diff --git a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/AbstractEngineNewPayload.java b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/AbstractEngineNewPayload.java
index ad237d3590e..553fa07fc76 100644
--- a/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/AbstractEngineNewPayload.java
+++ b/ethereum/api/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/api/jsonrpc/internal/methods/engine/AbstractEngineNewPayload.java
@@ -113,18 +113,18 @@ public JsonRpcResponse syncResponse(final JsonRpcRequestContext requestContext)
     final Optional<Bytes32> maybeParentBeaconBlockRoot =
         maybeParentBeaconBlockRootParam.map(Bytes32::fromHexString);
 
-    final ValidationResult<RpcErrorType> forkValidationResult =
-        validateForkSupported(blockParam.getTimestamp());
-    if (!forkValidationResult.isValid()) {
-      return new JsonRpcErrorResponse(reqId, forkValidationResult);
-    }
-
     final ValidationResult<RpcErrorType> parameterValidationResult =
         validateParameters(blockParam, maybeVersionedHashParam, maybeParentBeaconBlockRootParam);
     if (!parameterValidationResult.isValid()) {
       return new JsonRpcErrorResponse(reqId, parameterValidationResult);
     }
 
+    final ValidationResult<RpcErrorType> forkValidationResult =
+        validateForkSupported(blockParam.getTimestamp());
+    if (!forkValidationResult.isValid()) {
+      return new JsonRpcErrorResponse(reqId, forkValidationResult);
+    }
+
     final Optional<List<VersionedHash>> maybeVersionedHashes;
     try {
       maybeVersionedHashes = extractVersionedHashes(maybeVersionedHashParam);