diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index bf1d96d68a..df8c4a2a85 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ COPY ./scripts/download-machine.sh .
 #RUN ./download-machine.sh consensus-v11 0xf4389b835497a910d7ba3ebfb77aa93da985634f3c052de1290360635be40c4a
 #RUN ./download-machine.sh consensus-v11.1 0x68e4fe5023f792d4ef584796c84d710303a5e12ea02d6e37e2b5e9c4332507c4
 #RUN ./download-machine.sh consensus-v20 0x8b104a2e80ac6165dc58b9048de12f301d70b02a0ab51396c22b4b4b802a16a4
-RUN ./download-machine.sh consensus-v30 0xb0de9cb89e4d944ae6023a3b62276e54804c242fd8c4c2d8e6cc4450f5fa8b1b
+RUN ./download-machine.sh consensus-v30 0xb0de9cb89e4d944ae6023a3b62276e54804c242fd8c4c2d8e6cc4450f5fa8b1b && true
 
 FROM golang:1.21.10-bookworm as node-builder
 WORKDIR /workspace
diff --git a/arbnode/node.go b/arbnode/node.go
index 4ef0e03258..a83558a4e4 100644
--- a/arbnode/node.go
+++ b/arbnode/node.go
@@ -669,7 +669,9 @@ func createNodeImpl(
 		if err := wallet.Initialize(ctx); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		stakerAddr = dp.Sender()
+		if dp != nil {
+			stakerAddr = dp.Sender()
+		}
 		whitelisted, err := stakerObj.IsWhitelisted(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
diff --git a/cmd/nitro/init.go b/cmd/nitro/init.go
index 6d6436776d..360b40cd40 100644
--- a/cmd/nitro/init.go
+++ b/cmd/nitro/init.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
+	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -316,6 +318,14 @@ func validateBlockChain(blockChain *core.BlockChain, chainConfig *params.ChainCo
 	return nil
 }
 
+func dirExists(path string) bool {
+	info, err := os.Stat(path)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return false
+	}
+	return info.IsDir()
+}
+
 func openInitializeChainDb(ctx context.Context, stack *node.Node, config *NodeConfig, chainId *big.Int, cacheConfig *core.CacheConfig, persistentConfig *conf.PersistentConfig, l1Client arbutil.L1Interface, rollupAddrs chaininfo.RollupAddresses, tracer core.BlockchainLogger) (ethdb.Database, *core.BlockChain, error) {
 	if !config.Init.Force {
 		if readOnlyDb, err := stack.OpenDatabaseWithFreezerWithExtraOptions("l2chaindata", 0, 0, "", "l2chaindata/", true, persistentConfig.Pebble.ExtraOptions("l2chaindata")); err == nil {
@@ -389,6 +399,36 @@ func openInitializeChainDb(ctx context.Context, stack *node.Node, config *NodeCo
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Check if database was misplaced in parent dir
+	const errorFmt = "database was not found in %s, but it was found in %s (have you placed the database in the wrong directory?)"
+	parentDir := filepath.Dir(stack.InstanceDir())
+	if dirExists(path.Join(parentDir, "l2chaindata")) {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf(errorFmt, stack.InstanceDir(), parentDir)
+	}
+	grandParentDir := filepath.Dir(parentDir)
+	if dirExists(path.Join(grandParentDir, "l2chaindata")) {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf(errorFmt, stack.InstanceDir(), grandParentDir)
+	}
+
+	// Check if database directory is empty
+	entries, err := os.ReadDir(stack.InstanceDir())
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open database dir %s: %w", stack.InstanceDir(), err)
+	}
+	unexpectedFiles := []string{}
+	for _, entry := range entries {
+		if entry.Name() != "LOCK" {
+			unexpectedFiles = append(unexpectedFiles, entry.Name())
+		}
+	}
+	if len(unexpectedFiles) > 0 {
+		if config.Init.Force {
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("trying to overwrite old database directory '%s' (delete the database directory and try again)", stack.InstanceDir())
+		}
+		firstThreeFilenames := strings.Join(unexpectedFiles[:min(len(unexpectedFiles), 3)], ", ")
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("found %d unexpected files in database directory, including: %s", len(unexpectedFiles), firstThreeFilenames)
+	}
+
 	if err := setLatestSnapshotUrl(ctx, &config.Init, config.Chain.Name); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/nitro/nitro.go b/cmd/nitro/nitro.go
index c0d0c75512..c4d9af0ebd 100644
--- a/cmd/nitro/nitro.go
+++ b/cmd/nitro/nitro.go
@@ -492,6 +492,7 @@ func mainImpl() int {
 	deferFuncs = append(deferFuncs, func() { closeDb(arbDb, "arbDb") })
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("failed to open database", "err", err)
+		log.Error("database is corrupt; delete it and try again", "database-directory", stack.InstanceDir())
 		return 1
 	}
 
diff --git a/go-ethereum b/go-ethereum
index 6b0438179f..db856b8e86 160000
--- a/go-ethereum
+++ b/go-ethereum
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 6b0438179f772ba7e0d2dd89b4a708449827c586
+Subproject commit db856b8e8657fd45866e89483360e187c6d7e54b