diff --git a/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing.go b/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing.go
index fa01db583..86ec0ac20 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing.go
@@ -458,9 +458,12 @@ func (s *Service) checkHeaderRange(start uint64, end uint64,
 }
 
 func (s *Service) checkForChainstart(blockHash [32]byte, blockNumber *big.Int, blockTime uint64) {
+	if s.preGenesisState.NumValidators() == 0 {
+		return
+	}
 	valCount, err := helpers.ActiveValidatorCount(s.preGenesisState, 0)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.WithError(err).Error("Could not determine active validator count from pref genesis state")
+		log.WithError(err).Error("Could not determine active validator count from pre genesis state")
 	}
 	triggered := state.IsValidGenesisState(valCount, s.createGenesisTime(blockTime))
 	if triggered {
diff --git a/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing_test.go b/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing_test.go
index 8368fcd71..908a2ae35 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/powchain/log_processing_test.go
@@ -622,6 +622,16 @@ func TestConsistentGenesisState(t *testing.T) {
 	cancel()
 }
 
+func TestCheckForChainstart_NoValidator(t *testing.T) {
+	hook := logTest.NewGlobal()
+	testAcc, err := contracts.Setup()
+	require.NoError(t, err, "Unable to set up simulated backend")
+	beaconDB, _ := testDB.SetupDB(t)
+	s := newPowchainService(t, testAcc, beaconDB)
+	s.checkForChainstart([32]byte{}, nil, 0)
+	testutil.AssertLogsDoNotContain(t, hook, "Could not determine active validator count from pre genesis state")
+}
+
 func newPowchainService(t *testing.T, eth1Backend *contracts.TestAccount, beaconDB db.Database) *Service {
 	depositCache, err := depositcache.NewDepositCache()
 	require.NoError(t, err)