diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 8d6123c02a..411c67899a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1788,6 +1788,7 @@ name = "edr_defaults"
 version = "0.3.8"
 dependencies = [
  "alloy-primitives 0.7.7",
+ "ruint",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/crates/edr_defaults/Cargo.toml b/crates/edr_defaults/Cargo.toml
index ece17cb710..7395f8bd88 100644
--- a/crates/edr_defaults/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/edr_defaults/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ edition.workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
 alloy-primitives.workspace = true
+ruint = "1.12.3"
 
 [lints]
 workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/edr_defaults/src/lib.rs b/crates/edr_defaults/src/lib.rs
index 4597fb1f43..e3bdddca45 100644
--- a/crates/edr_defaults/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/edr_defaults/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use alloy_primitives::{address, Address};
+use ruint::aliases::U256;
 
 /// The default secret keys from which the local accounts will be derived.
 pub const SECRET_KEYS: [&str; 20] = [
@@ -53,3 +54,6 @@ pub const DEV_CHAIN_ID: u64 = 31337;
 /// The first four bytes of the call data for a function call specifies the
 /// function to be called.
 pub const SELECTOR_LEN: usize = 4;
+
+/// Terminal total difficulty for the Merge on main net
+pub const TERMINAL_TOTAL_DIFFICULTY: U256 = ruint::uint!(58750000000000000000000_U256);
diff --git a/crates/edr_evm/src/blockchain/remote.rs b/crates/edr_evm/src/blockchain/remote.rs
index aadc111692..cb192419d3 100644
--- a/crates/edr_evm/src/blockchain/remote.rs
+++ b/crates/edr_evm/src/blockchain/remote.rs
@@ -208,9 +208,13 @@ where
             .get_block_by_hash_with_transaction_data(*hash)
             .await?
         {
+            // Geth has recently removed the total difficulty field from block RPC
+            // responses, so we fall back to the terminal total difficulty of main net to
+            // provide backwards compatibility.
+            // TODO https://github.com/NomicFoundation/edr/issues/696
             let total_difficulty = *block
                 .total_difficulty()
-                .expect("Must be present as this is not a pending transaction");
+                .unwrap_or(&edr_defaults::TERMINAL_TOTAL_DIFFICULTY);
 
             self.fetch_and_cache_block(cache, block).await?;
 
@@ -227,9 +231,13 @@ where
         cache: RwLockUpgradableReadGuard<'_, SparseBlockchainStorage<BlockT, ChainSpecT>>,
         block: ChainSpecT::RpcBlock<ChainSpecT::RpcTransaction>,
     ) -> Result<BlockT, ForkedBlockchainError> {
+        // Geth has recently removed the total difficulty field from block RPC
+        // responses, so we fall back to the terminal total difficulty of main net to
+        // provide backwards compatibility.
+        // TODO https://github.com/NomicFoundation/edr/issues/696
         let total_difficulty = *block
             .total_difficulty()
-            .expect("Must be present as this is not a pending block");
+            .unwrap_or(&edr_defaults::TERMINAL_TOTAL_DIFFICULTY);
 
         let block: RemoteBlock<ChainSpecT> =
             block.into_remote_block(self.client.clone(), self.runtime.clone())?;
diff --git a/crates/edr_napi/CHANGELOG.md b/crates/edr_napi/CHANGELOG.md
index 3f35ed54a5..3fc62ba87a 100644
--- a/crates/edr_napi/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/crates/edr_napi/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # @nomicfoundation/edr
 
+## 0.6.4
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- 14620c9: Fix panic due to remote nodes not returning total difficulty by adding fallback value
+
 ## 0.6.3
 
 ### Patch Changes