diff --git a/libraries/chain/block_header_state_legacy.cpp b/libraries/chain/block_header_state_legacy.cpp
index 89ccbe9562..a47ca2282f 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/block_header_state_legacy.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/block_header_state_legacy.cpp
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ namespace eosio::chain {
       }
 
       if (new_finalizer_policy) {
-         new_finalizer_policy->generation = 1; // only allowed to be set once
+         assert(new_finalizer_policy->generation == 1); // only allowed to be set once
          // set current block_num as qc_claim.last_qc_block_num in the IF extension
          qc_claim_t initial_if_claim { .block_num = block_num,
                                        .is_strong_qc = false };
diff --git a/libraries/chain/controller.cpp b/libraries/chain/controller.cpp
index 5645b2b6b3..f0beb42d4e 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/controller.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/controller.cpp
@@ -518,8 +518,17 @@ struct building_block {
                                       [&](building_block_if&)        -> R { return {}; }}, v);
    }
 
-   void set_proposed_finalizer_policy(const finalizer_policy& fin_pol) {
-      std::visit([&](auto& bb) { bb.new_finalizer_policy = fin_pol; }, v);
+   void set_proposed_finalizer_policy(finalizer_policy&& fin_pol)
+   {
+      std::visit(overloaded{ [&](building_block_legacy& bb) {
+                                 fin_pol.generation = 1;  // only allowed to be set once in legacy mode
+                                 bb.new_finalizer_policy = std::move(fin_pol);
+                             },
+                             [&](building_block_if& bb)     {
+                                 fin_pol.generation = bb.parent.active_finalizer_policy->generation + 1;
+                                 bb.new_finalizer_policy = std::move(fin_pol);
+                              } },
+                  v);
    }
 
    deque<transaction_metadata_ptr> extract_trx_metas() {
@@ -3185,10 +3194,10 @@ struct controller_impl {
       pending->push();
    }
 
-   void set_proposed_finalizers(const finalizer_policy& fin_pol) {
+   void set_proposed_finalizers(finalizer_policy&& fin_pol) {
       assert(pending); // has to exist and be building_block since called from host function
       auto& bb = std::get<building_block>(pending->_block_stage);
-      bb.set_proposed_finalizer_policy(fin_pol);
+      bb.set_proposed_finalizer_policy(std::move(fin_pol));
 
       bb.apply_l<void>([&](building_block::building_block_legacy& bl) {
          // Savanna uses new algorithm for proposer schedule change, prevent any in-flight legacy proposer schedule changes
@@ -5155,8 +5164,8 @@ int64_t controller_impl::set_proposed_producers_legacy( vector<producer_authorit
    return version;
 }
 
-void controller::set_proposed_finalizers( const finalizer_policy& fin_pol ) {
-   my->set_proposed_finalizers(fin_pol);
+void controller::set_proposed_finalizers( finalizer_policy&& fin_pol ) {
+   my->set_proposed_finalizers(std::move(fin_pol));
 }
 
 // called from net threads
diff --git a/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/controller.hpp b/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/controller.hpp
index 0eeed40015..ec86c32233 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/controller.hpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/include/eosio/chain/controller.hpp
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ namespace eosio::chain {
          int64_t set_proposed_producers( vector<producer_authority> producers );
 
          // called by host function set_finalizers
-         void set_proposed_finalizers( const finalizer_policy& fin_set );
+         void set_proposed_finalizers( finalizer_policy&& fin_pol );
          // called from net threads
          vote_status process_vote_message( const vote_message& msg );
          // thread safe, for testing
diff --git a/libraries/chain/webassembly/privileged.cpp b/libraries/chain/webassembly/privileged.cpp
index 23cfd4c475..134a27bdf5 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/webassembly/privileged.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/webassembly/privileged.cpp
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ namespace eosio { namespace chain { namespace webassembly {
 
       EOS_ASSERT( weight_sum >= finpol.threshold && finpol.threshold > weight_sum / 2, wasm_execution_error, "Finalizer policy threshold (${t}) must be greater than half of the sum of the weights (${w}), and less than or equal to the sum of the weights", ("t", finpol.threshold)("w", weight_sum) );
 
-      context.control.set_proposed_finalizers( finpol );
+      context.control.set_proposed_finalizers( std::move(finpol) );
    }
 
    uint32_t interface::get_blockchain_parameters_packed( legacy_span<char> packed_blockchain_parameters ) const {