diff --git a/apps/blockchain-node/src/aitbc_chain/consensus/poa.py b/apps/blockchain-node/src/aitbc_chain/consensus/poa.py
index 36c7ae46..7eaa455d 100755
--- a/apps/blockchain-node/src/aitbc_chain/consensus/poa.py
+++ b/apps/blockchain-node/src/aitbc_chain/consensus/poa.py
@@ -24,21 +24,27 @@ def _sanitize_metric_suffix(value: str) -> str:
 
 def _compute_state_root(session: Session, chain_id: str) -> str:
     """Compute state root from current account state."""
-    state_manager = StateManager()
-    
-    # Get all accounts for this chain
-    accounts = session.exec(
-        select(Account).where(Account.chain_id == chain_id)
-    ).all()
-    
-    # Convert to dictionary
-    account_dict = {acc.address: acc for acc in accounts}
-    
-    # Compute state root
-    root = state_manager.compute_state_root(account_dict)
-    
-    # Return as hex string
-    return '0x' + root.hex()
+    try:
+        state_manager = StateManager()
+        
+        # Get all accounts for this chain
+        accounts = session.exec(
+            select(Account).where(Account.chain_id == chain_id)
+        ).all()
+        
+        # Convert to dictionary
+        account_dict = {acc.address: acc for acc in accounts}
+        
+        # Compute state root
+        root = state_manager.compute_state_root(account_dict)
+        
+        # Return as hex string
+        return '0x' + root.hex()
+    except Exception as e:
+        # If state root computation fails, return None for now
+        # This can happen during genesis block creation when accounts don't exist yet
+        logger.warning(f"Failed to compute state root: {e}")
+        return None
 
 
 
diff --git a/apps/blockchain-node/src/aitbc_chain/database.py b/apps/blockchain-node/src/aitbc_chain/database.py
index 41e49a33..be410f48 100755
--- a/apps/blockchain-node/src/aitbc_chain/database.py
+++ b/apps/blockchain-node/src/aitbc_chain/database.py
@@ -80,7 +80,12 @@ _engine_internal = _engine
 def init_db() -> None:
     """Initialize database with file-based encryption"""
     settings.db_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-    SQLModel.metadata.create_all(_engine)
+    try:
+        SQLModel.metadata.create_all(_engine)
+    except Exception as e:
+        # If tables already exist, that's okay
+        if "already exists" not in str(e):
+            raise
     # Set restrictive file permissions on database file
     if settings.db_path.exists():
         os.chmod(settings.db_path, stat.S_IRUSR | stat.S_IWUSR)  # Read/write for owner only