diff --git a/lib/contracts/feeoraclev2/deploy.go b/lib/contracts/feeoraclev2/deploy.go
index 69fe098fb..2981d43c9 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/feeoraclev2/deploy.go
+++ b/lib/contracts/feeoraclev2/deploy.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type DeploymentConfig struct {
 	Owner           common.Address
 	Deployer        common.Address
 	Manager         common.Address // manager is the address that can set fee parameters (gas price, conversion rates)
-	BaseGasLimit    uint32         // must fit in uint24 (max: 16,777,215)
+	BaseGasLimit    *big.Int       // must fit in uint24 (max: 16,777,215)
 	ProtocolFee     *big.Int       // must fit in uint72 (max: 4,722,366,482,869,645,213,695)
 }
 
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ func isEmpty(addr common.Address) bool {
 	return addr == common.Address{}
 }
 
+var maxUint24 = new(big.Int).Sub(new(big.Int).Lsh(big.NewInt(1), 24), big.NewInt(1))
 var maxUint72 = new(big.Int).Sub(new(big.Int).Lsh(big.NewInt(1), 72), big.NewInt(1))
 
 func (cfg DeploymentConfig) Validate() error {
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ func (cfg DeploymentConfig) Validate() error {
 	if isEmpty(cfg.Manager) {
 		return errors.New("manager is zero")
 	}
-	if cfg.BaseGasLimit > (1<<24 - 1) {
+	if cfg.BaseGasLimit.Cmp(maxUint24) > 0 {
 		return errors.New("base gas limit too high")
 	}
 	if cfg.ProtocolFee.Cmp(maxUint72) > 0 {
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ func Deploy(ctx context.Context, network netconf.ID, chainID uint64, destChainID
 		Owner:           eoa.MustAddress(network, eoa.RoleManager),
 		Deployer:        eoa.MustAddress(network, eoa.RoleDeployer),
 		Manager:         eoa.MustAddress(network, eoa.RoleMonitor), // NOTE: monitor is owner of fee oracle contracts, because monitor manages on chain gas prices / conversion rates
-		BaseGasLimit:    100_000,
+		BaseGasLimit:    big.NewInt(100_000),
 		ProtocolFee:     big.NewInt(0),
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/contracts/feeoraclev2/feeparams.go b/lib/contracts/feeoraclev2/feeparams.go
index 7b838f160..626f6cb8e 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/feeoraclev2/feeparams.go
+++ b/lib/contracts/feeoraclev2/feeparams.go
@@ -32,10 +32,7 @@ func feeParams(ctx context.Context, srcChainID uint64, destChainIDs []uint64, ba
 			return nil, errors.New("meta by chain id", "dest_chain", destChain.Name)
 		}
 
-		ps, err := destFeeParams(ctx, srcChain, destChain, backends, pricer)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+		ps := destFeeParams(ctx, srcChain, destChain, backends, pricer)
 
 		resp = append(resp, ps)
 	}
@@ -45,7 +42,7 @@ func feeParams(ctx context.Context, srcChainID uint64, destChainIDs []uint64, ba
 
 // feeParams returns the fee parameters for the given source token and destination chains.
 func destFeeParams(ctx context.Context, srcChain evmchain.Metadata, destChain evmchain.Metadata, backends ethbackend.Backends, pricer tokens.Pricer,
-) (bindings.IFeeOracleV2FeeParams, error) {
+) bindings.IFeeOracleV2FeeParams {
 	// conversion rate from "dest token" to "src token"
 	// ex if dest chain is ETH, and src chain is OMNI, we need to know the rate of ETH to OMNI.
 	toNativeRate, err := conversionRate(ctx, pricer, destChain.NativeToken, srcChain.NativeToken)
@@ -54,26 +51,34 @@ func destFeeParams(ctx context.Context, srcChain evmchain.Metadata, destChain ev
 		toNativeRate = 1
 	}
 
-	localBackend, err := backends.Backend(destChain.ChainID)
+	// Get execution gas price, defaulting to 1 Gwei if any error occurs.
+	var execBackend *ethbackend.Backend
+	var execGasPrice *big.Int
+	execBackend, err = backends.Backend(destChain.ChainID)
 	if err != nil {
-		return bindings.IFeeOracleV2FeeParams{}, errors.Wrap(err, "get local backend", "dest_chain", destChain.Name)
-	}
-
-	remoteBackend, err := backends.Backend(destChain.PostsTo)
-	if err != nil {
-		return bindings.IFeeOracleV2FeeParams{}, errors.Wrap(err, "get remote backend", "dest_chain", destChain.Name)
-	}
-
-	execGasPrice, err := localBackend.SuggestGasPrice(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Warn(ctx, "Failed fetching exec gas price, using default 1 Gwei", err, "dest_chain", destChain.Name)
+		log.Warn(ctx, "Failed getting exec backend, using default 1 Gwei", err, "dest_chain", destChain.Name)
 		execGasPrice = big.NewInt(params.GWei)
+	} else {
+		execGasPrice, err = execBackend.SuggestGasPrice(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Warn(ctx, "Failed fetching exec gas price, using default 1 Gwei", err, "dest_chain", destChain.Name)
+			execGasPrice = big.NewInt(params.GWei)
+		}
 	}
 
-	dataGasPrice, err := remoteBackend.SuggestGasPrice(ctx)
+	// Get data gas price, defaulting to 1 Gwei if any error occurs.
+	var dataBackend *ethbackend.Backend
+	var dataGasPrice *big.Int
+	dataBackend, err = backends.Backend(destChain.PostsTo)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Warn(ctx, "Failed fetching data gas price, using default 1 Gwei", err, "dest_chain", destChain.Name)
+		log.Warn(ctx, "Failed getting data backend, using default 1 Gwei", err, "dest_chain", destChain.Name)
 		dataGasPrice = big.NewInt(params.GWei)
+	} else {
+		dataGasPrice, err = dataBackend.SuggestGasPrice(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Warn(ctx, "Failed fetching data gas price, using default 1 Gwei", err, "dest_chain", destChain.Name)
+			dataGasPrice = big.NewInt(params.GWei)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return bindings.IFeeOracleV2FeeParams{
@@ -81,7 +86,7 @@ func destFeeParams(ctx context.Context, srcChain evmchain.Metadata, destChain ev
 		ExecGasPrice: gasprice.Tier(execGasPrice.Uint64()),
 		DataGasPrice: gasprice.Tier(dataGasPrice.Uint64()),
 		ToNativeRate: rateToNumerator(toNativeRate),
-	}, nil
+	}
 }
 
 // conversionRate returns the conversion rate C from token F to token T, where C = price(F) / price(T).