diff --git a/consensus/src/epoch_manager.rs b/consensus/src/epoch_manager.rs
index 9de974a015..1f7de83a89 100644
--- a/consensus/src/epoch_manager.rs
+++ b/consensus/src/epoch_manager.rs
@@ -302,9 +302,14 @@ impl EpochManager {
 
         let mut safety_rules =
             MetricsSafetyRules::new(self.safety_rules_manager.client(), self.storage.clone());
+        //////// 0L ////////
+        // Don't panic on initialize. We may be a validator trying to sync from a starting point.
+        // however this error if not solved, will cause a problem on the next epoch.
         if let Err(error) = safety_rules.perform_initialize() {
-            panic!(
-                "Unable to initialize safety rules, epoch: {}, error: {}", epoch, error
+            error!(
+                epoch = epoch,
+                error = error,
+                "Unable to initialize safety rules. YOUR VALIDATOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SIGN BLOCKS but it will be able to sync. This is likely a problem with the restore point in your DB.",
             );
         }
 
diff --git a/consensus/src/metrics_safety_rules.rs b/consensus/src/metrics_safety_rules.rs
index 064e2a6c1f..73b1c62e08 100644
--- a/consensus/src/metrics_safety_rules.rs
+++ b/consensus/src/metrics_safety_rules.rs
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ impl MetricsSafetyRules {
             .storage
             .retrieve_epoch_change_proof(sr_waypoint.version())
             .map_err(|e| {
+              //////// 0L ////////
                 Error::InternalError(format!(
-                    "Unable to retrieve epoch change proof from storage for Waypoint. State for version {} not found. Error:{}",
+                    "Unable to retrieve epoch change proof from storage for Waypoint. The node will continue to sync, but the validator will not be able to sign transactions. State for version {} not found. Error:{}",
                     &sr_waypoint.version(),
                     e
                 ))