diff --git a/adapters/vm2core/vm2core.go b/adapters/vm2core/vm2core.go
index c8e2e57c1..25222e9c7 100644
--- a/adapters/vm2core/vm2core.go
+++ b/adapters/vm2core/vm2core.go
@@ -41,11 +41,10 @@ func AdaptOrderedEvents(events []vm.OrderedEvent) []*core.Event {
 	return utils.Map(events, AdaptOrderedEvent)
 }
 
-func AdaptStateDiff(trace *vm.TransactionTrace) *core.StateDiff {
-	if trace.StateDiff == nil {
-		return nil
+func AdaptStateDiff(stateDiff *vm.StateDiff) *core.StateDiff {
+	if stateDiff == nil {
+		return core.EmptyStateDiff()
 	}
-	stateDiff := trace.StateDiff
 	newStorageDiffs := make(map[felt.Felt]map[felt.Felt]*felt.Felt, len(stateDiff.StorageDiffs))
 	for _, sd := range stateDiff.StorageDiffs {
 		entries := make(map[felt.Felt]*felt.Felt)
diff --git a/genesis/genesis.go b/genesis/genesis.go
index 9d5bab38a..bfa10ab59 100644
--- a/genesis/genesis.go
+++ b/genesis/genesis.go
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ func GenesisStateDiff( //nolint:funlen,gocyclo
 			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("execute function call: %v", err)
 		}
 
-		traceSD := vm2core.AdaptStateDiff(&trace[0])
+		traceSD := vm2core.AdaptStateDiff(trace[0].StateDiff)
 		genesisSD, _ := genesisState.StateDiffAndClasses()
 		genesisSD.Merge(traceSD)
 		genesisState.SetStateDiff(genesisSD)
diff --git a/sync/pending.go b/sync/pending.go
index a8441e4c7..c75122871 100644
--- a/sync/pending.go
+++ b/sync/pending.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/NethermindEth/juno/db"
 )
 
+var feltOne = new(felt.Felt).SetUint64(1)
+
 type Pending struct {
 	Block       *core.Block
 	StateUpdate *core.StateUpdate
@@ -97,8 +99,7 @@ func (p *PendingStateWriter) IncrementNonce(contractAddress *felt.Felt) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("get contract nonce: %v", err)
 	}
-	newNonce := new(felt.Felt).SetUint64(1)
-	p.stateDiff.Nonces[*contractAddress] = newNonce.Add(currentNonce, newNonce)
+	p.stateDiff.Nonces[*contractAddress] = currentNonce.Add(currentNonce, feltOne)
 	return nil
 }