diff --git a/arbnode/node.go b/arbnode/node.go
index fab41a3f5b..54a34bf2a6 100644
--- a/arbnode/node.go
+++ b/arbnode/node.go
@@ -744,8 +744,8 @@ func createNodeImpl(
 		}
 		statelessBlockValidator, err = staker.NewStatelessBlockValidator(
 			inboxReader,
-			hotShotReader,
 			inboxTracker,
+			hotShotReader,
 			txStreamer,
 			exec,
 			rawdb.NewTable(arbDb, storage.BlockValidatorPrefix),
diff --git a/staker/block_validator.go b/staker/block_validator.go
index ba8b188c9a..0126f4e6d1 100644
--- a/staker/block_validator.go
+++ b/staker/block_validator.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ type BlockValidatorConfig struct {
 	Dangerous                BlockValidatorDangerousConfig `koanf:"dangerous"`
 	// Espresso specific flags
 	Espresso       bool   `koanf:"espresso"`
-	HotShotAddress string `koanf:"hotshot-address"`
+	HotShotAddress string `koanf:"hotshot-address"` //nolint
 }
 
 func (c *BlockValidatorConfig) Validate() error {
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ func BlockValidatorConfigAddOptions(prefix string, f *flag.FlagSet) {
 	f.Uint64(prefix+".prerecorded-blocks", DefaultBlockValidatorConfig.PrerecordedBlocks, "record that many blocks ahead of validation (larger footprint)")
 	f.String(prefix+".current-module-root", DefaultBlockValidatorConfig.CurrentModuleRoot, "current wasm module root ('current' read from chain, 'latest' from machines/latest dir, or provide hash)")
 	f.String(prefix+".pending-upgrade-module-root", DefaultBlockValidatorConfig.PendingUpgradeModuleRoot, "pending upgrade wasm module root to additionally validate (hash, 'latest' or empty)")
+	f.String(prefix+".hotshot-address", DefaultBlockValidatorConfig.HotShotAddress, "hotshot contract address that stores the commitments that must be validated against espresso sequencer batches")
 	f.Bool(prefix+".failure-is-fatal", DefaultBlockValidatorConfig.FailureIsFatal, "failing a validation is treated as a fatal error")
 	f.Bool(prefix+".espresso", DefaultBlockValidatorConfig.Espresso, "if true, hotshot header preimages will be added to validation entries to verify that transactions have been sequenced by espresso")
 	BlockValidatorDangerousConfigAddOptions(prefix+".dangerous", f)
diff --git a/staker/stateless_block_validator.go b/staker/stateless_block_validator.go
index 06f54af704..f6cf9a50ef 100644
--- a/staker/stateless_block_validator.go
+++ b/staker/stateless_block_validator.go
@@ -229,8 +229,8 @@ func newValidationEntry(
 
 func NewStatelessBlockValidator(
 	inboxReader InboxReaderInterface,
-	hotShotReader HotShotReaderInterface,
 	inbox InboxTrackerInterface,
+	hotShotReader HotShotReaderInterface,
 	streamer TransactionStreamerInterface,
 	recorder execution.ExecutionRecorder,
 	arbdb ethdb.Database,
@@ -238,6 +238,10 @@ func NewStatelessBlockValidator(
 	config func() *BlockValidatorConfig,
 	stack *node.Node,
 ) (*StatelessBlockValidator, error) {
+	// Sanity check, also used to surpress the unused koanf field lint error
+	if config().Espresso && config().HotShotAddress == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("cannot create a new stateless block validator in espresso mode without a hotshot reader")
+	}
 	valConfFetcher := func() *rpcclient.ClientConfig { return &config().ValidationServer }
 	valClient := server_api.NewValidationClient(valConfFetcher, stack)
 	execClient := server_api.NewExecutionClient(valConfFetcher, stack)
@@ -300,8 +304,9 @@ func (v *StatelessBlockValidator) ValidationEntryRecord(ctx context.Context, e *
 	}
 	for i, batch := range e.BatchInfo {
 		if usingEspresso {
-			// Only provide commitment for L2 message type
-			batchNum := e.BatchInfo[i].Number
+			// TODO: Use the inbox tracker to fetch the correct HotShot index
+			// https://github.com/EspressoSystems/espresso-sequencer/issues/782
+			batchNum := batch.Number
 			hotShotCommitment, err := v.hotShotReader.L1HotShotCommitmentFromHeight(batchNum)
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("error attempting to fetch HotShot commitment for block %d: %w", batchNum, err)
diff --git a/system_tests/full_challenge_impl_test.go b/system_tests/full_challenge_impl_test.go
index 99064d1913..f157f5fc96 100644
--- a/system_tests/full_challenge_impl_test.go
+++ b/system_tests/full_challenge_impl_test.go
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ func RunChallengeTest(t *testing.T, asserterIsCorrect bool, useStubs bool, chall
 
 	confirmLatestBlock(ctx, t, l1Info, l1Backend)
 
-	asserterValidator, err := staker.NewStatelessBlockValidator(asserterL2.InboxReader, asserterL2.InboxTracker, asserterL2.TxStreamer, asserterExec.Recorder, asserterL2ArbDb, nil, StaticFetcherFrom(t, &conf.BlockValidator), valStack)
+	asserterValidator, err := staker.NewStatelessBlockValidator(asserterL2.InboxReader, asserterL2.InboxTracker, nil, asserterL2.TxStreamer, asserterExec.Recorder, asserterL2ArbDb, nil, StaticFetcherFrom(t, &conf.BlockValidator), valStack)
 	if err != nil {
 		Fatal(t, err)
 	}
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ func RunChallengeTest(t *testing.T, asserterIsCorrect bool, useStubs bool, chall
 	if err != nil {
 		Fatal(t, err)
 	}
-	challengerValidator, err := staker.NewStatelessBlockValidator(challengerL2.InboxReader, challengerL2.InboxTracker, challengerL2.TxStreamer, challengerExec.Recorder, challengerL2ArbDb, nil, StaticFetcherFrom(t, &conf.BlockValidator), valStack)
+	challengerValidator, err := staker.NewStatelessBlockValidator(challengerL2.InboxReader, challengerL2.InboxTracker, nil, challengerL2.TxStreamer, challengerExec.Recorder, challengerL2ArbDb, nil, StaticFetcherFrom(t, &conf.BlockValidator), valStack)
 	if err != nil {
 		Fatal(t, err)
 	}
diff --git a/system_tests/staker_test.go b/system_tests/staker_test.go
index 6267abe0c5..fdce7dd3cf 100644
--- a/system_tests/staker_test.go
+++ b/system_tests/staker_test.go
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ func stakerTestImpl(t *testing.T, faultyStaker bool, honestStakerInactive bool)
 	statelessA, err := staker.NewStatelessBlockValidator(
 		l2nodeA.InboxReader,
 		l2nodeA.InboxTracker,
+		nil,
 		l2nodeA.TxStreamer,
 		execNodeA,
 		l2nodeA.ArbDB,
@@ -194,6 +195,7 @@ func stakerTestImpl(t *testing.T, faultyStaker bool, honestStakerInactive bool)
 	statelessB, err := staker.NewStatelessBlockValidator(
 		l2nodeB.InboxReader,
 		l2nodeB.InboxTracker,
+		nil,
 		l2nodeB.TxStreamer,
 		execNodeB,
 		l2nodeB.ArbDB,