diff --git a/consensus/polybft/state_sync_commitment.go b/consensus/polybft/state_sync_commitment.go
index 8aeeb45f44..6f109d834f 100644
--- a/consensus/polybft/state_sync_commitment.go
+++ b/consensus/polybft/state_sync_commitment.go
@@ -198,10 +198,5 @@ func createMerkleTree(stateSyncEvents []*contractsapi.StateSyncedEvent) (*merkle
 		stateSyncData[i] = data
 	}
 
-	if len(stateSyncEvents) == 1 {
-		//nolint:makezero
-		stateSyncData = append(stateSyncData, []byte{})
-	}
-
 	return merkle.NewMerkleTree(stateSyncData)
 }
diff --git a/e2e-polybft/e2e/bridge_test.go b/e2e-polybft/e2e/bridge_test.go
index 661fb97c25..ceb97f572b 100644
--- a/e2e-polybft/e2e/bridge_test.go
+++ b/e2e-polybft/e2e/bridge_test.go
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ import (
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
+	"os"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -30,6 +32,20 @@ const (
 	chainConfigFileName = "genesis.json"
 )
 
+func init() {
+	wd, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	parent := filepath.Dir(wd)
+	wd = filepath.Join(parent, "../artifacts/polygon-edge")
+	os.Setenv("EDGE_BINARY", wd)
+	os.Setenv("E2E_TESTS", "true")
+	os.Setenv("E2E_LOGS", "true")
+	os.Setenv("E2E_LOG_LEVEL", "debug")
+}
+
 func TestE2E_Bridge_Transfers(t *testing.T) {
 	const (
 		transfersCount        = 5
diff --git a/merkle-tree/merkle_tree_test.go b/merkle-tree/merkle_tree_test.go
index 426014c5e0..2f342a9277 100644
--- a/merkle-tree/merkle_tree_test.go
+++ b/merkle-tree/merkle_tree_test.go
@@ -90,22 +90,3 @@ func TestMerkleTree_VerifyProof_TreeWithOneNode(t *testing.T) {
 	// empty leaf
 	require.ErrorContains(t, VerifyProof(11, []byte{}, proof, tree.Hash()), "empty leaf")
 }
-
-func TestMerkleTree_WithOneLeaf_AndOneEmptyLeaf(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	leafData := []byte{1}
-	treeData := [][]byte{leafData, {}} // with one empty leaf
-
-	tree, err := NewMerkleTree(treeData)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
-	proof, err := tree.GenerateProof(leafData)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.NotEmpty(t, proof)
-
-	index, err := tree.LeafIndex(leafData)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Equal(t, uint64(0), index) // should be 0
-	require.NoError(t, VerifyProof(index, leafData, proof, tree.Hash()))
-}