diff --git a/crates/blockchain/dev/block_producer.rs b/crates/blockchain/dev/block_producer.rs
index 5937a1b972c..c32e58a6031 100644
--- a/crates/blockchain/dev/block_producer.rs
+++ b/crates/blockchain/dev/block_producer.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use ethereum_types::{Address, H256};
 use ethrex_rpc::clients::{EngineClient, EngineClientError};
 use ethrex_rpc::types::fork_choice::{ForkChoiceState, PayloadAttributesV3};
 use sha2::{Digest, Sha256};
-use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
+use std::time::{Duration, SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
 
 pub async fn start_block_producer(
     execution_client_auth_url: String,
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ pub async fn start_block_producer(
 ) -> Result<(), EngineClientError> {
     let engine_client = EngineClient::new(&execution_client_auth_url, jwt_secret);
 
+    let mut ticker = tokio::time::interval(Duration::from_millis(block_production_interval_ms));
+
+    // Sleep until the first tick to avoid timestamp collision with the genesis block.
+    ticker.tick().await;
+
     let mut head_block_hash: H256 = head_block_hash;
     let parent_beacon_block_root = H256::zero();
     let mut tries = 0;
@@ -53,6 +58,11 @@ pub async fn start_block_producer(
         let payload_id = fork_choice_response
             .payload_id
             .expect("Failed to produce block: payload_id is None in ForkChoiceResponse");
+
+        // Wait for the next tick to retrieve the payload.
+        // Note that this makes getPayload failures result in skipped blocks.
+        ticker.tick().await;
+
         let execution_payload_response = match engine_client.engine_get_payload_v5(payload_id).await
         {
             Ok(response) => {
@@ -113,11 +123,6 @@ pub async fn start_block_producer(
         tracing::info!("Produced block {produced_block_hash:#x}");
 
         head_block_hash = produced_block_hash;
-
-        tokio::time::sleep(tokio::time::Duration::from_millis(
-            block_production_interval_ms,
-        ))
-        .await;
     }
     Err(EngineClientError::SystemFailed(format!("{max_tries}")))
 }