diff --git a/gradle/verification-metadata.xml b/gradle/verification-metadata.xml
index c3bbb9521..81824b31f 100644
--- a/gradle/verification-metadata.xml
+++ b/gradle/verification-metadata.xml
@@ -77,6 +77,14 @@
             <sha256 value="c717c468bfc91536f1dbc0d98d6116a8e7c49fbaff643ef8710e7505cc450878" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
          </artifact>
       </component>
+      <component group="co.rsk" name="rskj-core" version="6.5.0-ARROWHEAD">
+         <artifact name="rskj-core-6.5.0-ARROWHEAD.jar">
+            <sha256 value="7721f59632d9ff825b0bb23cf52fa3eff347852068a03d792ce18d0deae547ae" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
+         </artifact>
+         <artifact name="rskj-core-6.5.0-ARROWHEAD.module">
+            <sha256 value="16283f4aebbf5b5b35c63f098d81fb0d2aeb5e9fc3be51128ab300333127077f" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
+         </artifact>
+      </component>
       <component group="co.rsk.bitcoinj" name="bitcoinj-thin" version="0.14.4-rsk-16">
          <artifact name="bitcoinj-thin-0.14.4-rsk-16.jar">
             <sha256 value="53957d6941a882f7aa33188da3dadcf96f15fa2ffd62e9130937eb84e98f11a4" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
diff --git a/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/BtcToRskClient.java b/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/BtcToRskClient.java
index 5676e1e90..598d4f105 100644
--- a/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/BtcToRskClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/BtcToRskClient.java
@@ -329,22 +329,22 @@ private void validateCoinbaseInformation(CoinbaseInformation coinbaseInformation
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(message);
         }
 
+        Optional<co.rsk.bitcoinj.core.Sha256Hash> expectedWitnessCommitment = BitcoinUtils.findWitnessCommitment(coinbaseTransaction);
         co.rsk.bitcoinj.core.Sha256Hash calculatedWitnessCommitment = co.rsk.bitcoinj.core.Sha256Hash.twiceOf(
             witnessMerkleRoot.getReversedBytes(),
             witnessReservedValue
         );
 
-        BitcoinUtils.findWitnessCommitment(coinbaseTransaction)
-            .filter(commitment -> commitment.equals(calculatedWitnessCommitment))
-            .orElseThrow(() -> {
-                String message = String.format(
-                    "Block %s with segwit peg-in tx %s generated an invalid witness merkle root",
-                    coinbaseInformation.getBlockHash(),
-                    coinbaseTransaction.getHash()
-                );
-                logger.error("[validateCoinbaseInformation] {}", message);
-                return new IllegalArgumentException(message);
-            });
+        if (expectedWitnessCommitment.isEmpty() || !expectedWitnessCommitment.get().equals(calculatedWitnessCommitment)) {
+            String message = String.format(
+                "Block %s with segwit peg-in tx %s generated an invalid witness commitment",
+                coinbaseInformation.getBlockHash(),
+                coinbaseTransaction.getHash()
+            );
+            logger.error("[validateCoinbaseInformation] {}", message);
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(message);
+        }
+
         logger.debug(
             "[validateCoinbaseInformation] Block {} with segwit peg-in tx {} has a valid witness merkle root",
             coinbaseInformation.getBlockHash(),
diff --git a/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/FedNodeRunner.java b/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/FedNodeRunner.java
index b5f876e8f..705922c83 100644
--- a/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/FedNodeRunner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/co/rsk/federate/FedNodeRunner.java
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@
 import co.rsk.peg.btcLockSender.BtcLockSenderProvider;
 import co.rsk.peg.pegininstructions.PeginInstructionsProvider;
 import org.bitcoinj.core.Context;
-import org.bouncycastle.util.encoders.Hex;
 import org.ethereum.crypto.ECKey;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;