diff --git a/merge-scripts/README.md b/merge-scripts/README.md
index 3d1d352c05a8..ecdaf9e52181 100644
--- a/merge-scripts/README.md
+++ b/merge-scripts/README.md
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ Look for the .vars file in the folder to see what networks are supported. Here a
 1. Kiln Network ( soon to be deprecated ): `--devnetVars ./kiln.vars`
 2. Ropsten Network: `--devnetVars ./ropsten.vars`
 3. Sepolia Network: `--devnetVars ./sepolia.vars`
-4. Mainnet Shadow fork 8: `--devnetVars ./mainnetshadow-8.vars`
+4. Mainnet Shadow fork 9: `--devnetVars ./mainnetshadow-9.vars`
 
 #### And the much awaited Mainnet merge!
 
-Comming soon! but you can start prepping your nodes with `--devnetVars mainnet.vars` with a placeholder TTD.
+Comming soon! but you can start prepping your nodes with `--devnetVars mainnet.vars` with has a high placeholder TTD.
 
 ### Requirements
 
diff --git a/merge-scripts/mainnetshadow-8.vars b/merge-scripts/mainnetshadow-9.vars
similarity index 94%
rename from merge-scripts/mainnetshadow-8.vars
rename to merge-scripts/mainnetshadow-9.vars
index 62e0ddbd798c..213a7378b590 100644
--- a/merge-scripts/mainnetshadow-8.vars
+++ b/merge-scripts/mainnetshadow-9.vars
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ FEE_RECIPIENT="0xcccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc"
 #---------------- Only Modify below if you know what you are doing ----------------
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-DEVNET_NAME=mainnet-shadow-fork-8
-CONFIG_GIT_DIR=mainnet-shadow-fork-8
+DEVNET_NAME=mainnet-shadow-fork-9
+CONFIG_GIT_DIR=mainnet-shadow-fork-9
 NETWORK_ID=1
-MERGE_TTD=53290823313153069154304
+MERGE_TTD=53900179305005332824064
 
 GETH_IMAGE=ethereum/client-go:latest
 NETHERMIND_IMAGE=nethermind/nethermind:latest
diff --git a/merge-scripts/validate.sh b/merge-scripts/validate.sh
index 3f44bdd12c0b..46e0b7f64326 100644
--- a/merge-scripts/validate.sh
+++ b/merge-scripts/validate.sh
@@ -7,11 +7,16 @@ then
 fi
 if [ -n "$withValidatorMnemonic" ]
 then
+  if [ "$DEVNET_NAME" == "mainnet" ]
+  then
+    echo "withValidatorMnemonic is not safe to use on mainnet, please use withValidatorKeystore with correctly set LODESTAR_VALIDATOR_KEYSTORE_ARGS, exiting..."
+    exit;
+  fi;
   withValidator="withValidatorMnemonic";
   validatorKeyArgs="$LODESTAR_VALIDATOR_MNEMONIC_ARGS"
   if [ ! -n "$validatorKeyArgs" ]
   then
-    echo "To run validator with mnemonic, you need to set LODESTAR_VALIDATOR_MNEMONIC_ARGS"
+    echo "To run validator with mnemonic, you need to set LODESTAR_VALIDATOR_MNEMONIC_ARGS, exiting..."
     exit;
   fi;
 fi;
@@ -22,7 +27,7 @@ then
   validatorKeyArgs="$LODESTAR_VALIDATOR_KEYSTORE_ARGS"
   if [ ! -n "$validatorKeyArgs" ]
   then
-    echo "To run validator with keystores, you need to set LODESTAR_VALIDATOR_KEYSTORE_ARGS"
+    echo "To run validator with keystores, you need to set LODESTAR_VALIDATOR_KEYSTORE_ARGS, exiting ..."
     exit;
   fi;
 fi;
@@ -44,13 +49,13 @@ fi
 
 if [ -n "$withValidator" ] && ( [ -n "$justEL" ] || [ -n "$justEL" ] || [ -n "$justEL" ] )
 then
-  echo "--withValidator can not be just with --justEL or --justCL or --justVC. Try using only --justVC."
+  echo "--withValidator can not be just with --justEL or --justCL or --justVC. Try using only --justVC, exiting..."
   exit;
 fi;
 
 if [ -n "$justEL" ] && ( [ -n "$justCL" ] || [ -n "$justVC" ]  ) || [ -n "$justCL" ] && ( [ -n "$justEL" ] || [ -n "$justVC" ]  ) || [ -n "$justVC" ] && ( [ -n "$justEL" ] || [ -n "$justCL" ]  )
 then
-  echo "only one of --justEL, --justCL or --justVC can be used at a time. You can however start another (parallel) run(s) to spin them up separately."
+  echo "only one of --justEL, --justCL or --justVC can be used at a time. You can however start another (parallel) run(s) to spin them up separately, exiting..."
   exit;
 fi