diff --git a/src/storage/store/account/verification_store.rs b/src/storage/store/account/verification_store.rs
index 7bd4209..810e819 100644
--- a/src/storage/store/account/verification_store.rs
+++ b/src/storage/store/account/verification_store.rs
@@ -1,21 +1,17 @@
 use tracing::info;
 
 use super::{
-    get_many_messages_as_bytes, get_message, make_fid_key, make_message_primary_key, make_ts_hash,
-    make_user_key, message_decode, read_fid_key,
+    make_fid_key, make_ts_hash, make_user_key, message_decode, read_fid_key,
     store::{Store, StoreDef},
-    MessagesPage, StoreEventHandler, FID_BYTES, PAGE_SIZE_MAX, TS_HASH_LENGTH,
+    MessagesPage, StoreEventHandler, FID_BYTES, TS_HASH_LENGTH,
 };
+use crate::storage::util::increment_vec_u8;
 use crate::{
     core::error::HubError,
-    proto::msg::{
-        link_body::Target, Protocol, SignatureScheme, VerificationAddAddressBody,
-        VerificationRemoveBody,
-    },
-    storage::{store::account::delete_message_transaction, util::vec_to_u8_24},
+    proto::msg::{Protocol, SignatureScheme, VerificationAddAddressBody, VerificationRemoveBody},
+    storage::store::account::delete_message_transaction,
 };
 use crate::{proto::msg::message_data::Body, storage::db::PageOptions};
-use crate::{proto::msg::LinkBody, storage::util::increment_vec_u8};
 use crate::{
     proto::msg::MessageData,
     storage::constants::{RootPrefix, UserPostfix},
@@ -24,7 +20,7 @@ use crate::{
     proto::msg::{Message, MessageType},
     storage::db::{RocksDB, RocksDbTransactionBatch},
 };
-use std::{borrow::Borrow, convert::TryInto, sync::Arc};
+use std::sync::Arc;
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct VerificationStoreDef {
diff --git a/src/storage/store/engine.rs b/src/storage/store/engine.rs
index 8e721b0..1d6e6cc 100644
--- a/src/storage/store/engine.rs
+++ b/src/storage/store/engine.rs
@@ -271,13 +271,29 @@ impl ShardEngine {
     ) -> Result<Vec<HubEvent>, EngineError> {
         let mut events = vec![];
         for snapchain_txn in transactions {
-            let (_, txn_events) = self.replay_snapchain_txn(snapchain_txn, txn_batch)?;
+            let (account_root, txn_events) = self.replay_snapchain_txn(snapchain_txn, txn_batch)?;
+            // Reject early if account roots fail to match (shard roots will definitely fail)
+            if &account_root != &snapchain_txn.account_root {
+                warn!(
+                    fid = snapchain_txn.fid,
+                    new_account_root = hex::encode(&account_root),
+                    tx_account_root = hex::encode(&snapchain_txn.account_root),
+                    "Account root mismatch"
+                );
+                return Err(EngineError::HashMismatch);
+            }
             events.extend(txn_events);
         }
 
         let root1 = self.stores.trie.root_hash()?;
 
         if &root1 != shard_root {
+            warn!(
+                shard_id = self.shard_id,
+                new_shard_root = hex::encode(&root1),
+                tx_shard_root = hex::encode(shard_root),
+                "Shard root mismatch"
+            );
             return Err(EngineError::HashMismatch);
         }
 
@@ -296,6 +312,27 @@ impl ShardEngine {
         let mut events = vec![];
         let mut message_types = HashSet::new();
 
+        // System messages first, then user messages and finally prunes
+        for msg in &snapchain_txn.system_messages {
+            if let Some(onchain_event) = &msg.on_chain_event {
+                let event = self
+                    .stores
+                    .onchain_event_store
+                    .merge_onchain_event(onchain_event.clone(), txn_batch);
+
+                match event {
+                    Ok(hub_event) => {
+                        self.update_trie(&hub_event, txn_batch)?;
+                        events.push(hub_event.clone());
+                        system_messages_count += 1;
+                    }
+                    Err(err) => {
+                        warn!("Error merging onchain event: {:?}", err);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         for msg in &snapchain_txn.user_messages {
             // Errors are validated based on the shard root
             let result = self.merge_message(msg, txn_batch);
@@ -338,26 +375,6 @@ impl ShardEngine {
             }
         }
 
-        for msg in &snapchain_txn.system_messages {
-            if let Some(onchain_event) = &msg.on_chain_event {
-                let event = self
-                    .stores
-                    .onchain_event_store
-                    .merge_onchain_event(onchain_event.clone(), txn_batch);
-
-                match event {
-                    Ok(hub_event) => {
-                        self.update_trie(&hub_event, txn_batch)?;
-                        events.push(hub_event.clone());
-                        system_messages_count += 1;
-                    }
-                    Err(err) => {
-                        warn!("Error merging onchain event: {:?}", err);
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
         let account_root = self.stores.trie.get_hash(
             &self.db,
             txn_batch,
@@ -369,7 +386,8 @@ impl ShardEngine {
             num_system_messages = total_system_messages,
             user_messages_merged = user_messages_count,
             system_messages_merged = system_messages_count,
-            account_root = hex::encode(&account_root),
+            new_account_root = hex::encode(&account_root),
+            tx_account_root = hex::encode(&snapchain_txn.account_root),
             "Replayed transaction"
         );
 
diff --git a/src/storage/store/stores.rs b/src/storage/store/stores.rs
index 3884516..33544c7 100644
--- a/src/storage/store/stores.rs
+++ b/src/storage/store/stores.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::proto::msg::MessageType;
 use crate::storage::db::{RocksDB, RocksDbTransactionBatch};
 use crate::storage::store::account::{
     CastStore, CastStoreDef, IntoU8, LinkStore, OnchainEventStorageError, OnchainEventStore, Store,
-    StoreDef, StoreEventHandler,
+    StoreEventHandler,
 };
 use crate::storage::store::shard::ShardStore;
 use crate::storage::trie::merkle_trie;
diff --git a/src/utils/factory.rs b/src/utils/factory.rs
index c1d5322..05e6d6a 100644
--- a/src/utils/factory.rs
+++ b/src/utils/factory.rs
@@ -347,10 +347,7 @@ pub mod messages_factory {
     }
 
     pub mod verifications {
-        use message::{
-            reaction_body::Target, ReactionBody, ReactionType, VerificationAddAddressBody,
-            VerificationRemoveBody,
-        };
+        use message::{VerificationAddAddressBody, VerificationRemoveBody};
 
         use super::*;