diff --git a/sequencer/dbmanager.go b/sequencer/dbmanager.go
index 86c92b3a87..ce0c4ccb44 100644
--- a/sequencer/dbmanager.go
+++ b/sequencer/dbmanager.go
@@ -485,6 +485,7 @@ func (d *dbManager) ProcessForcedBatch(ForcedBatchNumber uint64, request state.P
 	processBatchResponse, err := d.state.ProcessSequencerBatch(d.ctx, request.BatchNumber, forcedBatch.RawTxsData, request.Caller, dbTx)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("failed to process a forced batch, err: %v", err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// Close Batch
diff --git a/state/batch.go b/state/batch.go
index 6f302daa5f..36622be633 100644
--- a/state/batch.go
+++ b/state/batch.go
@@ -145,10 +145,15 @@ func (s *State) ProcessSequencerBatch(ctx context.Context, batchNumber uint64, b
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	txs, _, err := DecodeTxs(batchL2Data)
-	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, ErrInvalidData) {
-		return nil, err
+	txs := []types.Transaction{}
+
+	if processBatchResponse.Responses != nil && len(processBatchResponse.Responses) > 0 {
+		txs, _, err = DecodeTxs(batchL2Data)
+		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, ErrInvalidData) {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
+
 	result, err := s.convertToProcessBatchResponse(txs, processBatchResponse)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err