diff --git a/packages/vm/lib/runBlock.ts b/packages/vm/lib/runBlock.ts
index 59fadd70620..5a7b685bd50 100644
--- a/packages/vm/lib/runBlock.ts
+++ b/packages/vm/lib/runBlock.ts
@@ -52,13 +52,9 @@ export interface RunBlockResult {
 }
 
 /**
- * Receipt generated for a transaction
+ * Abstract interface with common transaction receipt fields
  */
-export interface TxReceipt {
-  /**
-   * Status of transaction, `1` if successful, `0` if an exception occured
-   */
-  status: 0 | 1
+interface TxReceipt {
   /**
    * Gas used
    */
@@ -73,6 +69,28 @@ export interface TxReceipt {
   logs: any[]
 }
 
+/**
+ * Pre-Byzantium receipt type with a field
+ * for the intermediary state root
+ */
+export interface PreByzantiumTxReceipt extends TxReceipt {
+  /**
+   * Intermediary state root
+   */
+  stateRoot: Buffer
+}
+
+/**
+ * Receipt type for Byzantium and beyond replacing the intermediary
+ * state root field with a status code field (EIP-658)
+ */
+export interface PostByzantiumTxReceipt extends TxReceipt {
+  /**
+   * Status of transaction, `1` if successful, `0` if an exception occured
+   */
+  status: 0 | 1
+}
+
 /**
  * @ignore
  */
@@ -219,12 +237,28 @@ async function applyTransactions(this: VM, block: any, opts: RunBlockOpts) {
     // Combine blooms via bitwise OR
     bloom.or(txRes.bloom)
 
-    const txReceipt: TxReceipt = {
-      status: txRes.execResult.exceptionError ? 0 : 1, // Receipts have a 0 as status on error
+    const abstractTxReceipt: TxReceipt = {
       gasUsed: gasUsed.toArrayLike(Buffer),
       bitvector: txRes.bloom.bitvector,
       logs: txRes.execResult.logs || [],
     }
+    let txReceipt
+    if (this._common.gteHardfork('byzantium')) {
+      txReceipt = {
+        status: txRes.execResult.exceptionError ? 0 : 1, // Receipts have a 0 as status on error
+        ...abstractTxReceipt,
+      } as PostByzantiumTxReceipt
+    } else {
+      // This is just using a dummy place holder for the state root right now.
+      // Giving the correct intermediary state root would need a too depp intervention
+      // into the current checkpointing mechanism which hasn't been considered
+      // to be worth it on a HF backport, 2020-06-26
+      txReceipt = {
+        stateRoot: Buffer.alloc(32),
+        ...abstractTxReceipt,
+      } as PreByzantiumTxReceipt
+    }
+
     receipts.push(txReceipt)
 
     // Add receipt to trie to later calculate receipt root
diff --git a/packages/vm/tests/api/runBlock.js b/packages/vm/tests/api/runBlock.js
index a49f583df62..92582e15956 100644
--- a/packages/vm/tests/api/runBlock.js
+++ b/packages/vm/tests/api/runBlock.js
@@ -145,3 +145,32 @@ tape('should run valid block', async (t) => {
 
   t.end()
 })
+
+async function runWithHf(hardfork) {
+  const vm = setupVM({ hardfork: hardfork })
+  const suite = setup(vm)
+
+  const block = new Block(util.rlp.decode(suite.data.blocks[0].rlp))
+
+  await setupPreConditions(suite.vm.stateManager._trie, suite.data)
+
+  let res = await suite.p.runBlock({
+    block,
+    generate: true,
+    skipBlockValidation: true,
+  })
+  return res
+}
+
+tape('should return correct HF receipts', async (t) => {
+  let res = await runWithHf('byzantium')
+  t.equal(res.receipts[0].status, 1, 'should return correct post-Byzantium receipt format')
+  
+  res = await runWithHf('spuriousDragon')
+  t.deepEqual(
+    res.receipts[0].stateRoot,
+    Buffer.alloc(32),
+    'should return correct pre-Byzantium receipt format')
+
+  t.end()
+})
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