diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/api/aztec_process.cpp b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/api/aztec_process.cpp
index 6663060f993c..671f72dfd9a7 100644
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/api/aztec_process.cpp
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/api/aztec_process.cpp
@@ -258,6 +258,21 @@ bool process_aztec_artifact(const std::string& input_path, const std::string& ou
         return true;
     }
 
+    // Strip __aztec_nr_internals__ prefix from function names.
+    // The #[aztec] macro generates wrapper functions with this prefix; we strip it so
+    // the exported ABI exposes the original developer-written names.
+    const std::string internal_prefix = "__aztec_nr_internals__";
+    for (auto& function : artifact_json["functions"]) {
+        auto& name = function["name"];
+        if (name.is_string()) {
+            std::string fn_name = name.get<std::string>();
+            if (fn_name.size() >= internal_prefix.size() &&
+                fn_name.compare(0, internal_prefix.size(), internal_prefix) == 0) {
+                name = fn_name.substr(internal_prefix.size());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     // Filter to private constrained functions
     std::vector<nlohmann::json*> private_functions;
     for (auto& function : artifact_json["functions"]) {
@@ -266,14 +281,13 @@ bool process_aztec_artifact(const std::string& input_path, const std::string& ou
         }
     }
 
-    if (private_functions.empty()) {
+    if (!private_functions.empty()) {
+        // Generate VKs
+        generate_vks_for_functions(cache_dir, private_functions, force);
+    } else {
         info("No private constrained functions found");
-        return true;
     }
 
-    // Generate VKs
-    generate_vks_for_functions(cache_dir, private_functions, force);
-
     // Write updated JSON back to file
     std::ofstream out_file(output_path);
     out_file << artifact_json.dump(2) << std::endl;
diff --git a/docs/bootstrap.sh b/docs/bootstrap.sh
index 3400d0ce9ef8..38aa836d5973 100755
--- a/docs/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/docs/bootstrap.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ source $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/ci3/source_bootstrap
 repo_root=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
 export BB=${BB:-$repo_root/barretenberg/cpp/build/bin/bb}
 export NARGO=${NARGO:-$repo_root/noir/noir-repo/target/release/nargo}
-export TRANSPILER=${TRANSPILER:-$repo_root/avm-transpiler/target/release/avm-transpiler}
 export BB_HASH=${BB_HASH:-$($repo_root/barretenberg/cpp/bootstrap.sh hash)}
 
 # We search the docs/*.md files to find included code, and use those as our rebuild dependencies.
diff --git a/docs/examples/bootstrap.sh b/docs/examples/bootstrap.sh
index b112eceec7eb..4ff015947d76 100755
--- a/docs/examples/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/docs/examples/bootstrap.sh
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ REPO_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
 
 export BB=${BB:-"$REPO_ROOT/barretenberg/cpp/build/bin/bb"}
 export NARGO=${NARGO:-"$REPO_ROOT/noir/noir-repo/target/release/nargo"}
-export TRANSPILER=${TRANSPILER:-"$REPO_ROOT/avm-transpiler/target/release/avm-transpiler"}
-export STRIP_AZTEC_NR_PREFIX=${STRIP_AZTEC_NR_PREFIX:-"$REPO_ROOT/noir-projects/noir-contracts/scripts/strip_aztec_nr_prefix.sh"}
 export BB_HASH=${BB_HASH:-$("$REPO_ROOT/barretenberg/cpp/bootstrap.sh" hash)}
 export NOIR_HASH=${NOIR_HASH:-$("$REPO_ROOT/noir/bootstrap.sh" hash)}
 
diff --git a/noir-projects/aztec-nr/aztec/src/oracle/auth_witness.nr b/noir-projects/aztec-nr/aztec/src/oracle/auth_witness.nr
index 57a54b5f7f35..b850be1dd3bd 100644
--- a/noir-projects/aztec-nr/aztec/src/oracle/auth_witness.nr
+++ b/noir-projects/aztec-nr/aztec/src/oracle/auth_witness.nr
@@ -5,3 +5,37 @@ unconstrained fn get_auth_witness_oracle<let N: u32>(_message_hash: Field) -> [F
 pub unconstrained fn get_auth_witness<let N: u32>(message_hash: Field) -> [Field; N] {
     get_auth_witness_oracle(message_hash)
 }
+
+/// Fetches an auth witness and casts each field to a byte.
+///
+/// Each field is range-checked to `[0, 256)` before casting to prevent silent truncation (e.g. a field value of
+/// `b + 256` would truncate to the same byte as `b`).
+pub unconstrained fn get_auth_witness_as_bytes<let N: u32>(message_hash: Field) -> [u8; N] {
+    let witness = get_auth_witness::<N>(message_hash);
+    let mut result: [u8; N] = [0; N];
+    for i in 0..N {
+        assert(witness[i].lt(256), "auth witness field is not a single byte");
+        result[i] = witness[i] as u8;
+    }
+    result
+}
+
+mod test {
+    use super::get_auth_witness_as_bytes;
+    use std::test::OracleMock;
+
+    #[test]
+    unconstrained fn get_auth_witness_as_bytes_casts_valid_witness() {
+        let witness: [Field; 3] = [0, 127, 255];
+        let _ = OracleMock::mock("aztec_utl_getAuthWitness").returns(witness);
+        let bytes: [u8; 3] = get_auth_witness_as_bytes(0);
+        assert_eq(bytes, [0, 127, 255]);
+    }
+
+    #[test(should_fail_with = "auth witness field is not a single byte")]
+    unconstrained fn get_auth_witness_as_bytes_rejects_field_above_byte_range() {
+        let witness: [Field; 1] = [256];
+        let _ = OracleMock::mock("aztec_utl_getAuthWitness").returns(witness);
+        let _: [u8; 1] = get_auth_witness_as_bytes(0);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/bootstrap.sh b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/bootstrap.sh
index 64252a9d7088..b88ea473f464 100755
--- a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/bootstrap.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-# TODO: THIS SCRIPT SHOULD NOW BE ABLE TO REPLACE TRANSPILATION AND VK GENERATION WITH 'bb aztec_process'.
 #
 # Some notes if you have to work on this script.
 # - First of all, I'm sorry (edit: not sorry). It's a beautiful script but it's no fun to debug. I got carried away.
@@ -30,77 +29,12 @@ export PLATFORM_TAG=any
 
 export BB=${BB:-../../barretenberg/cpp/build/bin/bb}
 export NARGO=${NARGO:-../../noir/noir-repo/target/release/nargo}
-export TRANSPILER=${TRANSPILER:-../../avm-transpiler/target/release/avm-transpiler}
-export STRIP_AZTEC_NR_PREFIX=${STRIP_AZTEC_NR_PREFIX:-./scripts/strip_aztec_nr_prefix.sh}
 export BB_HASH=${BB_HASH:-$(../../barretenberg/cpp/bootstrap.sh hash)}
 export NOIR_HASH=${NOIR_HASH:-$(../../noir/bootstrap.sh hash)}
 
-export tmp_dir=./target/tmp
-
-# Remove our tmp dir from last run.
-# Note: This can use BASH 'trap' for better cleanliness, but the script has been hitting edge-cases so is (temporarily?) simplified.
-rm -rf $tmp_dir
-mkdir -p $tmp_dir
-
 # Set common flags for parallel.
 export PARALLEL_FLAGS="-j${PARALLELISM:-16} --halt now,fail=1 --memsuspend $(memsuspend_limit)"
 
-# This computes a vk and adds it to the input function json if it's private, else returns same input.
-# stdin has the function json.
-# stdout receives the function json with the vk added (if private).
-# The function is exported and called by a sub-shell in parallel, so we must "set -eu" etc..
-# If debugging, a set -x at the start can help.
-function process_function {
-  set -euo pipefail
-  local func name bytecode_b64 hash vk
-
-  contract_hash=$1
-  # Read the function json.
-  func="$(cat)"
-  name=$(echo "$func" | jq -r '.name')
-  echo_stderr "Processing function: $name..."
-
-  # Check if the function is neither public nor unconstrained.
-  # TODO: Why do we need to gen keys for functions that are not marked private?
-  # We allow the jq call to error (set +e) because it returns an error code if the result is false.
-  # We then differentiate between a real error, and the result being false.
-  set +e
-  make_vk=$(echo "$func" | jq -e '(.custom_attributes | index("public") == null) and (.is_unconstrained == false)')
-  if [ $? -ne 0 ] && [ "$make_vk" != "false" ]; then
-    echo_stderr "Failed to check function $name is neither public nor unconstrained."
-    exit 1
-  fi
-  set -e
-
-  if [ "$make_vk" == "true" ]; then
-    # It's a private function.
-    # Build hash, check if in cache.
-    # If it's in the cache it's extracted to $tmp_dir/$hash
-    bytecode_b64=$(echo "$func" | jq -r '.bytecode')
-    hash=$((echo "$BB_HASH"; echo "$bytecode_b64") | sha256sum | tr -d ' -')
-
-    if ! cache_download vk-$contract_hash-$hash.tar.gz >&2; then
-      # It's not in the cache. Generate the vk file and upload it to the cache.
-      echo_stderr "Generating vk for function: $name..."
-
-      local outdir=$(mktemp -d -p $tmp_dir)
-      echo "$bytecode_b64" | base64 -d | gunzip | $BB write_vk --scheme chonk -b - -o $outdir -v
-      mv $outdir/vk $tmp_dir/$contract_hash/$hash
-
-      cache_upload vk-$contract_hash-$hash.tar.gz $tmp_dir/$contract_hash/$hash
-    fi
-
-    # Return (echo) json containing the base64 encoded verification key.
-    vk=$(cat $tmp_dir/$contract_hash/$hash | base64 -w 0)
-    echo "$func" | jq -c --arg vk "$vk" '. + {verification_key: $vk}'
-  else
-    echo_stderr "Function $name is neither public nor unconstrained, skipping."
-    # Not a private function. Return the original function json.
-    echo "$func"
-  fi
-}
-export -f process_function
-
 # Compute hash for a given contract.
 # $1 is the contract name, $2 is the folder name (e.g. "contracts" or "examples")
 function get_contract_hash {
@@ -159,51 +93,26 @@ function get_contract_path {
 }
 export -f get_contract_path
 
-# This compiles a noir contract, transpile's public functions, and generates vk's for private functions.
+# This compiles a noir contract, transpiles public functions, strips internal prefixes,
+# and generates verification keys for private functions via 'bb aztec_process'.
 # $1 is the input package name, $2 is the folder name (e.g. "contracts" or "examples")
-# On exit it's fully processed json artifact is in the target dir.
+# On exit its fully processed json artifact is in the target dir.
 # The function is exported and called by a sub-shell in parallel, so we must "set -eu" etc..
 function compile {
   set -euo pipefail
-  local contract_name contract_hash
 
   local contract_path=$(get_contract_path "$1" "$2")
   local contract=$(grep -oP '(?<=^name = ")[^"]+' "$2/$contract_path/Nargo.toml")
   # Calculate filename because nargo...
-  contract_name=$(cat $2/$contract_path/src/main.nr | awk '/^contract / { print $2 } /^pub contract / { print $3 }')
+  local contract_name=$(cat $2/$contract_path/src/main.nr | awk '/^contract / { print $2 } /^pub contract / { print $3 }')
   local filename="$contract-$contract_name.json"
   local json_path="./target/$filename"
-  contract_hash=$(get_contract_hash $1 $2)
+  local contract_hash=$(get_contract_hash $1 $2)
   if ! cache_download contract-$contract_hash.tar.gz; then
-    $NARGO compile --package $contract --inliner-aggressiveness 0  --deny-warnings
-    $TRANSPILER $json_path $json_path
-    $STRIP_AZTEC_NR_PREFIX $json_path
+    $NARGO compile --package $contract --inliner-aggressiveness 0 --deny-warnings
+    $BB aztec_process -i $json_path
     cache_upload contract-$contract_hash.tar.gz $json_path
   fi
-
-  # We segregate equivalent vk's created by process_function. This was done to narrow down potential edge cases with identical VKs
-  # reading from cache at the same time. Create this folder up-front.
-  mkdir -p $tmp_dir/$contract_hash
-
-  # Pipe each contract function, one per line (jq -c), into parallel calls of process_function.
-  # The returned jsons from process_function are converted back to a json array in the second jq -s call.
-  # When slurping (-s) in the last jq, we get an array of two elements:
-  # .[0] is the original json (at $json_path)
-  # .[1] is the updated functions on stdin (-)
-  # * merges their fields.
-  # Write each function to a separate temp file to avoid pipe/stdin issues with large JSON
-  local func_dir=$(mktemp -d -p $tmp_dir)
-  local i=0
-  while IFS= read -r func_json; do
-    echo "$func_json" > "$func_dir/$i.json"
-    ((i++)) || true
-  done < <(jq -c '.functions[]' $json_path)
-
-  # Process each function file in parallel
-  ls "$func_dir"/*.json | sort -V | \
-    parallel $PARALLEL_FLAGS --keep-order 'cat {} | process_function '"$contract_hash" | \
-    jq -s '{functions: .}' | jq -s '.[0] * {functions: .[1].functions}' $json_path - > $tmp_dir/$filename
-  mv $tmp_dir/$filename $json_path
 }
 export -f compile
 
@@ -220,7 +129,6 @@ function build {
 
   if [ "$#" -eq 0 ]; then
     rm -rf target
-    mkdir -p $tmp_dir
     local contracts=$(grep -oP "(?<=$folder_name/)[^\"]+" Nargo.toml)
   else
     local contracts="$@"
diff --git a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/ecdsa_k_account_contract/src/main.nr b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/ecdsa_k_account_contract/src/main.nr
index 443cbca8a0f5..4d950b4cf661 100644
--- a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/ecdsa_k_account_contract/src/main.nr
+++ b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/ecdsa_k_account_contract/src/main.nr
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ pub contract EcdsaKAccount {
             storage::storage,
         },
         messages::message_delivery::MessageDelivery,
-        oracle::{auth_witness::get_auth_witness, notes::{get_sender_for_tags, set_sender_for_tags}},
+        oracle::{
+            auth_witness::get_auth_witness_as_bytes,
+            notes::{get_sender_for_tags, set_sender_for_tags},
+        },
         state_vars::SinglePrivateImmutable,
     };
 
@@ -81,14 +84,9 @@ pub contract EcdsaKAccount {
         let storage = Storage::init(context);
         let public_key = storage.signing_public_key.get_note();
 
-        // Load auth witness
         // Safety: The witness is only used as a "magical value" that makes the signature verification below pass.
         // Hence it's safe.
-        let witness: [Field; 64] = unsafe { get_auth_witness(outer_hash) };
-        let mut signature: [u8; 64] = [0; 64];
-        for i in 0..64 {
-            signature[i] = witness[i] as u8;
-        }
+        let signature: [u8; 64] = unsafe { get_auth_witness_as_bytes(outer_hash) };
 
         // Verify payload signature using Ethereum's signing scheme
         // Note that noir expects the hash of the message/challenge as input to the ECDSA verification.
diff --git a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/ecdsa_r_account_contract/src/main.nr b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/ecdsa_r_account_contract/src/main.nr
index 610b3d4eaddc..69279ff5c129 100644
--- a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/ecdsa_r_account_contract/src/main.nr
+++ b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/ecdsa_r_account_contract/src/main.nr
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@ pub contract EcdsaRAccount {
             storage::storage,
         },
         messages::message_delivery::MessageDelivery,
-        oracle::{auth_witness::get_auth_witness, notes::{get_sender_for_tags, set_sender_for_tags}},
+        oracle::{
+            auth_witness::get_auth_witness_as_bytes,
+            notes::{get_sender_for_tags, set_sender_for_tags},
+        },
         state_vars::SinglePrivateImmutable,
     };
 
@@ -79,14 +82,9 @@ pub contract EcdsaRAccount {
         let storage = Storage::init(context);
         let public_key = storage.signing_public_key.get_note();
 
-        // Load auth witness
         // Safety: The witness is only used as a "magical value" that makes the signature verification below pass.
         // Hence it's safe.
-        let witness: [Field; 64] = unsafe { get_auth_witness(outer_hash) };
-        let mut signature: [u8; 64] = [0; 64];
-        for i in 0..64 {
-            signature[i] = witness[i] as u8;
-        }
+        let signature: [u8; 64] = unsafe { get_auth_witness_as_bytes(outer_hash) };
 
         // Verify payload signature using Ethereum's signing scheme
         // Note that noir expects the hash of the message/challenge as input to the ECDSA verification.
diff --git a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/schnorr_account_contract/src/main.nr b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/schnorr_account_contract/src/main.nr
index 34fd2a160d9f..ff55d41771a5 100644
--- a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/schnorr_account_contract/src/main.nr
+++ b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/schnorr_account_contract/src/main.nr
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ pub contract SchnorrAccount {
         },
         messages::message_delivery::MessageDelivery,
         oracle::{
-            auth_witness::get_auth_witness,
+            auth_witness::get_auth_witness_as_bytes,
             get_nullifier_membership_witness::get_low_nullifier_membership_witness,
             notes::{get_sender_for_tags, set_sender_for_tags},
         },
@@ -95,14 +95,9 @@ pub contract SchnorrAccount {
         let storage = Storage::init(context);
         let public_key = storage.signing_public_key.get_note();
 
-        // Load auth witness
         // Safety: The witness is only used as a "magical value" that makes the signature verification below pass.
         // Hence it's safe.
-        let witness: [Field; 64] = unsafe { get_auth_witness(outer_hash) };
-        let mut signature: [u8; 64] = [0; 64];
-        for i in 0..64 {
-            signature[i] = witness[i] as u8;
-        }
+        let signature: [u8; 64] = unsafe { get_auth_witness_as_bytes(outer_hash) };
 
         let pub_key =
             std::embedded_curve_ops::EmbeddedCurvePoint { x: public_key.x, y: public_key.y };
@@ -128,11 +123,7 @@ pub contract SchnorrAccount {
             inner_hash,
         );
 
-        let witness: [Field; 64] = get_auth_witness(message_hash);
-        let mut signature: [u8; 64] = [0; 64];
-        for i in 0..64 {
-            signature[i] = witness[i] as u8;
-        }
+        let signature: [u8; 64] = get_auth_witness_as_bytes(message_hash);
         let pub_key =
             std::embedded_curve_ops::EmbeddedCurvePoint { x: public_key.x, y: public_key.y };
         let valid_in_private =
diff --git a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/schnorr_hardcoded_account_contract/src/main.nr b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/schnorr_hardcoded_account_contract/src/main.nr
index ac0d6e83f6f9..6657da79aeb1 100644
--- a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/schnorr_hardcoded_account_contract/src/main.nr
+++ b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/contracts/account/schnorr_hardcoded_account_contract/src/main.nr
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ pub contract SchnorrHardcodedAccount {
         authwit::{account::AccountActions, entrypoint::app::AppPayload},
         context::PrivateContext,
         macros::functions::{allow_phase_change, external, view},
-        oracle::{auth_witness::get_auth_witness, notes::set_sender_for_tags},
+        oracle::{auth_witness::get_auth_witness_as_bytes, notes::set_sender_for_tags},
     };
     use std::embedded_curve_ops::EmbeddedCurvePoint;
 
@@ -38,15 +38,9 @@ pub contract SchnorrHardcodedAccount {
 
     #[contract_library_method]
     fn is_valid_impl(_context: &mut PrivateContext, outer_hash: Field) -> bool {
-        // Load auth witness and format as an u8 array
-
         // Safety: The witness is only used as a "magical value" that makes the signature verification below pass.
         // Hence it's safe.
-        let witness: [Field; 64] = unsafe { get_auth_witness(outer_hash) };
-        let mut signature: [u8; 64] = [0; 64];
-        for i in 0..64 {
-            signature[i] = witness[i] as u8;
-        }
+        let signature: [u8; 64] = unsafe { get_auth_witness_as_bytes(outer_hash) };
 
         // Verify signature using hardcoded public key
         schnorr::verify_signature(
diff --git a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/scripts/bootstrap_just_one_contract.sh b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/scripts/bootstrap_just_one_contract.sh
index 2fad30ebac67..6681d0139a72 100755
--- a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/scripts/bootstrap_just_one_contract.sh
+++ b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/scripts/bootstrap_just_one_contract.sh
@@ -28,11 +28,7 @@ echo "Compiling contract..."
 NARGO=${NARGO:-../../../noir/noir-repo/target/release/nargo}
 $NARGO compile --silence-warnings --inliner-aggressiveness 0 --package $CONTRACT_PACKAGE_NAME
 
-# Strip __aztec_nr_internals__ prefix from function names in the ABI.
-echo "Stripping aztec nr prefix..."
-./strip_aztec_nr_prefix.sh "../target/$JSON_NAME.json"
-
-# Transpile public functions and generate VKs for private functions.
+# Transpile public functions, strip internal prefixes, and generate VKs for private functions.
 echo "Processing contract artifact..."
 BB=${BB:-../../../barretenberg/cpp/build/bin/bb}
 "$BB" aztec_process -i "../target/$JSON_NAME.json" -o "../target/$JSON_NAME.json" -f
diff --git a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/scripts/strip_aztec_nr_prefix.sh b/noir-projects/noir-contracts/scripts/strip_aztec_nr_prefix.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index e0466361421d..000000000000
--- a/noir-projects/noir-contracts/scripts/strip_aztec_nr_prefix.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-set -euo pipefail
-
-# This script strips the `__aztec_nr_internals__` prefix from function names in the exported contract ABI JSON.
-#
-# Background:
-# The #[aztec] macro generates new functions prefixed with `__aztec_nr_internals__` from the original external contract
-# functions (see aztec.nr and internals_functions_generation/mod.nr). The original functions are then modified to be
-# uncallable (replaced with static_assert(false, ...)) to prevent developers from inadvertently calling them directly
-# instead of performing proper contract calls.
-#
-# Why this script is needed:
-# During compilation, the transformed functions with the `__aztec_nr_internals__` prefix are what actually get
-# compiled into circuits. However, in the exported ABI JSON that external tools and developers use, we want to
-# expose the original function names without the internal prefix. This makes the ABI cleaner and matches what
-# developers originally wrote in their contracts.
-
-json_path=$1
-temp_file="${json_path}.tmp"
-
-jq '.functions |= map(.name |= sub("^__aztec_nr_internals__"; ""))' "$json_path" > "$temp_file"
-mv "$temp_file" "$json_path"
diff --git a/noir-projects/protocol-fuzzer/SANDBOX_INSTRUCTIONS.md b/noir-projects/protocol-fuzzer/SANDBOX_INSTRUCTIONS.md
index d1ec0be540d5..760425a0bcae 100644
--- a/noir-projects/protocol-fuzzer/SANDBOX_INSTRUCTIONS.md
+++ b/noir-projects/protocol-fuzzer/SANDBOX_INSTRUCTIONS.md
@@ -207,11 +207,9 @@ for pkg in side_effect_contract parent_contract; do
         --silence-warnings --inliner-aggressiveness 0 --package ${pkg}
     /usr/src/barretenberg/cpp/build/bin/bb-avm aztec_process \
         -i target/${artifact}.json
-    jq '.functions |= map(.name |= sub(\"^__aztec_nr_internals__\"; \"\"))' \
-        target/${artifact}.json > /tmp/${artifact}.json
   "
 
-  docker cp "aztec-sandbox-nightly:/tmp/${artifact}.json" \
+  docker cp "aztec-sandbox-nightly:/tmp/nightly-build/target/${artifact}.json" \
     "contracts/target/${artifact}.json"
 done
 ```
@@ -291,7 +289,7 @@ Run `bb-avm aztec_process` (step 4b).
 Run `bb-avm aztec_process` (step 4b) -- it generates both transpiled bytecode and VKs.
 
 ### "Constructor method initialize not found"
-The `__aztec_nr_internals__` prefix wasn't stripped. Run the `jq` step in 4b.
+The internal prefix wasn't stripped. Ensure `bb-avm aztec_process` ran successfully in step 4b.
 
 ### Wallet "inquirer not found" error
 Run step 3.
@@ -326,8 +324,7 @@ on the first request. The Rust fuzzer resolves aliases (`accounts:test0`,
 ### Build pipeline
 
 1. `nargo compile` -- raw artifact JSON with `__aztec_nr_internals__` prefixed names
-2. `bb-avm aztec_process` -- transpiles public bytecode to AVM + generates private VKs
-3. `jq` strip prefix -- removes `__aztec_nr_internals__` from function names
+2. `bb-avm aztec_process` -- transpiles public bytecode to AVM, strips internal prefixes, and generates private VKs
 
 ### Version matrix (as of 2026-02-25)
 
diff --git a/noir-projects/protocol-fuzzer/setup-nightly-sandbox.sh b/noir-projects/protocol-fuzzer/setup-nightly-sandbox.sh
index 7fa98441b9f3..207566171bcf 100755
--- a/noir-projects/protocol-fuzzer/setup-nightly-sandbox.sh
+++ b/noir-projects/protocol-fuzzer/setup-nightly-sandbox.sh
@@ -208,11 +208,9 @@ for contract_pkg in side_effect_contract parent_contract; do
             --silence-warnings --inliner-aggressiveness 0 --package ${contract_pkg}
         /usr/src/barretenberg/cpp/build/bin/bb-avm aztec_process \
             -i target/${artifact}.json
-        jq '.functions |= map(.name |= sub(\"^__aztec_nr_internals__\"; \"\"))' \
-            target/${artifact}.json > /tmp/${artifact}.json
     "
 
-    docker cp "${CONTAINER_NAME}:/tmp/${artifact}.json" \
+    docker cp "${CONTAINER_NAME}:/tmp/nightly-build/target/${artifact}.json" \
         "${CONTRACTS_DIR}/target/${artifact}.json"
     log "Artifact copied to contracts/target/${artifact}.json"
 done
diff --git a/noir-projects/scripts/test_aztec_process.sh b/noir-projects/scripts/test_aztec_process.sh
index 83a04c3fbba1..da4aecb4df36 100755
--- a/noir-projects/scripts/test_aztec_process.sh
+++ b/noir-projects/scripts/test_aztec_process.sh
@@ -93,4 +93,14 @@ fi
 
 echo "✓ Force regeneration works"
 
+# Test 4: Verify prefix stripping
+echo "Test 4: Prefix stripping"
+prefix_count=$(jq '[.functions[] | select(.name | startswith("__aztec_nr_internals__"))] | length' "$tmp_output")
+if [ "$prefix_count" -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "Error: Found $prefix_count functions with __aztec_nr_internals__ prefix after processing"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "✓ Prefix stripping works (no functions with internal prefix)"
+
 echo "All bb aztec_process tests passed!"
diff --git a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_action.ts b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_action.ts
index 7a3c3331a4a4..7b03c921e83e 100644
--- a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_action.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_action.ts
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@ export async function aztecStart(options: any, userLog: LogFn, debugLogger: Logg
   let config: ChainConfig | undefined = undefined;
 
   if (options.localNetwork) {
-    const localNetwork = extractNamespacedOptions(options, 'local-network');
-    localNetwork.testAccounts = true;
+    const localNetwork = extractNamespacedOptions(options, 'localNetwork');
     userLog(`${splash}\n${github}\n\n`);
     userLog(`Setting up Aztec local network ${packageVersion ?? 'unknown'}, please stand by...`);
 
diff --git a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.test.ts b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.test.ts
index 057e459467bc..befe8bedf91a 100644
--- a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.test.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.test.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,21 @@ describe('aztec_start_options commander integration', () => {
     expect(typeof opts.port).toBe('number');
   });
 
+  it('respects TEST_ACCOUNTS env var for local network', () => {
+    process.env.TEST_ACCOUNTS = 'false';
+    const cmd = buildCommandWith(['LOCAL_NETWORK']);
+    cmd.parse(['node', 'cli']);
+    const opts = cmd.opts();
+    expect(opts['localNetwork.testAccounts']).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('defaults testAccounts to true for local network', () => {
+    const cmd = buildCommandWith(['LOCAL_NETWORK']);
+    cmd.parse(['node', 'cli']);
+    const opts = cmd.opts();
+    expect(opts['localNetwork.testAccounts']).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it('parses optional boolean flag values', () => {
     const cmd = buildCommandWith(['P2P SUBSYSTEM']);
 
diff --git a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.ts b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.ts
index 3034ceea504c..b4c85349f9cb 100644
--- a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/aztec_start_options.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,12 @@ export const aztecStartOptions: { [key: string]: AztecStartOption[] } = {
       defaultValue: DefaultMnemonic,
       env: 'MNEMONIC',
     },
+    {
+      flag: '--local-network.testAccounts',
+      description: 'Deploy test accounts on local network start',
+      env: 'TEST_ACCOUNTS',
+      ...booleanConfigHelper(true),
+    },
   ],
   API: [
     {
diff --git a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/compile.ts b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/compile.ts
index 8c9464c11791..5fc2259b2305 100644
--- a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/compile.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/compile.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import type { LogFn } from '@aztec/foundation/log';
 
 import { execFileSync } from 'child_process';
 import type { Command } from 'commander';
-import { readFile, writeFile } from 'fs/promises';
+import { readFile } from 'fs/promises';
 import { join } from 'path';
 
 import { readArtifactFiles } from './utils/artifacts.js';
@@ -25,19 +25,6 @@ async function collectContractArtifacts(): Promise<string[]> {
   return files.filter(f => Array.isArray(f.content.functions)).map(f => f.filePath);
 }
 
-/** Strips the `__aztec_nr_internals__` prefix from function names in contract artifacts. */
-async function stripInternalPrefixes(artifactPaths: string[]): Promise<void> {
-  for (const path of artifactPaths) {
-    const artifact = JSON.parse(await readFile(path, 'utf-8'));
-    for (const fn of artifact.functions) {
-      if (typeof fn.name === 'string') {
-        fn.name = fn.name.replace(/^__aztec_nr_internals__/, '');
-      }
-    }
-    await writeFile(path, JSON.stringify(artifact, null, 2) + '\n');
-  }
-}
-
 /** Returns the set of package names that are contract crates in the current workspace. */
 async function getContractPackageNames(): Promise<Set<string>> {
   const contractNames = new Set<string>();
@@ -161,9 +148,6 @@ async function compileAztecContract(nargoArgs: string[], log: LogFn): Promise<vo
     log('Postprocessing contracts...');
     const bbArgs = artifacts.flatMap(a => ['-i', a]);
     await run(bb, ['aztec_process', ...bbArgs]);
-
-    // TODO: This should be part of bb aztec_process!
-    await stripInternalPrefixes(artifacts);
   }
 
   log('Compilation complete!');
diff --git a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/utils/warn_if_aztec_version_mismatch.test.ts b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/utils/warn_if_aztec_version_mismatch.test.ts
index 490b1281bfe1..544e201bfc0d 100644
--- a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/utils/warn_if_aztec_version_mismatch.test.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/utils/warn_if_aztec_version_mismatch.test.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,75 @@ describe('warnIfAztecVersionMismatch', () => {
     expect(logMessages[0]).toContain('v1.0.0');
   });
 
+  it('warns when a non-aztec aztec-nr dependency tag does not match the CLI version', async () => {
+    await makePackage(tempDir, 'project', 'contract', {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line camelcase
+      uint_note: '{ git = "https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-nr", tag = "v0.99.0", directory = "uint-note" }',
+    });
+
+    await warnIfAztecVersionMismatch(log, '1.0.0');
+
+    expect(logMessages).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(logMessages[0]).toContain('WARNING');
+    expect(logMessages[0]).toContain('uint_note');
+    expect(logMessages[0]).toContain('v0.99.0');
+    expect(logMessages[0]).toContain('v1.0.0');
+  });
+
+  it('warns about a sibling aztec-nr dependency even when the aztec dependency matches', async () => {
+    await makePackage(tempDir, 'project', 'contract', {
+      aztec: '{ git = "https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-nr", tag = "v1.0.0", directory = "aztec" }',
+      // eslint-disable-next-line camelcase
+      uint_note: '{ git = "https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-nr", tag = "v0.99.0", directory = "uint-note" }',
+    });
+
+    await warnIfAztecVersionMismatch(log, '1.0.0');
+
+    expect(logMessages).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(logMessages[0]).toContain('WARNING');
+    expect(logMessages[0]).toContain('uint_note');
+    expect(logMessages[0]).not.toMatch(/—\s*aztec\s*\(/);
+  });
+
+  it('does not warn when multiple aztec-nr dependencies all match the CLI version', async () => {
+    await makePackage(tempDir, 'project', 'contract', {
+      aztec: '{ git = "https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-nr", tag = "v1.0.0", directory = "aztec" }',
+      // eslint-disable-next-line camelcase
+      uint_note: '{ git = "https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-nr", tag = "v1.0.0", directory = "uint-note" }',
+      // eslint-disable-next-line camelcase
+      compressed_string:
+        '{ git = "https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-nr", tag = "v1.0.0", directory = "compressed-string" }',
+    });
+
+    await warnIfAztecVersionMismatch(log, '1.0.0');
+
+    expect(logMessages.filter(m => m.includes('WARNING'))).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('does not warn for unrelated third-party git dependencies', async () => {
+    await makePackage(tempDir, 'project', 'contract', {
+      aztec: '{ git = "https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-nr", tag = "v1.0.0", directory = "aztec" }',
+      // eslint-disable-next-line camelcase
+      noir_string_search: '{ git = "https://github.com/noir-lang/noir_string_search", tag = "v0.1.0" }',
+    });
+
+    await warnIfAztecVersionMismatch(log, '1.0.0');
+
+    expect(logMessages.filter(m => m.includes('WARNING'))).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('normalizes trailing slashes and .git suffixes in the aztec-nr git URL', async () => {
+    await makePackage(tempDir, 'project', 'contract', {
+      aztec: '{ git = "https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-nr.git", tag = "v1.0.0", directory = "aztec" }',
+      // eslint-disable-next-line camelcase
+      uint_note: '{ git = "https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-nr/", tag = "v1.0.0", directory = "uint-note" }',
+    });
+
+    await warnIfAztecVersionMismatch(log, '1.0.0');
+
+    expect(logMessages.filter(m => m.includes('WARNING'))).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
   it('warns when the CLI version is not available', async () => {
     await makePackage(tempDir, 'project', 'contract');
 
diff --git a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/utils/warn_if_aztec_version_mismatch.ts b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/utils/warn_if_aztec_version_mismatch.ts
index 58c68c1ced90..3cedfa39a660 100644
--- a/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/utils/warn_if_aztec_version_mismatch.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/aztec/src/cli/cmds/utils/warn_if_aztec_version_mismatch.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,25 @@ import { join } from 'path';
 
 import { collectCrateDirs } from './collect_crate_dirs.js';
 
-/** Warns if the `aztec` dependency tag in any crate's Nargo.toml doesn't match the CLI version. */
+/** Returns true if the given git URL points to the AztecProtocol/aztec-nr repository. */
+function isAztecNrGitUrl(gitUrl: string): boolean {
+  let url: URL;
+  try {
+    url = new URL(gitUrl);
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (url.hostname !== 'github.com') {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const repoPath = url.pathname
+    .replace(/^\//, '')
+    .replace(/\.git$/, '')
+    .replace(/\/$/, '');
+  return repoPath === 'AztecProtocol/aztec-nr';
+}
+
+/** Warns if any aztec-nr git dependency in a crate's Nargo.toml has a tag that doesn't match the CLI version. */
 export async function warnIfAztecVersionMismatch(log: LogFn, cliVersion?: string): Promise<void> {
   const version = cliVersion ?? getPackageVersion();
   if (!version) {
@@ -16,7 +34,7 @@ export async function warnIfAztecVersionMismatch(log: LogFn, cliVersion?: string
   }
 
   const expectedTag = `v${version}`;
-  const mismatches: { file: string; tag: string }[] = [];
+  const mismatches: { file: string; depName: string; tag: string }[] = [];
 
   const crateDirs = await collectCrateDirs('.', { skipGitDeps: true });
 
@@ -30,23 +48,28 @@ export async function warnIfAztecVersionMismatch(log: LogFn, cliVersion?: string
     }
 
     const parsed = TOML.parse(content) as Record<string, any>;
-    const aztecDep = (parsed.dependencies as Record<string, any>)?.aztec;
-    if (!aztecDep || typeof aztecDep !== 'object' || typeof aztecDep.tag !== 'string') {
-      // If a dep called "aztec" doesn't exist or it does not get parsed to an object or it doesn't have a tag defined
-      // we skip the check.
-      continue;
-    }
+    const deps = (parsed.dependencies as Record<string, any>) ?? {};
 
-    if (aztecDep.tag !== expectedTag) {
-      mismatches.push({ file: tomlPath, tag: aztecDep.tag });
+    for (const [depName, dep] of Object.entries(deps)) {
+      // Skip non-object deps (e.g. malformed entries) and anything that isn't a tagged git dep.
+      if (!dep || typeof dep !== 'object' || typeof dep.git !== 'string' || typeof dep.tag !== 'string') {
+        continue;
+      }
+      // Only flag deps that are sourced from the aztec-nr repo.
+      if (!isAztecNrGitUrl(dep.git)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      if (dep.tag !== expectedTag) {
+        mismatches.push({ file: tomlPath, depName, tag: dep.tag });
+      }
     }
   }
 
   if (mismatches.length > 0) {
-    const details = mismatches.map(m => `  ${m.file} (${m.tag})`).join('\n');
+    const details = mismatches.map(m => `  ${m.file} — ${m.depName} (${m.tag})`).join('\n');
     log(
       `WARNING: Aztec dependency version mismatch detected.\n` +
-        `The following crates have an aztec dependency that does not match the CLI version (${expectedTag}):\n` +
+        `The following aztec-nr dependencies do not match the CLI version (${expectedTag}):\n` +
         `${details}\n\n` +
         `See https://docs.aztec.network/errors/9 for how to update your dependencies.`,
     );
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/block_synchronizer/block_synchronizer.test.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/block_synchronizer/block_synchronizer.test.ts
index d7f77efab6e5..c052adf3e163 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/block_synchronizer/block_synchronizer.test.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/block_synchronizer/block_synchronizer.test.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,43 @@ describe('BlockSynchronizer', () => {
     expect(rollback).toHaveBeenCalledWith(3, 4);
   });
 
+  describe('stop', () => {
+    it('resolves immediately when no sync is in progress', async () => {
+      await synchronizer.stop();
+      expect(blockStream.stop).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('waits for in-progress sync to complete', async () => {
+      let resolveSync!: () => void;
+      const syncBlocker = new Promise<void>(resolve => {
+        resolveSync = resolve;
+      });
+      blockStream.sync.mockReturnValue(syncBlocker);
+      aztecNode.getBlockHeader.mockResolvedValue((await L2Block.random(BlockNumber(0))).header);
+
+      // Start a sync (don't await)
+      const syncPromise = synchronizer.sync();
+
+      // stop() should not resolve until the sync finishes
+      let stopped = false;
+      const stopPromise = synchronizer.stop().then(() => {
+        stopped = true;
+      });
+
+      // Give the event loop a tick
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
+      expect(stopped).toBe(false);
+
+      // Release the sync
+      resolveSync();
+      await syncPromise;
+      await stopPromise;
+
+      expect(stopped).toBe(true);
+      expect(blockStream.stop).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('syncChainTip config', () => {
     it('updates anchor on blocks-added when syncChainTip is proposed (default)', async () => {
       synchronizer = createSynchronizer({ syncChainTip: 'proposed' });
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/block_synchronizer/block_synchronizer.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/block_synchronizer/block_synchronizer.ts
index 2ea826e439aa..ea2f889d529e 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/block_synchronizer/block_synchronizer.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/block_synchronizer/block_synchronizer.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { BlockNumber } from '@aztec/foundation/branded-types';
 import { type Logger, type LoggerBindings, createLogger } from '@aztec/foundation/log';
+import { SerialQueue } from '@aztec/foundation/queue';
 import type { AztecAsyncKVStore } from '@aztec/kv-store';
 import type { L2TipsKVStore } from '@aztec/kv-store/stores';
 import { BlockHash, L2BlockStream, type L2BlockStreamEvent, type L2BlockStreamEventHandler } from '@aztec/stdlib/block';
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ import type { PrivateEventStore } from '../storage/private_event_store/private_e
 export class BlockSynchronizer implements L2BlockStreamEventHandler {
   private log: Logger;
   private isSyncing: Promise<void> | undefined;
+  private readonly eventQueue = new SerialQueue();
   protected readonly blockStream: L2BlockStream;
 
   constructor(
@@ -35,6 +37,7 @@ export class BlockSynchronizer implements L2BlockStreamEventHandler {
   ) {
     this.log = createLogger('pxe:block_synchronizer', bindings);
     this.blockStream = this.createBlockStream(config);
+    this.eventQueue.start();
   }
 
   protected createBlockStream(config: Partial<BlockSynchronizerConfig>): L2BlockStream {
@@ -52,8 +55,12 @@ export class BlockSynchronizer implements L2BlockStreamEventHandler {
     );
   }
 
-  /** Handle events emitted by the block stream. */
-  public async handleBlockStreamEvent(event: L2BlockStreamEvent): Promise<void> {
+  /** Handle events emitted by the block stream. Serialized to prevent concurrent mutations to anchor state. */
+  public handleBlockStreamEvent(event: L2BlockStreamEvent): Promise<void> {
+    return this.eventQueue.put(() => this.doHandleBlockStreamEvent(event));
+  }
+
+  private async doHandleBlockStreamEvent(event: L2BlockStreamEvent): Promise<void> {
     await this.l2TipsStore.handleBlockStreamEvent(event);
 
     switch (event.type) {
@@ -167,6 +174,13 @@ export class BlockSynchronizer implements L2BlockStreamEventHandler {
     }
   }
 
+  /** Stops the block synchronizer, waiting for any in-progress sync and queued events to complete. */
+  public async stop() {
+    await this.isSyncing;
+    await this.blockStream.stop();
+    await this.eventQueue.end();
+  }
+
   private async doSync() {
     let currentHeader;
 
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/contract_function_simulator.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/contract_function_simulator.ts
index cd164f66ee47..8f56af4e8325 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/contract_function_simulator.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/contract_function_simulator.ts
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ export class ContractFunctionSimulator {
     }
 
     if (request.origin !== contractAddress) {
-      this.log.warn(
+      throw new Error(
         `Request origin does not match contract address in simulation. Request origin: ${request.origin}, contract address: ${contractAddress}`,
       );
     }
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/private_execution.test.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/private_execution.test.ts
index 5081637d6d5c..f88bbce7aa71 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/private_execution.test.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/private_execution.test.ts
@@ -486,6 +486,40 @@ describe('Private Execution test suite', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('throws when request origin does not match contract address', async () => {
+    const contractAddress = await mockContractInstance(TestContractArtifact);
+    const differentAddress = await AztecAddress.random();
+    contracts[differentAddress.toString()] = TestContractArtifact;
+
+    const functionArtifact = getFunctionArtifactByName(TestContractArtifact, 'emit_array_as_encrypted_log');
+    const selector = await FunctionSelector.fromNameAndParameters(functionArtifact.name, functionArtifact.parameters);
+    const hashedArguments = await HashedValues.fromArgs(
+      encodeArguments(functionArtifact, [Fr.ZERO, times(5, () => Fr.random()), owner, false]),
+    );
+
+    const txRequest = TxExecutionRequest.from({
+      origin: differentAddress,
+      firstCallArgsHash: hashedArguments.hash,
+      functionSelector: selector,
+      txContext: TxContext.from(txContextFields),
+      argsOfCalls: [hashedArguments],
+      authWitnesses: [],
+      capsules: [],
+      salt: Fr.random(),
+    });
+
+    await expect(
+      acirSimulator.run(txRequest, {
+        contractAddress,
+        selector,
+        anchorBlockHeader,
+        senderForTags,
+        jobId: TEST_JOB_ID,
+        scopes: [owner],
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow('Request origin does not match contract address');
+  });
+
   describe('stateful test contract', () => {
     let contractAddress: AztecAddress;
     const mockFirstNullifier = new Fr(1111);
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/private_execution_oracle.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/private_execution_oracle.ts
index de436341524e..e3354178f9dd 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/private_execution_oracle.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/private_execution_oracle.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ export class PrivateExecutionOracle extends UtilityExecutionOracle implements IP
   private readonly taggingIndexCache: ExecutionTaggingIndexCache;
   private readonly senderTaggingStore: SenderTaggingStore;
   private totalPublicCalldataCount: number;
-  protected sideEffectCounter: number;
+  private readonly initialSideEffectCounter: number;
   private senderForTags?: AztecAddress;
   private readonly simulator?: CircuitSimulator;
 
@@ -100,13 +100,18 @@ export class PrivateExecutionOracle extends UtilityExecutionOracle implements IP
     this.taggingIndexCache = args.taggingIndexCache;
     this.senderTaggingStore = args.senderTaggingStore;
     this.totalPublicCalldataCount = args.totalPublicCalldataCount ?? 0;
-    this.sideEffectCounter = args.sideEffectCounter ?? 0;
+    this.initialSideEffectCounter = args.sideEffectCounter ?? 0;
     this.senderForTags = args.senderForTags;
     this.simulator = args.simulator;
   }
 
   public getPrivateContextInputs(): PrivateContextInputs {
-    return new PrivateContextInputs(this.callContext, this.anchorBlockHeader, this.txContext, this.sideEffectCounter);
+    return new PrivateContextInputs(
+      this.callContext,
+      this.anchorBlockHeader,
+      this.txContext,
+      this.initialSideEffectCounter,
+    );
   }
 
   // We still need this function until we can get user-defined ordering of structs for fn arguments
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/utility_execution_oracle.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/utility_execution_oracle.ts
index a50e1e4f01c9..450903a01f5f 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/utility_execution_oracle.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/oracle/utility_execution_oracle.ts
@@ -333,10 +333,9 @@ export class UtilityExecutionOracle implements IMiscOracle, IUtilityExecutionOra
   }
 
   /**
-   * Returns an auth witness for the given message hash. Checks on the list of transient witnesses
-   * for this transaction first, and falls back to the local database if not found.
+   * Returns an auth witness for the given message hash from the list of transient witnesses for this transaction.
    * @param messageHash - Hash of the message to authenticate.
-   * @returns Authentication witness for the requested message hash.
+   * @returns Authentication witness for the requested message hash, or undefined if not found.
    */
   public getAuthWitness(messageHash: Fr): Promise<Fr[] | undefined> {
     return Promise.resolve(this.authWitnesses.find(w => w.requestHash.equals(messageHash))?.witness);
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/pick_notes.test.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/pick_notes.test.ts
index a42cdfd3470a..90731bb38725 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/pick_notes.test.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/pick_notes.test.ts
@@ -376,4 +376,43 @@ describe('getNotes', () => {
 
     expect(() => pickNotes(notes, options)).toThrow('Invalid comparator value: 99');
   });
+
+  it('throws when selector.index is out of bounds', () => {
+    const notes = [createNote([1n, 2n])];
+    const options = {
+      selects: [
+        {
+          selector: { index: 5, offset: 0, length: 32 },
+          value: new Fr(1n),
+          comparator: Comparator.EQ,
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+
+    expect(() => pickNotes(notes, options)).toThrow(/index 5 out of bounds/);
+  });
+
+  it('throws when selector.index is out of bounds in a sort', () => {
+    const notes = [createNote([1n]), createNote([2n])];
+    const options = {
+      sorts: [{ selector: { index: 3, offset: 0, length: 32 }, order: SortOrder.ASC }],
+    };
+
+    expect(() => pickNotes(notes, options)).toThrow(/index 3 out of bounds/);
+  });
+
+  it('throws when selector.offset + selector.length exceeds Fr buffer size', () => {
+    const notes = [createNote([1n])];
+    const options = {
+      selects: [
+        {
+          selector: { index: 0, offset: 30, length: 5 },
+          value: new Fr(0n),
+          comparator: Comparator.EQ,
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+
+    expect(() => pickNotes(notes, options)).toThrow(/exceeds Fr buffer size/);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/pick_notes.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/pick_notes.ts
index 46880d727173..82c4d82386a3 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/pick_notes.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/contract_function_simulator/pick_notes.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,14 @@ interface ContainsNote {
 }
 
 const selectPropertyFromPackedNoteContent = (noteData: Fr[], selector: PropertySelector): Fr => {
+  if (selector.index >= noteData.length) {
+    throw new Error(`Property selector index ${selector.index} out of bounds for note with ${noteData.length} fields`);
+  }
+  if (selector.offset + selector.length > Fr.SIZE_IN_BYTES) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Property selector range (offset=${selector.offset}, length=${selector.length}) exceeds Fr buffer size of ${Fr.SIZE_IN_BYTES} bytes`,
+    );
+  }
   const noteValueBuffer = noteData[selector.index].toBuffer();
   // Noir's PropertySelector counts offset from the LSB (last byte of the big-endian buffer),
   // so offset=0,length=Fr.SIZE_IN_BYTES reads the entire field, and offset=0,length=1 reads the last byte.
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/private_kernel/private_kernel_oracle.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/private_kernel/private_kernel_oracle.ts
index 6bbf8983af94..52e3ceb10327 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/private_kernel/private_kernel_oracle.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/private_kernel/private_kernel_oracle.ts
@@ -7,13 +7,13 @@ import { getVKIndex, getVKSiblingPath } from '@aztec/noir-protocol-circuits-type
 import { ProtocolContractAddress } from '@aztec/protocol-contracts';
 import type { FunctionSelector } from '@aztec/stdlib/abi';
 import type { AztecAddress } from '@aztec/stdlib/aztec-address';
-import { BlockHash } from '@aztec/stdlib/block';
 import { type ContractInstanceWithAddress, computeSaltedInitializationHash } from '@aztec/stdlib/contract';
 import { DelayedPublicMutableValues, DelayedPublicMutableValuesWithHash } from '@aztec/stdlib/delayed-public-mutable';
 import { computePublicDataTreeLeafSlot } from '@aztec/stdlib/hash';
 import type { AztecNode } from '@aztec/stdlib/interfaces/client';
 import { UpdatedClassIdHints } from '@aztec/stdlib/kernel';
 import type { NullifierMembershipWitness } from '@aztec/stdlib/trees';
+import type { BlockHeader } from '@aztec/stdlib/tx';
 import type { VerificationKeyAsFields } from '@aztec/stdlib/vks';
 
 import type { ContractStore } from '../storage/contract_store/contract_store.js';
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export class PrivateKernelOracle {
     private contractStore: ContractStore,
     private keyStore: KeyStore,
     private node: AztecNode,
-    private blockHash: BlockHash,
+    private blockHeader: BlockHeader,
   ) {}
 
   /** Retrieves the preimage of a contract address from the registered contract instances db. */
@@ -80,22 +80,20 @@ export class PrivateKernelOracle {
   }
 
   /** Returns a membership witness with the sibling path and leaf index in our note hash tree. */
-  getNoteHashMembershipWitness(noteHash: Fr): Promise<MembershipWitness<typeof NOTE_HASH_TREE_HEIGHT> | undefined> {
-    return this.node.getNoteHashMembershipWitness(this.blockHash, noteHash);
+  async getNoteHashMembershipWitness(
+    noteHash: Fr,
+  ): Promise<MembershipWitness<typeof NOTE_HASH_TREE_HEIGHT> | undefined> {
+    return this.node.getNoteHashMembershipWitness(await this.blockHeader.hash(), noteHash);
   }
 
   /** Returns a membership witness with the sibling path and leaf index in our nullifier indexed merkle tree. */
-  getNullifierMembershipWitness(nullifier: Fr): Promise<NullifierMembershipWitness | undefined> {
-    return this.node.getNullifierMembershipWitness(this.blockHash, nullifier);
+  async getNullifierMembershipWitness(nullifier: Fr): Promise<NullifierMembershipWitness | undefined> {
+    return this.node.getNullifierMembershipWitness(await this.blockHeader.hash(), nullifier);
   }
 
   /** Returns the root of our note hash merkle tree. */
-  async getNoteHashTreeRoot(): Promise<Fr> {
-    const header = await this.node.getBlockHeader(this.blockHash);
-    if (!header) {
-      throw new Error(`No block header found for block hash ${this.blockHash}`);
-    }
-    return header.state.partial.noteHashTree.root;
+  getNoteHashTreeRoot(): Fr {
+    return this.blockHeader.state.partial.noteHashTree.root;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -126,14 +124,16 @@ export class PrivateKernelOracle {
       ProtocolContractAddress.ContractInstanceRegistry,
       delayedPublicMutableHashSlot,
     );
-    const updatedClassIdWitness = await this.node.getPublicDataWitness(this.blockHash, hashLeafSlot);
+    const blockHash = await this.blockHeader.hash();
+
+    const updatedClassIdWitness = await this.node.getPublicDataWitness(blockHash, hashLeafSlot);
 
     if (!updatedClassIdWitness) {
       throw new Error(`No public data tree witness found for ${hashLeafSlot}`);
     }
 
     const readStorage = (storageSlot: Fr) =>
-      this.node.getPublicStorageAt(this.blockHash, ProtocolContractAddress.ContractInstanceRegistry, storageSlot);
+      this.node.getPublicStorageAt(blockHash, ProtocolContractAddress.ContractInstanceRegistry, storageSlot);
     const delayedPublicMutableValues = await DelayedPublicMutableValues.readFromTree(
       delayedPublicMutableSlot,
       readStorage,
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/pxe.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/pxe.ts
index 164d64af2bd9..7681edc72d03 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/pxe.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/pxe.ts
@@ -486,8 +486,7 @@ export class PXE {
     config: PrivateKernelExecutionProverConfig,
   ): Promise<PrivateKernelExecutionProofOutput<PrivateKernelTailCircuitPublicInputs>> {
     const anchorBlockHeader = await this.anchorBlockStore.getBlockHeader();
-    const anchorBlockHash = await anchorBlockHeader.hash();
-    const kernelOracle = new PrivateKernelOracle(this.contractStore, this.keyStore, this.node, anchorBlockHash);
+    const kernelOracle = new PrivateKernelOracle(this.contractStore, this.keyStore, this.node, anchorBlockHeader);
     const kernelTraceProver = new PrivateKernelExecutionProver(
       kernelOracle,
       proofCreator,
@@ -581,8 +580,8 @@ export class PXE {
     if (wasAdded) {
       this.log.info(`Added sender:\n ${sender.toString()}`);
       // Wipe the entire sync cache: the new sender's tagged logs could contain notes/events for any contract, so
-      // all contracts must re-sync to discover them.
-      this.contractSyncService.wipe();
+      // all contracts must re-sync to discover them. Queued to avoid wiping while a job is in flight.
+      await this.#putInJobQueue(() => Promise.resolve(this.contractSyncService.wipe()));
     } else {
       this.log.info(`Sender:\n "${sender.toString()}"\n already registered.`);
     }
@@ -1180,6 +1179,7 @@ export class PXE {
    */
   public async stop(): Promise<void> {
     await this.jobQueue.end();
+    await this.blockStateSynchronizer.stop();
     await this.db.close();
   }
 }
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/storage/private_event_store/private_event_store.test.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/storage/private_event_store/private_event_store.test.ts
index cfdcea692655..9bbdb98729f3 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/storage/private_event_store/private_event_store.test.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/storage/private_event_store/private_event_store.test.ts
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@ describe('PrivateEventStore', () => {
           txIndexInBlock: 0,
           eventIndexInTx: 0,
         },
-        'test',
+        'before-rollback',
       );
       await privateEventStore.commit('before-rollback');
 
@@ -747,6 +747,33 @@ describe('PrivateEventStore', () => {
       expect(events.length).toBe(1);
       expect(events[0].packedEvent).toEqual(msgContent1);
     });
+
+    it('throws when rollback is called while jobs are running', async () => {
+      await privateEventStore.storePrivateEventLog(
+        eventSelector,
+        randomness,
+        msgContent1,
+        Fr.random(),
+        {
+          contractAddress,
+          scope,
+          txHash: TxHash.random(),
+          l2BlockNumber: BlockNumber(100),
+          l2BlockHash,
+          txIndexInBlock: 0,
+          eventIndexInTx: 0,
+        },
+        'uncommitted-job',
+      );
+
+      await expect(privateEventStore.rollback(0, 10)).rejects.toThrow(
+        'PXE private event store rollback is not allowed while jobs are running',
+      );
+
+      await privateEventStore.discardStaged('uncommitted-job');
+
+      await expect(privateEventStore.rollback(0, 10)).resolves.not.toThrow();
+    });
   });
 
   describe('staging', () => {
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/storage/private_event_store/private_event_store.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/storage/private_event_store/private_event_store.ts
index 804178b882af..3518a7205abb 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/storage/private_event_store/private_event_store.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/storage/private_event_store/private_event_store.ts
@@ -234,6 +234,10 @@ export class PrivateEventStore implements StagedStore {
    * IMPORTANT: This method must be called within a transaction to ensure atomicity.
    */
   public async rollback(blockNumber: number, synchedBlockNumber: number): Promise<void> {
+    if (this.#eventsForJob.size > 0) {
+      throw new Error('PXE private event store rollback is not allowed while jobs are running');
+    }
+
     // First pass: collect all event IDs for all blocks, starting reads during iteration to keep tx alive.
     const eventsByBlock: Map<number, { eventId: string; eventReadPromise: Promise<Buffer | undefined> }[]> = new Map();
 
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/tagging/recipient_sync/load_private_logs_for_sender_recipient_pair.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/tagging/recipient_sync/load_private_logs_for_sender_recipient_pair.ts
index 1216b02724cd..feed4773fa54 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/tagging/recipient_sync/load_private_logs_for_sender_recipient_pair.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/tagging/recipient_sync/load_private_logs_for_sender_recipient_pair.ts
@@ -113,7 +113,9 @@ export async function loadPrivateLogsForSenderRecipientPair(
 
     if (highestAgedIndex !== undefined && highestAgedIndex > highestFinalizedIndex) {
       // This is just a sanity check as this should never happen.
-      throw new Error('Highest aged index lower than highest finalized index invariant violated');
+      throw new Error(
+        `Highest aged index (${highestAgedIndex}) must not exceed highest finalized index (${highestFinalizedIndex})`,
+      );
     }
 
     await taggingStore.updateHighestFinalizedIndex(secret, highestFinalizedIndex, jobId);