diff --git a/blacklist.go b/blacklist.go
index 53599e9..f804249 100644
--- a/blacklist.go
+++ b/blacklist.go
@@ -428,12 +428,12 @@ func (bl *Blacklist) FromBytes(buff []byte) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (bl *Blacklist) VerifyProposedBlacklist(candidateBlacklist Blacklist, nodeCount int, round uint64) error {
-	if candidateBlacklist.NodeCount != uint16(nodeCount) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s, expected %d, got %d", errBlacklistInvalidNodeCount, nodeCount, candidateBlacklist.NodeCount)
+func (bl *Blacklist) VerifyProposedBlacklist(candidateBlacklist Blacklist, round uint64) error {
+	if candidateBlacklist.NodeCount != bl.NodeCount {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s, expected %d, got %d", errBlacklistInvalidNodeCount, bl.NodeCount, candidateBlacklist.NodeCount)
 	}
 	// 1) First thing we check that the updates even make sense.
-	if err := bl.verifyBlacklistUpdates(candidateBlacklist.Updates, nodeCount); err != nil {
+	if err := bl.verifyBlacklistUpdates(candidateBlacklist.Updates); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", errBlacklistInvalidUpdates, err)
 	}
 	updates := candidateBlacklist.Updates
@@ -447,15 +447,15 @@ func (bl *Blacklist) VerifyProposedBlacklist(candidateBlacklist Blacklist, nodeC
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (bl *Blacklist) verifyBlacklistUpdates(updates []BlacklistUpdate, nodeCount int) error {
+func (bl *Blacklist) verifyBlacklistUpdates(updates []BlacklistUpdate) error {
 	seen := make(map[uint16]struct{})
-	if len(updates) > nodeCount {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %d, only %d nodes exist", errBlacklistTooManyUpdates, len(updates), nodeCount)
+	if len(updates) > int(bl.NodeCount) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %d, only %d nodes exist", errBlacklistTooManyUpdates, len(updates), bl.NodeCount)
 	}
 	for _, update := range updates {
-		if int(update.NodeIndex) >= nodeCount {
+		if update.NodeIndex >= bl.NodeCount {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%w: %d, needs to be in [%d, %d]",
-				errBlacklistInvalidNodeIndex, update.NodeIndex, 0, nodeCount-1)
+				errBlacklistInvalidNodeIndex, update.NodeIndex, 0, bl.NodeCount-1)
 		}
 
 		if _, exists := seen[update.NodeIndex]; exists {
diff --git a/blacklist_test.go b/blacklist_test.go
index 4d2f403..f47fb5e 100644
--- a/blacklist_test.go
+++ b/blacklist_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func TestBlacklistVerifyProposedBlacklist(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(testCase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			err := testCase.blacklist.VerifyProposedBlacklist(testCase.proposedBlacklist, testCase.nodeCount, testCase.round)
+			err := testCase.blacklist.VerifyProposedBlacklist(testCase.proposedBlacklist, testCase.round)
 			require.ErrorContains(t, err, testCase.expectedErr.Error())
 		})
 	}
@@ -581,6 +581,10 @@ func TestUpdateBytesEqualsLen(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestVerifyBlacklistUpdates(t *testing.T) {
+	testBlacklist := Blacklist{
+		NodeCount: 4,
+	}
+
 	for _, testCase := range []struct {
 		name        string
 		Blacklist   Blacklist
@@ -604,6 +608,7 @@ func TestVerifyBlacklistUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 				{Type: 3, NodeIndex: 1},
 			},
 			expectedErr: errBlacklistInvalidUpdateType,
+			Blacklist:   testBlacklist,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "invalid index",
@@ -611,6 +616,7 @@ func TestVerifyBlacklistUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 				{Type: BlacklistOpType_NodeRedeemed, NodeIndex: 4},
 			},
 			expectedErr: errBlacklistInvalidNodeIndex,
+			Blacklist:   testBlacklist,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "double vote",
@@ -620,6 +626,7 @@ func TestVerifyBlacklistUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 				{Type: BlacklistOpType_NodeSuspected, NodeIndex: 3},
 			},
 			expectedErr: errBlacklistNodeIndexAlreadyUpdated,
+			Blacklist:   testBlacklist,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "already blacklisted",
@@ -646,7 +653,7 @@ func TestVerifyBlacklistUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(testCase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			err := testCase.Blacklist.verifyBlacklistUpdates(testCase.updates, 4)
+			err := testCase.Blacklist.verifyBlacklistUpdates(testCase.updates)
 			require.ErrorContains(t, err, testCase.expectedErr.Error())
 		})
 	}
@@ -797,7 +804,7 @@ func simulateRound(t *testing.T, blrsi blacklistRoundSimulationInput) Blacklist
 
 	newBlacklist := prevBlacklist.ApplyUpdates(updates, round)
 
-	err := prevBlacklist.VerifyProposedBlacklist(newBlacklist, nodeCount, round)
+	err := prevBlacklist.VerifyProposedBlacklist(newBlacklist, round)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "round %d", round)
 
 	return newBlacklist
diff --git a/epoch.go b/epoch.go
index d4e1af9..14150f6 100644
--- a/epoch.go
+++ b/epoch.go
@@ -1938,7 +1938,7 @@ func (e *Epoch) verifyProposalMetadataAndBlacklist(block Block) bool {
 		prevBlacklist = prevBlock.Blacklist()
 	}
 
-	if err := prevBlacklist.VerifyProposedBlacklist(block.Blacklist(), len(e.nodes), e.round); err != nil {
+	if err := prevBlacklist.VerifyProposedBlacklist(block.Blacklist(), e.round); err != nil {
 		e.Logger.Debug("Block contains an invalid blacklist", zap.Error(err))
 		return false
 	}