diff --git a/crates/consensus/beacon-core/Cargo.toml b/crates/consensus/beacon-core/Cargo.toml
index 01623eaf9e6..232631f73b6 100644
--- a/crates/consensus/beacon-core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/consensus/beacon-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,4 +14,7 @@ workspace = true
 # reth
 reth-consensus-common.workspace = true
 reth-primitives.workspace = true
-reth-interfaces.workspace = true
\ No newline at end of file
+reth-interfaces.workspace = true
+
+[features]
+optimism = ["reth-primitives/optimism"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/crates/consensus/beacon-core/src/lib.rs b/crates/consensus/beacon-core/src/lib.rs
index e9b4114a3b7..599e0100922 100644
--- a/crates/consensus/beacon-core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/consensus/beacon-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -46,14 +46,27 @@ impl Consensus for BeaconConsensus {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    #[allow(unused_assignments)]
+    #[allow(unused_mut)]
     fn validate_header_with_total_difficulty(
         &self,
         header: &Header,
         total_difficulty: U256,
     ) -> Result<(), ConsensusError> {
-        if self.chain_spec.fork(Hardfork::Paris).active_at_ttd(total_difficulty, header.difficulty)
+        let mut is_post_merge = self
+            .chain_spec
+            .fork(Hardfork::Paris)
+            .active_at_ttd(total_difficulty, header.difficulty);
+
+        #[cfg(feature = "optimism")]
         {
-            if !header.is_zero_difficulty() {
+            // If OP-Stack then bedrock activation number determines when TTD (eth Merge) has been
+            // reached.
+            is_post_merge = self.chain_spec.is_bedrock_active_at_block(header.number);
+        }
+
+        if is_post_merge {
+            if !self.chain_spec.is_optimism() && !header.is_zero_difficulty() {
                 return Err(ConsensusError::TheMergeDifficultyIsNotZero)
             }
 
@@ -94,10 +107,10 @@ impl Consensus for BeaconConsensus {
                 })
             }
 
-            // Goerli exception:
+            // Goerli and early OP exception:
             //  * If the network is goerli pre-merge, ignore the extradata check, since we do not
-            //  support clique.
-            if self.chain_spec.chain != Chain::goerli() {
+            //  support clique. Same goes for OP blocks below Bedrock.
+            if self.chain_spec.chain != Chain::goerli() && !self.chain_spec.is_optimism() {
                 validate_header_extradata(header)?;
             }
         }
diff --git a/crates/consensus/beacon/Cargo.toml b/crates/consensus/beacon/Cargo.toml
index 52389143c40..2c86a4d414e 100644
--- a/crates/consensus/beacon/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/consensus/beacon/Cargo.toml
@@ -65,4 +65,5 @@ optimism = [
     "reth-interfaces/optimism",
     "reth-provider/optimism",
     "reth-blockchain-tree/optimism",
+    "reth-beacon-consensus-core/optimism"
 ]
diff --git a/crates/primitives/src/chain/spec.rs b/crates/primitives/src/chain/spec.rs
index 160eddf9df5..f8b599f8dc7 100644
--- a/crates/primitives/src/chain/spec.rs
+++ b/crates/primitives/src/chain/spec.rs
@@ -574,6 +574,12 @@ impl ChainSpec {
         self.chain.is_optimism()
     }
 
+    /// Returns `true` if this chain is Optimism mainnet.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn is_optimism_mainnet(&self) -> bool {
+        self.chain == Chain::optimism_mainnet()
+    }
+
     /// Get the genesis block specification.
     ///
     /// To get the header for the genesis block, use [`Self::genesis_header`] instead.
@@ -779,6 +785,13 @@ impl ChainSpec {
         self.fork(Hardfork::Homestead).active_at_block(block_number)
     }
 
+    /// Convenience method to check if [Hardfork::Bedrock] is active at a given block number.
+    #[cfg(feature = "optimism")]
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn is_bedrock_active_at_block(&self, block_number: u64) -> bool {
+        self.fork(Hardfork::Bedrock).active_at_block(block_number)
+    }
+
     /// Creates a [`ForkFilter`] for the block described by [Head].
     pub fn fork_filter(&self, head: Head) -> ForkFilter {
         let forks = self.forks_iter().filter_map(|(_, condition)| {
@@ -3176,4 +3189,10 @@ Post-merge hard forks (timestamp based):
             BASE_MAINNET.latest_fork_id()
         )
     }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "optimism")]
+    #[test]
+    fn is_bedrock_active() {
+        assert!(!OP_MAINNET.is_bedrock_active_at_block(1))
+    }
 }