diff --git a/consensus/CHANGELOG.md b/consensus/CHANGELOG.md
index 5be6ef067b..473462e379 100644
--- a/consensus/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/consensus/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
-[1.0.1] - 2025-01-23
+### Fixed
+
+- Fix `MismatchHeight` error message
+
+## [1.0.1] - 2025-01-23
 
 ## [1.0.0] - 2025-01-16
 
diff --git a/consensus/src/errors.rs b/consensus/src/errors.rs
index fa9c7af511..2a039c294c 100644
--- a/consensus/src/errors.rs
+++ b/consensus/src/errors.rs
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ pub enum HeaderError {
     UnsupportedVersion,
     #[error("empty block hash")]
     EmptyHash,
-    #[error("invalid block height block_height: {0}, curr_height: {0}")]
+    #[error("invalid block height block_height: {0}, curr_height: {1}")]
     MismatchHeight(u64, u64),
     #[error("block time is less than minimum block time")]
     BlockTimeLess,
diff --git a/node/CHANGELOG.md b/node/CHANGELOG.md
index 7bf341c751..342e88ac0d 100644
--- a/node/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/node/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- Add `create_if_missing` field to `DatabaseOptions`
+- Add support for `RUSK_EXT_CHAIN` env
+
 ## [1.1.0] - 2025-02-14
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/node/src/chain.rs b/node/src/chain.rs
index 4b97b4e7b9..ea5d1a2d2c 100644
--- a/node/src/chain.rs
+++ b/node/src/chain.rs
@@ -83,14 +83,10 @@ impl<N: Network, DB: database::DB, VM: vm::VMExecution>
         )
         .await?;
 
-        let state_hash = tip.inner().header().state_hash;
-        let provisioners_list = vm.read().await.get_provisioners(state_hash)?;
-
         // Initialize Acceptor
         let acc = Acceptor::init_consensus(
             &self.keys_path,
             tip,
-            provisioners_list,
             db,
             network,
             vm,
diff --git a/node/src/chain/acceptor.rs b/node/src/chain/acceptor.rs
index a0db0f86ef..6166f5b0a4 100644
--- a/node/src/chain/acceptor.rs
+++ b/node/src/chain/acceptor.rs
@@ -44,10 +44,12 @@ use crate::archive::Archive;
 use crate::chain::header_validation::{verify_att, verify_faults, Validator};
 use crate::chain::metrics::AverageElapsedTime;
 use crate::database::rocksdb::{
-    MD_AVG_PROPOSAL, MD_AVG_RATIFICATION, MD_AVG_VALIDATION, MD_HASH_KEY,
-    MD_STATE_ROOT_KEY,
+    Backend, MD_AVG_PROPOSAL, MD_AVG_RATIFICATION, MD_AVG_VALIDATION,
+    MD_HASH_KEY, MD_STATE_ROOT_KEY,
+};
+use crate::database::{
+    self, ConsensusStorage, DatabaseOptions, Ledger, Mempool, Metadata, DB,
 };
-use crate::database::{self, ConsensusStorage, Ledger, Mempool, Metadata};
 use crate::{vm, Message, Network};
 
 const CANDIDATES_DELETION_OFFSET: u64 = 10;
@@ -196,7 +198,6 @@ impl<DB: database::DB, VM: vm::VMExecution, N: Network> Acceptor<N, DB, VM> {
     pub async fn init_consensus(
         keys_path: &str,
         tip: BlockWithLabel,
-        provisioners_list: Provisioners,
         db: Arc<RwLock<DB>>,
         network: Arc<RwLock<N>>,
         vm: Arc<RwLock<VM>>,
@@ -208,6 +209,8 @@ impl<DB: database::DB, VM: vm::VMExecution, N: Network> Acceptor<N, DB, VM> {
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
         let tip_height = tip.inner().header().height;
         let tip_state_hash = tip.inner().header().state_hash;
+        let provisioners_list =
+            vm.read().await.get_provisioners(tip_state_hash)?;
 
         let mut provisioners_list = ContextProvisioners::new(provisioners_list);
 
@@ -217,7 +220,7 @@ impl<DB: database::DB, VM: vm::VMExecution, N: Network> Acceptor<N, DB, VM> {
             provisioners_list.apply_changes(changed_provisioners);
         }
 
-        let acc = Self {
+        let mut acc = Self {
             tip: RwLock::new(tip),
             provisioners_list: RwLock::new(provisioners_list),
             db: db.clone(),
@@ -261,6 +264,36 @@ impl<DB: database::DB, VM: vm::VMExecution, N: Network> Acceptor<N, DB, VM> {
                 );
             }
         }
+        let ext_db_parent_path = env::var("RUSK_EXT_CHAIN").unwrap_or_default();
+
+        if !ext_db_parent_path.is_empty() {
+            let opts = DatabaseOptions {
+                create_if_missing: false,
+                ..Default::default()
+            };
+            let db_ext = Backend::create_or_open(ext_db_parent_path, opts);
+            let tip_ext = db_ext
+                .view(|t| {
+                    anyhow::Ok(t.op_read(MD_HASH_KEY)?.and_then(|tip_hash| {
+                        t.block(&tip_hash[..])
+                            .expect("block to be found if metadata is set")
+                    }))
+                })?
+                .expect("Cannot find tip for ext block")
+                .header()
+                .height;
+
+            if tip_ext > tip_height {
+                info!("detected ext db at height {tip_ext}. Syncing local db starting from {tip_height}" );
+
+                for height in tip_height + 1..=tip_ext {
+                    let blk = db_ext
+                        .view(|db| db.block_by_height(height))?
+                        .expect("block to be found");
+                    acc.try_accept_block(&blk, false).await?;
+                }
+            }
+        }
 
         let tip_ts = acc.tip.read().await.inner().header().timestamp;
         Self::init_delay(tip_ts).await;
diff --git a/node/src/database.rs b/node/src/database.rs
index 668c240364..c319bea6dc 100644
--- a/node/src/database.rs
+++ b/node/src/database.rs
@@ -241,6 +241,9 @@ pub struct DatabaseOptions {
 
     /// Enables a set of flags for collecting DB stats as log data.
     pub enable_debug: bool,
+
+    /// Create the database if missing
+    pub create_if_missing: bool,
 }
 
 impl Default for DatabaseOptions {
@@ -250,6 +253,7 @@ impl Default for DatabaseOptions {
             mempool_cf_max_write_buffer_size: 10 * 1024 * 1024, // 10 MiB
             blocks_cf_disable_block_cache: true,
             enable_debug: false,
+            create_if_missing: true,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/node/src/database/rocksdb.rs b/node/src/database/rocksdb.rs
index 8ea6cc6773..cd1905bd53 100644
--- a/node/src/database/rocksdb.rs
+++ b/node/src/database/rocksdb.rs
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ impl DB for Backend {
         // A set of options for initializing any blocks-related CF (including
         // METADATA CF)
         let mut blocks_cf_opts = Options::default();
-        blocks_cf_opts.create_if_missing(true);
+        blocks_cf_opts.create_if_missing(db_opts.create_if_missing);
         blocks_cf_opts.create_missing_column_families(true);
         blocks_cf_opts.set_level_compaction_dynamic_level_bytes(true);
         blocks_cf_opts