diff --git a/packages/tx/src/eip1559Transaction.ts b/packages/tx/src/eip1559Transaction.ts
index 35c038cc14..a85dbec2b8 100644
--- a/packages/tx/src/eip1559Transaction.ts
+++ b/packages/tx/src/eip1559Transaction.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ export default class FeeMarketEIP1559Transaction extends BaseTransaction<FeeMark
     // Verify the access list format.
     AccessLists.verifyAccessList(this.accessList)
 
-    this.chainId = chainId ? new BN(toBuffer(chainId)) : new BN(this.common.chainId())
+    this.chainId = chainId ? new BN(toBuffer(chainId)) : this.common.chainIdBN()
     this.maxFeePerGas = new BN(toBuffer(maxFeePerGas === '' ? '0x' : maxFeePerGas))
     this.maxPriorityFeePerGas = new BN(
       toBuffer(maxPriorityFeePerGas === '' ? '0x' : maxPriorityFeePerGas)
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ export default class FeeMarketEIP1559Transaction extends BaseTransaction<FeeMark
       maxPriorityFeePerGas: this.maxPriorityFeePerGas,
     })
 
-    if (!this.chainId.eq(new BN(this.common.chainId().toString()))) {
+    if (!this.chainId.eq(this.common.chainIdBN())) {
       throw new Error('The chain ID does not match the chain ID of Common')
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/vm/lib/runBlock.ts b/packages/vm/lib/runBlock.ts
index 86fb0f3765..e2dc147d8a 100644
--- a/packages/vm/lib/runBlock.ts
+++ b/packages/vm/lib/runBlock.ts
@@ -236,11 +236,6 @@ async function applyTransactions(this: VM, block: Block, opts: RunBlockOpts) {
   const receipts = []
   const txResults = []
 
-  let cliqueBeneficiary
-  if (this._common.consensusType() === 'poa' && 'cliqueSigner' in block.header) {
-    cliqueBeneficiary = block.header.cliqueSigner()
-  }
-
   /*
    * Process transactions
    */
@@ -264,18 +259,12 @@ async function applyTransactions(this: VM, block: Block, opts: RunBlockOpts) {
     // Run the tx through the VM
     const { skipBalance, skipNonce } = opts
 
-    // Construct a block with the current gasUsed for accurate tx receipt generation
-    const blockWithGasUsed = Block.fromBlockData(
-      { ...block, header: { ...block.header, gasUsed } },
-      { common: this._common }
-    )
-
     const txRes = await this.runTx({
       tx,
-      block: blockWithGasUsed,
+      block,
       skipBalance,
       skipNonce,
-      cliqueBeneficiary,
+      blockGasUsed: gasUsed,
     })
     txResults.push(txRes)
 
diff --git a/packages/vm/lib/runTx.ts b/packages/vm/lib/runTx.ts
index c78eca0bb6..001ae35be3 100644
--- a/packages/vm/lib/runTx.ts
+++ b/packages/vm/lib/runTx.ts
@@ -31,9 +31,6 @@ export interface RunTxOpts {
   /**
    * The `@ethereumjs/block` the `tx` belongs to.
    * If omitted, a default blank block will be used.
-   * To obtain an accurate `TxReceipt`, please pass a block
-   * with the header field `gasUsed` set to the value
-   * prior to this tx being run.
    */
   block?: Block
   /**
@@ -68,12 +65,9 @@ export interface RunTxOpts {
   reportAccessList?: boolean
 
   /**
-   * Optional clique Address: if the consensus algorithm is on clique,
-   * and this parameter is provided, use this as the beneficiary of transaction fees
-   * If it is not provided and the consensus algorithm is clique, instead
-   * get it from the block using `cliqueSigner()`
+   * To obtain an accurate tx receipt input the block gas used up until this tx.
    */
-  cliqueBeneficiary?: Address
+  blockGasUsed?: BN
 }
 
 /**
@@ -331,15 +325,11 @@ async function _runTx(this: VM, opts: RunTxOpts): Promise<RunTxResult> {
     miner = block.header.coinbase
   } else {
     // Backwards-compatibilty check
-    // TODO: can be removed along VM v5 release
-    if (opts.cliqueBeneficiary) {
-      miner = opts.cliqueBeneficiary
+    // TODO: can be removed along VM v6 release
+    if ('cliqueSigner' in block.header) {
+      miner = block.header.cliqueSigner()
     } else {
-      if ('cliqueSigner' in block.header) {
-        miner = block.header.cliqueSigner()
-      } else {
-        miner = Address.zero()
-      }
+      miner = Address.zero()
     }
   }
   const minerAccount = await state.getAccount(miner)
@@ -370,8 +360,8 @@ async function _runTx(this: VM, opts: RunTxOpts): Promise<RunTxResult> {
   state.clearOriginalStorageCache()
 
   // Generate the tx receipt
-  const blockGasUsed = block.header.gasUsed.add(results.gasUsed)
-  results.receipt = await generateTxReceipt.bind(this)(tx, results, blockGasUsed)
+  const cumulativeGasUsed = (opts.blockGasUsed ?? block.header.gasUsed).add(results.gasUsed)
+  results.receipt = await generateTxReceipt.bind(this)(tx, results, cumulativeGasUsed)
 
   /**
    * The `afterTx` event
@@ -412,16 +402,16 @@ function txLogsBloom(logs?: any[]): Bloom {
  * @param this The vm instance
  * @param tx The transaction
  * @param txResult The tx result
- * @param blockGasUsed The amount of gas used in the block up until this tx
+ * @param cumulativeGasUsed The gas used in the block including this tx
  */
 export async function generateTxReceipt(
   this: VM,
   tx: TypedTransaction,
   txResult: RunTxResult,
-  blockGasUsed: BN
+  cumulativeGasUsed: BN
 ): Promise<TxReceipt> {
   const baseReceipt: BaseTxReceipt = {
-    gasUsed: blockGasUsed.toArrayLike(Buffer),
+    gasUsed: cumulativeGasUsed.toArrayLike(Buffer),
     bitvector: txResult.bloom.bitvector,
     logs: txResult.execResult.logs ?? [],
   }
diff --git a/packages/vm/lib/types.ts b/packages/vm/lib/types.ts
index 583a8a7b13..7b8a4ebddb 100644
--- a/packages/vm/lib/types.ts
+++ b/packages/vm/lib/types.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export type TxReceipt = PreByzantiumTxReceipt | PostByzantiumTxReceipt | EIP2930
  */
 export interface BaseTxReceipt {
   /**
-   * Gas used
+   * Cumulative gas used in the block including this tx
    */
   gasUsed: Buffer
   /**
diff --git a/packages/vm/tests/api/runBlock.spec.ts b/packages/vm/tests/api/runBlock.spec.ts
index 06e913510f..c6f3f4ee65 100644
--- a/packages/vm/tests/api/runBlock.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/vm/tests/api/runBlock.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import tape from 'tape'
-import { Address, BN, rlp, KECCAK256_RLP } from 'ethereumjs-util'
+import { Address, BN, rlp, KECCAK256_RLP, Account } from 'ethereumjs-util'
 import Common from '@ethereumjs/common'
 import { Block } from '@ethereumjs/block'
 import {
@@ -20,21 +20,12 @@ const testData = require('./testdata/blockchain.json')
 const common = new Common({ chain: 'mainnet', hardfork: 'berlin' })
 
 tape('runBlock() -> successful API parameter usage', async (t) => {
-  async function simpleRun(vm: VM, opts: any = {}) {
-    const common = opts.common
-
+  async function simpleRun(vm: VM) {
     const genesisRlp = testData.genesisRLP
-    const genesis = Block.fromRLPSerializedBlock(genesisRlp, { common })
+    const genesis = Block.fromRLPSerializedBlock(genesisRlp)
 
     const blockRlp = testData.blocks[0].rlp
-    const block = Block.fromRLPSerializedBlock(blockRlp, { common, freeze: false })
-
-    if (opts.cliqueBeneficiary) {
-      // eslint-disable-next-line no-extra-semi
-      ;(block.header as any).cliqueSigner = () => {
-        return opts.cliqueBeneficiary
-      }
-    }
+    const block = Block.fromRLPSerializedBlock(blockRlp)
 
     //@ts-ignore
     await setupPreConditions(vm.stateManager._trie, testData)
@@ -45,17 +36,11 @@ tape('runBlock() -> successful API parameter usage', async (t) => {
       'genesis state root should match calculated state root'
     )
 
-    let generate = false
-    if (opts.generate) {
-      generate = true
-    }
-
     const res = await vm.runBlock({
       block,
       // @ts-ignore
       root: vm.stateManager._trie.root,
       skipBlockValidation: true,
-      generate,
     })
 
     t.equal(
@@ -90,16 +75,6 @@ tape('runBlock() -> successful API parameter usage', async (t) => {
     t.end()
   })
 
-  t.test("PoA block, should use block header's cliqueSigner", async (t) => {
-    const common = new Common({ chain: 'goerli', hardfork: 'berlin' })
-    const vm = setupVM({ common })
-    const cliqueBeneficiary = Address.fromString('0x70732c08fb6dbb06a64bf619c816c22aed12267a')
-    await simpleRun(vm, { common, cliqueBeneficiary, generate: true })
-    const account = await vm.stateManager.getAccount(cliqueBeneficiary)
-    t.ok(account.balance.gtn(0), 'beneficiary balance should be updated')
-    t.end()
-  })
-
   t.test('hardforkByBlockNumber option', async (t) => {
     const common1 = new Common({
       chain: 'mainnet',
@@ -292,6 +267,53 @@ tape('runBlock() -> runtime behavior', async (t) => {
 
     t.end()
   })
+
+  t.test('should allocate to correct clique beneficiary', async (t) => {
+    const common = new Common({ chain: 'goerli' })
+    const vm = setupVM({ common })
+
+    const signer = {
+      address: new Address(Buffer.from('0b90087d864e82a284dca15923f3776de6bb016f', 'hex')),
+      privateKey: Buffer.from(
+        '64bf9cc30328b0e42387b3c82c614e6386259136235e20c1357bd11cdee86993',
+        'hex'
+      ),
+      publicKey: Buffer.from(
+        '40b2ebdf4b53206d2d3d3d59e7e2f13b1ea68305aec71d5d24cefe7f24ecae886d241f9267f04702d7f693655eb7b4aa23f30dcd0c3c5f2b970aad7c8a828195',
+        'hex'
+      ),
+    }
+
+    const otherUser = {
+      address: new Address(Buffer.from('6f62d8382bf2587361db73ceca28be91b2acb6df', 'hex')),
+      privateKey: Buffer.from(
+        '2a6e9ad5a6a8e4f17149b8bc7128bf090566a11dbd63c30e5a0ee9f161309cd6',
+        'hex'
+      ),
+      publicKey: Buffer.from(
+        'ca0a55f6e81cb897aee6a1c390aa83435c41048faa0564b226cfc9f3df48b73e846377fb0fd606df073addc7bd851f22547afbbdd5c3b028c91399df802083a2',
+        'hex'
+      ),
+    }
+
+    // add balance to otherUser to send two txs to zero address
+    await vm.stateManager.putAccount(otherUser.address, new Account(new BN(0), new BN(42000)))
+    const tx = Transaction.fromTxData(
+      { to: Address.zero(), gasLimit: 21000, gasPrice: 1 },
+      { common }
+    ).sign(otherUser.privateKey)
+
+    // create block with the signer and txs
+    const block = Block.genesis(
+      { transactions: [tx, tx] },
+      { common, cliqueSigner: signer.privateKey }
+    )
+
+    await vm.runBlock({ block, skipNonce: true, skipBlockValidation: true, generate: true })
+    const account = await vm.stateManager.getAccount(signer.address)
+    t.ok(account.balance.eqn(42000), 'beneficiary balance should equal the cost of the txs')
+    t.end()
+  })
 })
 
 async function runBlockAndGetAfterBlockEvent(
diff --git a/packages/vm/tests/api/runTx.spec.ts b/packages/vm/tests/api/runTx.spec.ts
index 32ea535a90..6e85de653e 100644
--- a/packages/vm/tests/api/runTx.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/vm/tests/api/runTx.spec.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,25 @@ tape('runTx() -> successful API parameter usage', async (t) => {
     t.end()
   })
 
+  t.test('should use passed in blockGasUsed to generate tx receipt', async (t) => {
+    const common = new Common({ chain: 'mainnet', hardfork: 'istanbul' })
+    const vm = new VM({ common })
+
+    const tx = getTransaction(vm._common, 0, true)
+
+    const caller = tx.getSenderAddress()
+    const acc = createAccount()
+    await vm.stateManager.putAccount(caller, acc)
+
+    const blockGasUsed = new BN(1000)
+    const res = await vm.runTx({ tx, blockGasUsed })
+    t.ok(
+      new BN(res.receipt.gasUsed).eq(blockGasUsed.add(res.gasUsed)),
+      'receipt.gasUsed should equal block gas used + tx gas used'
+    )
+    t.end()
+  })
+
   t.test('Legacy Transaction with HF set to pre-Berlin', async (t) => {
     const common = new Common({ chain: 'mainnet', hardfork: 'istanbul' })
     const vm = new VM({ common })