diff --git a/common/common.go b/common/common.go
index 00b6f92d28..9f122b8688 100644
--- a/common/common.go
+++ b/common/common.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/multiversx/mx-chain-core-go/core"
 	"github.com/multiversx/mx-chain-core-go/core/check"
 	"github.com/multiversx/mx-chain-core-go/data"
+
 	"github.com/multiversx/mx-chain-go/consensus"
 )
 
@@ -84,3 +85,14 @@ func VerifyProofAgainstHeader(proof data.HeaderProofHandler, header data.HeaderH
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// GetShardIDs returns a map of shard IDs based on the provided shard coordinator
+func GetShardIDs(numShards uint32) map[uint32]struct{} {
+	shardIdentifiers := make(map[uint32]struct{})
+	for i := uint32(0); i < numShards; i++ {
+		shardIdentifiers[i] = struct{}{}
+	}
+	shardIdentifiers[core.MetachainShardId] = struct{}{}
+
+	return shardIdentifiers
+}
diff --git a/consensus/broadcast/delayedBroadcast.go b/consensus/broadcast/delayedBroadcast.go
index 512d9767d8..9f67dcbc24 100644
--- a/consensus/broadcast/delayedBroadcast.go
+++ b/consensus/broadcast/delayedBroadcast.go
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ func (dbb *delayedBlockBroadcaster) registerInterceptorsCallbackForShard(
 	rootTopic string,
 	cb func(topic string, hash []byte, data interface{}),
 ) error {
-	shardIDs := dbb.shardIdentifiers()
+	shardIDs := common.GetShardIDs(dbb.shardCoordinator.NumberOfShards())
 	for idx := range shardIDs {
 		// interested only in cross shard data
 		if idx == dbb.shardCoordinator.SelfId() {
@@ -603,16 +603,6 @@ func (dbb *delayedBlockBroadcaster) registerInterceptorsCallbackForShard(
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (dbb *delayedBlockBroadcaster) shardIdentifiers() map[uint32]struct{} {
-	shardIdentifiers := make(map[uint32]struct{})
-	for i := uint32(0); i < dbb.shardCoordinator.NumberOfShards(); i++ {
-		shardIdentifiers[i] = struct{}{}
-	}
-	shardIdentifiers[core.MetachainShardId] = struct{}{}
-
-	return shardIdentifiers
-}
-
 func (dbb *delayedBlockBroadcaster) interceptedHeader(_ string, headerHash []byte, header interface{}) {
 	headerHandler, ok := header.(data.HeaderHandler)
 	if !ok {
diff --git a/process/block/baseProcess.go b/process/block/baseProcess.go
index 0d9d13b4ce..8d67ec7a10 100644
--- a/process/block/baseProcess.go
+++ b/process/block/baseProcess.go
@@ -666,10 +666,51 @@ func (bp *baseProcessor) verifyFees(header data.HeaderHandler) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (bp *baseProcessor) filterHeadersWithoutProofs() (map[string]*hdrInfo, error) {
+	removedNonces := make(map[uint32]map[uint64]struct{})
+	noncesWithProofs := make(map[uint32]map[uint64]struct{})
+	shardIDs := common.GetShardIDs(bp.shardCoordinator.NumberOfShards())
+	for shard := range shardIDs {
+		removedNonces[shard] = make(map[uint64]struct{})
+		noncesWithProofs[shard] = make(map[uint64]struct{})
+	}
+	filteredHeadersInfo := make(map[string]*hdrInfo)
+
+	for hdrHash, headerInfo := range bp.hdrsForCurrBlock.hdrHashAndInfo {
+		if bp.enableEpochsHandler.IsFlagEnabledInEpoch(common.EquivalentMessagesFlag, headerInfo.hdr.GetEpoch()) {
+			if bp.hasMissingProof(headerInfo, hdrHash) {
+				removedNonces[headerInfo.hdr.GetShardID()][headerInfo.hdr.GetNonce()] = struct{}{}
+				continue
+			}
+
+			noncesWithProofs[headerInfo.hdr.GetShardID()][headerInfo.hdr.GetNonce()] = struct{}{}
+			filteredHeadersInfo[hdrHash] = bp.hdrsForCurrBlock.hdrHashAndInfo[hdrHash]
+			continue
+		}
+
+		filteredHeadersInfo[hdrHash] = bp.hdrsForCurrBlock.hdrHashAndInfo[hdrHash]
+	}
+
+	for shard, nonces := range removedNonces {
+		for nonce := range nonces {
+			if _, ok := noncesWithProofs[shard][nonce]; !ok {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w for shard %d and nonce %d", process.ErrMissingHeaderProof, shard, nonce)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return filteredHeadersInfo, nil
+}
+
 func (bp *baseProcessor) computeHeadersForCurrentBlock(usedInBlock bool) (map[uint32][]data.HeaderHandler, error) {
 	hdrsForCurrentBlock := make(map[uint32][]data.HeaderHandler)
 
-	for hdrHash, headerInfo := range bp.hdrsForCurrBlock.hdrHashAndInfo {
+	hdrHashAndInfo, err := bp.filterHeadersWithoutProofs()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	for hdrHash, headerInfo := range hdrHashAndInfo {
 		if headerInfo.usedInBlock != usedInBlock {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -747,7 +788,7 @@ func (bp *baseProcessor) sortHeaderHashesForCurrentBlockByNonce(usedInBlock bool
 }
 
 func (bp *baseProcessor) hasMissingProof(headerInfo *hdrInfo, hdrHash string) bool {
-	isFlagEnabledForHeader := bp.enableEpochsHandler.IsFlagEnabledInEpoch(common.EquivalentMessagesFlag, headerInfo.hdr.GetEpoch()) && headerInfo.hdr.GetNonce() > 1
+	isFlagEnabledForHeader := bp.enableEpochsHandler.IsFlagEnabledInEpoch(common.EquivalentMessagesFlag, headerInfo.hdr.GetEpoch()) && headerInfo.hdr.GetNonce() >= 1
 	if !isFlagEnabledForHeader {
 		return false
 	}