diff --git a/process/block/metablock.go b/process/block/metablock.go
index 716516d3e4..9ce2be5f25 100644
--- a/process/block/metablock.go
+++ b/process/block/metablock.go
@@ -427,6 +427,16 @@ func (mp *metaProcessor) checkProofsForShardData(header *block.MetaBlock) error
 		// TODO: consider the validation of the proof:
 		//	compare the one from proofsPool with what shardData.CurrentSignature and shardData.CurrentPubKeysBitmap hold
 		//	if they are different, verify the proof received on header
+
+		shardHeader, ok := mp.hdrsForCurrBlock.hdrHashAndInfo[string(shardData.HeaderHash)]
+		if !ok {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%w for header hash %s", process.ErrMissingHeader, hex.EncodeToString(shardData.HeaderHash))
+		}
+
+		if !mp.enableEpochsHandler.IsFlagEnabledInEpoch(common.EquivalentMessagesFlag, shardHeader.hdr.GetEpoch()) {
+			continue
+		}
+
 		if !mp.proofsPool.HasProof(shardData.ShardID, shardData.HeaderHash) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%w for header hash %s", process.ErrMissingHeaderProof, hex.EncodeToString(shardData.HeaderHash))
 		}
@@ -2186,11 +2196,11 @@ func (mp *metaProcessor) createShardInfo() ([]data.ShardDataHandler, error) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		isBlockAfterEquivalentMessagesFlag := check.IfNil(headerInfo.hdr) &&
+		isBlockAfterEquivalentMessagesFlag := !check.IfNil(headerInfo.hdr) &&
 			mp.enableEpochsHandler.IsFlagEnabledInEpoch(common.EquivalentMessagesFlag, headerInfo.hdr.GetEpoch())
 		hasMissingShardHdrProof := isBlockAfterEquivalentMessagesFlag && !mp.proofsPool.HasProof(headerInfo.hdr.GetShardID(), []byte(hdrHash))
 		if hasMissingShardHdrProof {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w for shard header with hash %s", process.ErrMissingHeaderProof, hdrHash)
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w for shard header with hash %s", process.ErrMissingHeaderProof, hex.EncodeToString([]byte(hdrHash)))
 		}
 
 		shardHdr, ok := headerInfo.hdr.(data.ShardHeaderHandler)
diff --git a/process/block/shardblock.go b/process/block/shardblock.go
index 4713a9437d..8541f24f06 100644
--- a/process/block/shardblock.go
+++ b/process/block/shardblock.go
@@ -296,6 +296,15 @@ func (sp *shardProcessor) ProcessBlock(
 	if sp.enableEpochsHandler.IsFlagEnabledInEpoch(common.EquivalentMessagesFlag, header.GetEpoch()) {
 		// check proofs for cross notarized metablocks
 		for _, metaBlockHash := range header.GetMetaBlockHashes() {
+			hInfo, ok := sp.hdrsForCurrBlock.hdrHashAndInfo[string(metaBlockHash)]
+			if !ok {
+				return fmt.Errorf("%w for header hash %s", process.ErrMissingHeader, hex.EncodeToString(metaBlockHash))
+			}
+
+			if !sp.enableEpochsHandler.IsFlagEnabledInEpoch(common.EquivalentMessagesFlag, hInfo.hdr.GetEpoch()) {
+				continue
+			}
+
 			if !sp.proofsPool.HasProof(core.MetachainShardId, metaBlockHash) {
 				return fmt.Errorf("%w for header hash %s", process.ErrMissingHeaderProof, hex.EncodeToString(metaBlockHash))
 			}
@@ -1441,6 +1450,7 @@ func (sp *shardProcessor) CreateNewHeader(round uint64, nonce uint64) (data.Head
 	}
 
 	sp.roundNotifier.CheckRound(header)
+	sp.epochNotifier.CheckEpoch(header)
 
 	err = shardHeader.SetNonce(nonce)
 	if err != nil {