diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-checks.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-checks.yml
index 6561c429e2..c9f7957389 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-checks.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           set -x pipefail
           status_state="pending"
-          if ${{ contains(github.event.*.labels.*.name, 'design-approved') }}; then
+          if ${{ contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'design-approved') && !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'after-next-version') }}; then
             status_state="success"
           else
             resp="$(curl -sSL --fail-with-body \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/submodule-pin-check.sh b/.github/workflows/submodule-pin-check.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..aecb287ce1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/submodule-pin-check.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+declare -Ar exceptions=(
+	[contracts]=origin/develop
+	[nitro-testnode]=origin/master
+
+	#TODO Rachel to check these are the intended branches.
+	[arbitrator/langs/c]=origin/vm-storage-cache
+	[arbitrator/tools/wasmer]=origin/adopt-v4.2.8
+)
+
+divergent=0
+for mod in `git submodule --quiet foreach 'echo $name'`; do
+	branch=origin/HEAD
+	if [[ -v exceptions[$mod] ]]; then
+		branch=${exceptions[$mod]}
+	fi
+
+	if ! git -C $mod merge-base --is-ancestor HEAD $branch; then
+		echo $mod diverges from $branch
+		divergent=1
+	fi
+done
+
+exit $divergent
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/submodule-pin-check.yml b/.github/workflows/submodule-pin-check.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e459bad34d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/submodule-pin-check.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+name: Submodule Pin Check
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ master ]
+    types: [synchronize, opened, reopened]
+
+jobs:
+  submodule-pin-check:
+    name: Submodule Pin Check
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          submodules: recursive
+
+      - name: Check all submodules are ancestors of origin/HEAD or configured branch
+        run: ${{ github.workspace }}/.github/workflows/submodule-pin-check.sh
+
diff --git a/arbitrator/langs/bf b/arbitrator/langs/bf
index 062b87bad1..cb5750580f 160000
--- a/arbitrator/langs/bf
+++ b/arbitrator/langs/bf
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 062b87bad1ec00d42b9cc2b5ee41e63cd6ff1cbb
+Subproject commit cb5750580f6990b5166ffce83de11b766a25ca31
diff --git a/cmd/nitro-val/nitro_val.go b/cmd/nitro-val/nitro_val.go
index 6f5f546430..1a7d2e6283 100644
--- a/cmd/nitro-val/nitro_val.go
+++ b/cmd/nitro-val/nitro_val.go
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ func mainImpl() int {
 	nodeConfig.WS.Apply(&stackConf)
 	nodeConfig.Auth.Apply(&stackConf)
 	nodeConfig.IPC.Apply(&stackConf)
+	stackConf.P2P.ListenAddr = ""
+	stackConf.P2P.NoDial = true
+	stackConf.P2P.NoDiscovery = true
 	vcsRevision, strippedRevision, vcsTime := confighelpers.GetVersion()
 	stackConf.Version = strippedRevision
 
diff --git a/cmd/nitro/nitro.go b/cmd/nitro/nitro.go
index aa4ddb9313..3a34229768 100644
--- a/cmd/nitro/nitro.go
+++ b/cmd/nitro/nitro.go
@@ -183,6 +183,9 @@ func mainImpl() int {
 	if nodeConfig.WS.ExposeAll {
 		stackConf.WSModules = append(stackConf.WSModules, "personal")
 	}
+	stackConf.P2P.ListenAddr = ""
+	stackConf.P2P.NoDial = true
+	stackConf.P2P.NoDiscovery = true
 	vcsRevision, strippedRevision, vcsTime := confighelpers.GetVersion()
 	stackConf.Version = strippedRevision
 
diff --git a/staker/l1_validator.go b/staker/l1_validator.go
index d68365ede0..dd9673ee0b 100644
--- a/staker/l1_validator.go
+++ b/staker/l1_validator.go
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ func (v *L1Validator) generateNodeAction(
 		return nil, false, nil
 	}
 
-	successorNodes, err := v.rollup.LookupNodeChildren(ctx, stakerInfo.LatestStakedNode, stakerInfo.LatestStakedNodeHash)
+	successorNodes, err := v.rollup.LookupNodeChildren(ctx, stakerInfo.LatestStakedNode, stakerConfig.LogQueryBatchSize, stakerInfo.LatestStakedNodeHash)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("error looking up node %v (hash %v) children: %w", stakerInfo.LatestStakedNode, stakerInfo.LatestStakedNodeHash, err)
 	}
diff --git a/staker/rollup_watcher.go b/staker/rollup_watcher.go
index 118ce15b44..b35bebd1c6 100644
--- a/staker/rollup_watcher.go
+++ b/staker/rollup_watcher.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts/abi/bind"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
 )
 
 var rollupInitializedID common.Hash
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ func (r *RollupWatcher) LookupNode(ctx context.Context, number uint64) (*NodeInf
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func (r *RollupWatcher) LookupNodeChildren(ctx context.Context, nodeNum uint64, nodeHash common.Hash) ([]*NodeInfo, error) {
+func (r *RollupWatcher) LookupNodeChildren(ctx context.Context, nodeNum uint64, logQueryRangeSize uint64, nodeHash common.Hash) ([]*NodeInfo, error) {
 	node, err := r.RollupUserLogic.GetNode(r.getCallOpts(ctx), nodeNum)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -180,17 +181,32 @@ func (r *RollupWatcher) LookupNodeChildren(ctx context.Context, nodeNum uint64,
 		Addresses: []common.Address{r.address},
 		Topics:    [][]common.Hash{{nodeCreatedID}, nil, {nodeHash}},
 	}
-	query.FromBlock, err = r.getNodeCreationBlock(ctx, nodeNum)
+	fromBlock, err := r.getNodeCreationBlock(ctx, nodeNum)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	query.ToBlock, err = r.getNodeCreationBlock(ctx, node.LatestChildNumber)
+	toBlock, err := r.getNodeCreationBlock(ctx, node.LatestChildNumber)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	logs, err := r.client.FilterLogs(ctx, query)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	var logs []types.Log
+	// break down the query to avoid eth_getLogs query limit
+	for toBlock.Cmp(fromBlock) > 0 {
+		query.FromBlock = fromBlock
+		if logQueryRangeSize == 0 {
+			query.ToBlock = toBlock
+		} else {
+			query.ToBlock = new(big.Int).Add(fromBlock, big.NewInt(int64(logQueryRangeSize)))
+		}
+		if query.ToBlock.Cmp(toBlock) > 0 {
+			query.ToBlock = toBlock
+		}
+		segment, err := r.client.FilterLogs(ctx, query)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		logs = append(logs, segment...)
+		fromBlock = new(big.Int).Add(query.ToBlock, big.NewInt(1))
 	}
 	infos := make([]*NodeInfo, 0, len(logs))
 	lastHash := nodeHash
diff --git a/staker/staker.go b/staker/staker.go
index da6413e122..24f5dc61e3 100644
--- a/staker/staker.go
+++ b/staker/staker.go
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ type L1ValidatorConfig struct {
 	ExtraGas                  uint64                      `koanf:"extra-gas" reload:"hot"`
 	Dangerous                 DangerousConfig             `koanf:"dangerous"`
 	ParentChainWallet         genericconf.WalletConfig    `koanf:"parent-chain-wallet"`
+	LogQueryBatchSize         uint64                      `koanf:"log-query-batch-size" reload:"hot"`
 
 	strategy    StakerStrategy
 	gasRefunder common.Address
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ var DefaultL1ValidatorConfig = L1ValidatorConfig{
 	ExtraGas:                  50000,
 	Dangerous:                 DefaultDangerousConfig,
 	ParentChainWallet:         DefaultValidatorL1WalletConfig,
+	LogQueryBatchSize:         0,
 }
 
 var TestL1ValidatorConfig = L1ValidatorConfig{
@@ -176,6 +178,7 @@ var TestL1ValidatorConfig = L1ValidatorConfig{
 	ExtraGas:                  50000,
 	Dangerous:                 DefaultDangerousConfig,
 	ParentChainWallet:         DefaultValidatorL1WalletConfig,
+	LogQueryBatchSize:         0,
 }
 
 var DefaultValidatorL1WalletConfig = genericconf.WalletConfig{
@@ -201,6 +204,7 @@ func L1ValidatorConfigAddOptions(prefix string, f *flag.FlagSet) {
 	f.String(prefix+".gas-refunder-address", DefaultL1ValidatorConfig.GasRefunderAddress, "The gas refunder contract address (optional)")
 	f.String(prefix+".redis-url", DefaultL1ValidatorConfig.RedisUrl, "redis url for L1 validator")
 	f.Uint64(prefix+".extra-gas", DefaultL1ValidatorConfig.ExtraGas, "use this much more gas than estimation says is necessary to post transactions")
+	f.Uint64(prefix+".log-query-batch-size", DefaultL1ValidatorConfig.LogQueryBatchSize, "range ro query from eth_getLogs")
 	dataposter.DataPosterConfigAddOptions(prefix+".data-poster", f, dataposter.DefaultDataPosterConfigForValidator)
 	DangerousConfigAddOptions(prefix+".dangerous", f)
 	genericconf.WalletConfigAddOptions(prefix+".parent-chain-wallet", f, DefaultL1ValidatorConfig.ParentChainWallet.Pathname)
diff --git a/staker/stateless_block_validator.go b/staker/stateless_block_validator.go
index 1cf3d7a4c3..ec235c4bf5 100644
--- a/staker/stateless_block_validator.go
+++ b/staker/stateless_block_validator.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"net/url"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/offchainlabs/nitro/arbstate/daprovider"
@@ -428,8 +429,13 @@ func (v *StatelessBlockValidator) Start(ctx_in context.Context) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("starting execution spawner: %w", err)
 		}
 	}
-	for _, spawner := range v.execSpawners {
+	for i, spawner := range v.execSpawners {
 		if err := spawner.Start(ctx_in); err != nil {
+			if u, parseErr := url.Parse(v.config.ValidationServerConfigs[i].URL); parseErr == nil {
+				if u.Scheme != "ws" && u.Scheme != "wss" {
+					return fmt.Errorf("validation server's url scheme is unsupported, it should either be ws or wss, url:%s err: %w", v.config.ValidationServerConfigs[i].URL, err)
+				}
+			}
 			return err
 		}
 	}