diff --git a/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/beacon_chain.rs b/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/beacon_chain.rs
index e76c258e0c..717f9e41f2 100644
--- a/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/beacon_chain.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/beacon_chain/src/beacon_chain.rs
@@ -3257,18 +3257,10 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> BeaconChain<T> {
                             error: BlockError::BeaconChainError(Box::new(e.into())),
                         };
                     }
-                    if let Err(e) = self
-                        .canonical_head
-                        .fork_choice_write_lock()
-                        .on_valid_payload_envelope_received(block_root)
-                    {
-                        return ChainSegmentResult::Failed {
-                            imported_blocks,
-                            error: BlockError::BeaconChainError(Box::new(
-                                BeaconChainError::ForkChoiceError(e),
-                            )),
-                        };
-                    }
+                    // Note: we do NOT call on_valid_payload_envelope_received here
+                    // because the block hasn't been added to fork choice yet (that
+                    // happens in process_block below). The fork choice update is
+                    // handled by import_envelope_from_range_sync after process_block.
                 }
 
                 match self
diff --git a/beacon_node/network/src/sync/backfill_sync/mod.rs b/beacon_node/network/src/sync/backfill_sync/mod.rs
index 0f80138d24..c690d5e584 100644
--- a/beacon_node/network/src/sync/backfill_sync/mod.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/network/src/sync/backfill_sync/mod.rs
@@ -215,6 +215,11 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> BackFillSync<T> {
         &mut self,
         network: &mut SyncNetworkContext<T>,
     ) -> Result<SyncStart, BackFillError> {
+        // Skip backfill sync for GLOaS — not yet implemented for this fork.
+        if self.beacon_chain.spec.gloas_fork_epoch.is_some_and(|e| e != Epoch::max_value()) {
+            return Ok(SyncStart::NotSyncing);
+        }
+
         match self.state() {
             BackFillState::Syncing => {} // already syncing ignore.
             BackFillState::Paused => {