diff --git a/dot/core/helpers_test.go b/dot/core/helpers_test.go
index e3f5a90aed..5f35557189 100644
--- a/dot/core/helpers_test.go
+++ b/dot/core/helpers_test.go
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ func NewTestService(t *testing.T, cfg *Config) *Service {
 	var stateSrvc *state.Service
 	testDatadirPath := t.TempDir()
 
-	gen, genesisTrie, genesisHeader := newTestGenesisWithTrieAndHeader(t)
+	gen, genesisTrie, genesisHeader := newWestendLocalWithTrieAndHeader(t)
 
 	if cfg.BlockState == nil || cfg.StorageState == nil ||
 		cfg.TransactionState == nil || cfg.CodeSubstitutedState == nil {
@@ -257,11 +257,11 @@ func NewTestService(t *testing.T, cfg *Config) *Service {
 	return s
 }
 
-func newTestGenesisWithTrieAndHeader(t *testing.T) (
+func newWestendLocalWithTrieAndHeader(t *testing.T) (
 	gen genesis.Genesis, genesisTrie trie.Trie, genesisHeader types.Header) {
 	t.Helper()
 
-	genesisPath := utils.GetGssmrV3SubstrateGenesisRawPathTest(t)
+	genesisPath := utils.GetWestendLocalRawGenesisPath(t)
 	genPtr, err := genesis.NewGenesisFromJSONRaw(genesisPath)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	gen = *genPtr
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ func newTestGenesisWithTrieAndHeader(t *testing.T) (
 	return gen, genesisTrie, genesisHeader
 }
 
-func getGssmrRuntimeCode(t *testing.T) (code []byte) {
+func getWestendDevRuntimeCode(t *testing.T) (code []byte) {
 	t.Helper()
 
 	path := utils.GetWestendDevRawGenesisPath(t)
diff --git a/dot/core/messages_integration_test.go b/dot/core/messages_integration_test.go
index 21543b6561..d7dbb3ad52 100644
--- a/dot/core/messages_integration_test.go
+++ b/dot/core/messages_integration_test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/dot/network"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/dot/peerset"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/dot/state"
-	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/dot/sync"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/dot/types"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/common"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/crypto/sr25519"
@@ -165,7 +164,13 @@ func TestService_HandleTransactionMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	rt.SetContextStorage(ts)
 
-	block := sync.BuildBlock(t, rt, genHeader, nil)
+	babeConfig, err := rt.BabeConfiguration()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	currentTimestamp := uint64(time.Now().UnixMilli())
+	currentSlot := currentTimestamp / babeConfig.SlotDuration
+
+	block := buildTestBlockWithoutExtrinsics(t, rt, genHeader, currentSlot, currentTimestamp)
 
 	err = s.handleBlock(block, ts)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/dot/core/service_integration_test.go b/dot/core/service_integration_test.go
index feaf86a3da..6ecad4b10a 100644
--- a/dot/core/service_integration_test.go
+++ b/dot/core/service_integration_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/dot/state"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/dot/sync"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/dot/types"
+	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/babe/inherents"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/common"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/keystore"
 	"github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/lib/runtime"
@@ -470,7 +471,13 @@ func TestService_HandleSubmittedExtrinsic(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	rt.SetContextStorage(ts)
 
-	block := sync.BuildBlock(t, rt, genHeader, nil)
+	babeConfig, err := rt.BabeConfiguration()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	currentTimestamp := uint64(time.Now().UnixMilli())
+	currentSlotNumber := currentTimestamp / babeConfig.SlotDuration
+
+	block := buildTestBlockWithoutExtrinsics(t, rt, genHeader, currentSlotNumber, currentTimestamp)
 
 	err = s.handleBlock(block, ts)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -640,3 +647,67 @@ func TestService_HandleRuntimeChangesAfterCodeSubstitutes(t *testing.T) {
 		rt.GetCodeHash(),
 		"expected different code hash after runtime update")
 }
+
+func buildTestBlockWithoutExtrinsics(t *testing.T, instance state.Runtime,
+	parentHeader *types.Header, slotNumber, timestamp uint64) *types.Block {
+	digest := types.NewDigest()
+	prd, err := types.NewBabeSecondaryPlainPreDigest(0, slotNumber).ToPreRuntimeDigest()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = digest.Add(*prd)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	header := &types.Header{
+		ParentHash: parentHeader.Hash(),
+		Number:     parentHeader.Number + 1,
+		Digest:     digest,
+	}
+
+	err = instance.InitializeBlock(header)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	inherentData := types.NewInherentData()
+	err = inherentData.SetInherent(types.Timstap0, timestamp)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = inherentData.SetInherent(types.Babeslot, uint64(1))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	parachainInherent := inherents.ParachainInherentData{
+		ParentHeader: *parentHeader,
+	}
+
+	err = inherentData.SetInherent(types.Parachn0, parachainInherent)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = inherentData.SetInherent(types.Newheads, []byte{0})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	encodedInherents, err := inherentData.Encode()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	inherentExts, err := instance.InherentExtrinsics(encodedInherents)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var decodedInherents [][]byte
+	err = scale.Unmarshal(inherentExts, &decodedInherents)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	for _, inherent := range decodedInherents {
+		encoded, err := scale.Marshal(inherent)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		ret, err := instance.ApplyExtrinsic(encoded)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, ret, []byte{0, 0})
+	}
+
+	finalisedHeader, err := instance.FinalizeBlock()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	finalisedHeader.Number = header.Number
+	finalisedHeader.Hash()
+	return &types.Block{
+		Header: *finalisedHeader,
+		Body:   types.Body(types.BytesArrayToExtrinsics(decodedInherents)),
+	}
+}
diff --git a/dot/core/service_test.go b/dot/core/service_test.go
index 597f1b96c1..48a735ccdf 100644
--- a/dot/core/service_test.go
+++ b/dot/core/service_test.go
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func Test_Service_handleCodeSubstitution(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	errTest := errors.New("test error")
-	validRuntimeCode := getGssmrRuntimeCode(t)
+	validRuntimeCode := getWestendDevRuntimeCode(t)
 
 	testCases := map[string]struct {
 		serviceBuilder func(ctrl *gomock.Controller) *Service
diff --git a/lib/utils/utils.go b/lib/utils/utils.go
index beb4352580..54cacd842a 100644
--- a/lib/utils/utils.go
+++ b/lib/utils/utils.go
@@ -148,30 +148,6 @@ func KeystoreFilepaths(basepath string) ([]string, error) {
 	return keys, nil
 }
 
-// GetGssmrV3SubstrateGenesisRawPathTest gets the v3 substrate gssmr raw genesis path
-// and fails the test if it cannot find it.
-func GetGssmrV3SubstrateGenesisRawPathTest(t *testing.T) string {
-	t.Helper()
-	path, err := GetGssmrV3SubstrateGenesisRawPath()
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	return path
-}
-
-// GetGssmrV3SubstrateGenesisRawPath gets the v3 substrate gssmr raw genesis path
-// and returns an error if it cannot find it.
-func GetGssmrV3SubstrateGenesisRawPath() (path string, err error) {
-	rootPath, err := GetProjectRootPath()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return filepath.Join(rootPath, "./chain/gssmr-v3substrate/genesis.json"), nil
-}
-
-// GetDevV3SubstrateGenesisPath gets the v3 substrate dev genesis path
-func GetDevV3SubstrateGenesisPath(t *testing.T) string {
-	return filepath.Join(GetProjectRootPathTest(t), "./chain/dev-v3substrate/genesis.json")
-}
-
 // GetWestendDevHumanReadableGenesisPath gets the westend-dev human readable spec filepath
 func GetWestendDevHumanReadableGenesisPath(t *testing.T) string {
 	t.Helper()