@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Fixed
 
 - Prune per-height state snapshots in `all` pruning mode, keep the state needed to replay the oldest retained block, and stop pruning from falling behind when more than 10k blocks are produced per interval [#3469](https://github.com/evstack/ev-node/pull/3469).
+- Do not halt the node when `SetFinal` fails while the DA-included height lags the head; the EVM client skips finalizing historical blocks the execution layer no longer serves, and the submitter retries on the next tick [#3473](https://github.com/evstack/ev-node/pull/3473).
 
 ## v1.2.3
 
 
@@ -353,11 +353,12 @@ func (s *Submitter) processDAInclusionLoop() {
 					break
 				}
 
-				// Set final height in executor
+				// Set final height in executor. A failure must not stop the node:
+				// block production and P2P sync do not depend on finality, so the
+				// DA included height stays put and the next tick retries.
 				if err := s.setFinalWithRetry(nextHeight); err != nil {
-					s.sendCriticalError(fmt.Errorf("failed to set final height: %w", err))
-					s.logger.Error().Err(err).Uint64("height", nextHeight).Msg("CRITICAL: Failed to set final height after retries - halting DA inclusion processing")
-					return
+					s.logger.Error().Err(err).Uint64("height", nextHeight).Msg("failed to set final height after retries, will retry on next tick")
+					break
 				}
 
 				// Persist DA included height before advancing in-memory state
@@ -379,7 +380,7 @@ func (s *Submitter) processDAInclusionLoop() {
 }
 
 // setFinalWithRetry sets the final height in executor with retry logic.
-// NOTE: the function retries the execution client call regardless of the error. Some execution client errors are irrecoverable, and will eventually halt the node, as expected.
+// NOTE: the function retries the execution client call regardless of the error. Callers decide how to handle exhaustion.
 func (s *Submitter) setFinalWithRetry(nextHeight uint64) error {
 	for attempt := 1; attempt <= common.MaxRetriesBeforeHalt; attempt++ {
 		if err := s.exec.SetFinal(s.ctx, nextHeight); err != nil {
 
@@ -316,6 +316,68 @@ func TestSubmitter_processDAInclusionLoop_advances(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+// TestSubmitter_processDAInclusionLoop_setFinalFailureDoesNotHalt ensures that
+// exhausting SetFinal retries holds the DA included height and retries on the
+// next tick instead of reporting a critical error that stops the node.
+func TestSubmitter_processDAInclusionLoop_setFinalFailureDoesNotHalt(t *testing.T) {
+	synctest.Test(t, func(t *testing.T) {
+		cm, st := newTestCacheAndStore(t)
+
+		cfg := config.DefaultConfig()
+		cfg.DA.BlockTime.Duration = 5 * time.Millisecond
+
+		exec := testmocks.NewMockExecutor(t)
+		exec.On("SetFinal", mock.Anything, uint64(1)).Return(errors.New("block pruned")).Times(common.MaxRetriesBeforeHalt)
+		exec.On("SetFinal", mock.Anything, uint64(1)).Return(nil).Once()
+		exec.On("SetFinal", mock.Anything, uint64(2)).Return(nil).Once()
+
+		errCh := make(chan error, 1)
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(t.Context())
+		s := &Submitter{
+			store:            st,
+			exec:             exec,
+			cache:            cm,
+			metrics:          common.NopMetrics(),
+			config:           cfg,
+			daIncludedHeight: &atomic.Uint64{},
+			errorCh:          errCh,
+			logger:           zerolog.Nop(),
+			ctx:              ctx,
+		}
+
+		sig := types.Signature([]byte("sig"))
+		for height := uint64(1); height <= 2; height++ {
+			h, d := newHeaderAndData("chain", height, true)
+			batch, err := st.NewBatch(ctx)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NoError(t, batch.SaveBlockData(h, d, &sig))
+			require.NoError(t, batch.SetHeight(height))
+			require.NoError(t, batch.Commit())
+			cm.SetHeaderDAIncluded(h.Hash().String(), 100+height, height)
+			cm.SetDataDAIncluded(d.DACommitment().String(), 100+height, height)
+		}
+
+		done := make(chan struct{})
+		go func() {
+			s.processDAInclusionLoop()
+			close(done)
+		}()
+
+		require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			return s.GetDAIncludedHeight() == 2
+		}, time.Minute, cfg.DA.BlockTime.Duration)
+
+		cancel()
+		<-done
+
+		select {
+		case err := <-errCh:
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected critical error: %v", err)
+		default:
+		}
+	})
+}
+
 // helper to create a minimal header and data for tests
 func newHeaderAndData(chainID string, height uint64, nonEmpty bool) (*types.SignedHeader, *types.Data) {
 	now := time.Now()
 
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/beacon/engine"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/hexutil"
@@ -584,13 +585,48 @@ func (c *EngineClient) doForkchoiceUpdate(ctx context.Context, args engine.Forkc
 	return nil
 }
 
-// SetFinal marks the block at the given height as finalized
+// SetFinal marks the block at the given height as finalized.
+//
+// When DA inclusion lags far behind the head, the requested height may no
+// longer be served by the execution layer (pruned history). If the lookup
+// reports the block as pruned or not found and the EL head is at or above the
+// height, the update is skipped: a later height will move the finalized label
+// forward. Any other lookup failure (e.g. transient RPC errors), lookups above
+// the head, or an unreadable head are returned as errors so the caller retries.
 func (c *EngineClient) SetFinal(ctx context.Context, blockHeight uint64) error {
 	blockHash, _, _, _, err := c.getBlockInfo(ctx, blockHeight)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err == nil {
+		return c.setFinal(ctx, blockHash, true)
+	}
+	if !isHistoryUnavailable(err) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get block info: %w", err)
 	}
-	return c.setFinal(ctx, blockHash, true)
+
+	head, headErr := c.ethClient.HeaderByNumber(ctx, nil)
+	if headErr != nil || head == nil || head.Number == nil || !head.Number.IsUint64() || head.Number.Uint64() < blockHeight {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get block info: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	c.logger.Warn().
+		Uint64("height", blockHeight).
+		Uint64("el_head", head.Number.Uint64()).
+		Err(err).
+		Msg("SetFinal: historical block unavailable on execution layer, skipping finalized update")
+	return nil
+}
+
+// prunedHistoryErrorCode is the JSON-RPC error code execution clients (geth,
+// reth) return when a request touches pruned history (EIP-4444).
+const prunedHistoryErrorCode = 4444
+
+// isHistoryUnavailable reports whether err means the execution layer no longer
+// serves the requested block, as opposed to a transient failure.
+func isHistoryUnavailable(err error) bool {
+	if errors.Is(err, ethereum.NotFound) {
+		return true
+	}
+	var rpcErr rpc.Error
+	return errors.As(err, &rpcErr) && rpcErr.ErrorCode() == prunedHistoryErrorCode
 }
 
 // SetSafe explicitly sets the safe block hash.
 
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+package evm
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"math/big"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/beacon/engine"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
+	"github.com/rs/zerolog"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestSetFinal_UnavailableBlock(t *testing.T) {
+	prunedErr := &testRPCError{code: prunedHistoryErrorCode, msg: "pruned history unavailable"}
+
+	specs := map[string]struct {
+		lookupErr error
+		head      *big.Int
+		headErr   error
+		expectErr bool
+	}{
+		"skip_pruned_below_head": {
+			lookupErr: prunedErr,
+			head:      big.NewInt(1_000),
+		},
+		"skip_not_found_below_head": {
+			lookupErr: ethereum.NotFound,
+			head:      big.NewInt(1_000),
+		},
+		"error_transient_lookup_below_head": {
+			lookupErr: errors.New("i/o timeout"),
+			head:      big.NewInt(1_000),
+			expectErr: true,
+		},
+		"error_other_rpc_code_below_head": {
+			lookupErr: &testRPCError{code: -32000, msg: "internal error"},
+			head:      big.NewInt(1_000),
+			expectErr: true,
+		},
+		"error_pruned_above_head": {
+			lookupErr: prunedErr,
+			head:      big.NewInt(50),
+			expectErr: true,
+		},
+		"error_pruned_head_unavailable": {
+			lookupErr: prunedErr,
+			headErr:   errors.New("connection refused"),
+			expectErr: true,
+		},
+	}
+	for name, spec := range specs {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			engineRPC := &mockSetFinalEngineRPCClient{}
+			client := &EngineClient{
+				engineClient: engineRPC,
+				ethClient: mockSetFinalEthRPCClient{
+					lookupErr: spec.lookupErr,
+					head:      spec.head,
+					headErr:   spec.headErr,
+				},
+				logger: zerolog.Nop(),
+			}
+
+			err := client.SetFinal(t.Context(), 100)
+
+			if spec.expectErr {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+			} else {
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+			}
+			require.Zero(t, engineRPC.forkchoiceCalls)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// mockSetFinalEthRPCClient fails every numbered lookup with lookupErr and
+// serves the configured head for latest-block queries.
+type mockSetFinalEthRPCClient struct {
+	lookupErr error
+	head      *big.Int
+	headErr   error
+}
+
+func (m mockSetFinalEthRPCClient) HeaderByNumber(_ context.Context, number *big.Int) (*types.Header, error) {
+	if number != nil {
+		return nil, m.lookupErr
+	}
+	if m.headErr != nil {
+		return nil, m.headErr
+	}
+	return &types.Header{Number: m.head}, nil
+}
+
+func (mockSetFinalEthRPCClient) GetTxs(_ context.Context) ([]string, error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("unexpected GetTxs call")
+}
+
+func (mockSetFinalEthRPCClient) GetNextProposer(_ context.Context, _ *big.Int) (common.Hash, error) {
+	return common.Hash{}, errors.New("unexpected GetNextProposer call")
+}
+
+type mockSetFinalEngineRPCClient struct {
+	forkchoiceCalls int
+}
+
+func (m *mockSetFinalEngineRPCClient) ForkchoiceUpdated(_ context.Context, _ engine.ForkchoiceStateV1, _ map[string]any) (*engine.ForkChoiceResponse, error) {
+	m.forkchoiceCalls++
+	return nil, errors.New("unexpected ForkchoiceUpdated call")
+}
+
+func (m *mockSetFinalEngineRPCClient) GetPayload(_ context.Context, _ engine.PayloadID) (*EnginePayloadEnvelope, error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("unexpected GetPayload call")
+}
+
+func (m *mockSetFinalEngineRPCClient) NewPayload(_ context.Context, _ *EnginePayloadEnvelope, _ []string, _ string, _ [][]byte) (*engine.PayloadStatusV1, error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("unexpected NewPayload call")
+}