+        "shanghaiTime": 0,
+        "mergeNetsplitBlock": 0
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/functional-tests/tests/el_pending_block.py b/functional-tests/tests/el_pending_block.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f26168da4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/functional-tests/tests/el_pending_block.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import flexitest
+
+from envs import testenv
+
+
+@flexitest.register
+class ElPendingBlock(testenv.StrataTester):
+    def __init__(self, ctx: flexitest.InitContext):
+        ctx.set_env("basic")
+
+    def main(self, ctx: flexitest.RunContext):
+        reth = ctx.get_service("reth")
+        address = reth.create_web3().address
+
+        rethrpc = reth.create_rpc()
+        block = rethrpc.eth_getBlockByNumber("pending", True)
+
+        assert block is not None, "get pending block"
+
+        gas = rethrpc.eth_estimateGas(
+            {
+                "chainId": "0x3039",
+                "from": address,
+                "to": "0x" + "00" * 20,
+                "nonce": "0x0",
+            },
+            "pending",
+        )
+
+        assert gas is not None, "estimate gas on pending block"