diff --git a/main.star b/main.star
index fe00ae2c..94d51d9b 100644
--- a/main.star
+++ b/main.star
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ def run(plan, args):
             "L1_WS_URL": external_l1_args.el_ws_url,
             "L1_CHAIN_ID": external_l1_args.network_id,
         }
+
+        plan.print("Waiting for network to sync")
+        wait_for_sync.wait_for_sync(plan, l1_config_env_vars)
     else:
         plan.print("Deploying a local L1")
         l1 = ethereum_package.run(plan, ethereum_args)
@@ -74,13 +77,8 @@ def run(plan, args):
         l1_config_env_vars = get_l1_config(
             all_l1_participants, l1_network_params, l1_network_id
         )
-
-    if l1_network == "kurtosis":
         plan.print("Waiting for L1 to start up")
         wait_for_sync.wait_for_startup(plan, l1_config_env_vars)
-    else:
-        plan.print("Waiting for network to sync")
-        wait_for_sync.wait_for_sync(plan, l1_config_env_vars)
 
     deployment_output = contract_deployer.deploy_contracts(
         plan,
diff --git a/src/wait/wait_for_sync.star b/src/wait/wait_for_sync.star
index 8448afc5..1d8c95ba 100644
--- a/src/wait/wait_for_sync.star
+++ b/src/wait/wait_for_sync.star
@@ -26,10 +26,20 @@ def wait_for_sync(plan, l1_config_env_vars):
 
 def wait_for_startup(plan, l1_config_env_vars):
     plan.run_sh(
-        name="wait-for-l1-startup",
+        name="wait-for-l1-consensus-startup",
         description="Wait for L1 to start up - can take up to 2 minutes",
         image=utils.DEPLOYMENT_UTILS_IMAGE,
         env_vars=l1_config_env_vars,
         run="while true; do sleep 5; echo 'L1 Chain is starting up'; if [ \"$(curl -s $CL_RPC_URL/eth/v1/beacon/headers/ | jq -r '.data[0].header.message.slot')\" != \"0\" ]; then echo 'L1 Chain has started!'; break; fi; done",
         wait="300s",
     )
+
+    # wait for block 3 to avoid transaction indexing in progress errors
+    plan.run_sh(
+        name="wait-for-l1-execution-startup",
+        description="Wait for L1 execution to start up - can take up to 2 minutes",
+        image=utils.DEPLOYMENT_UTILS_IMAGE,
+        env_vars=l1_config_env_vars,
+        run='while true; do sleep 5; current_head=$(cast bn --rpc-url=$L1_RPC_URL); echo "L1 Execution is starting up"; if [ "$current_head" -ge "3" ]; then echo "L1 Execution has started!"; break; fi; done',
+        wait="5m"
+    )