diff --git a/pkg/protocol/engine/booker/inmemorybooker/booker.go b/pkg/protocol/engine/booker/inmemorybooker/booker.go
index 6199b5653..6d420ea69 100644
--- a/pkg/protocol/engine/booker/inmemorybooker/booker.go
+++ b/pkg/protocol/engine/booker/inmemorybooker/booker.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/lo"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/runtime/module"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/runtime/options"
+	"github.com/iotaledger/iota-core/pkg/model"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/iota-core/pkg/protocol/engine"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/iota-core/pkg/protocol/engine/blocks"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/iota-core/pkg/protocol/engine/booker"
@@ -27,7 +28,8 @@ type Booker struct {
 
 	ledger ledger.Ledger
 
-	retainBlockFailure func(id iotago.BlockID, reason api.BlockFailureReason)
+	loadBlockFromStorage func(id iotago.BlockID) (*model.Block, bool)
+	retainBlockFailure   func(id iotago.BlockID, reason api.BlockFailureReason)
 
 	errorHandler func(error)
 	apiProvider  iotago.APIProvider
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ func NewProvider(opts ...options.Option[Booker]) module.Provider[*engine.Engine,
 			b.ledger = e.Ledger
 			b.ledger.HookConstructed(func() {
 				b.spendDAG = b.ledger.SpendDAG()
-
+				b.loadBlockFromStorage = e.Block
 				b.ledger.MemPool().OnTransactionAttached(func(transaction mempool.TransactionMetadata) {
 					transaction.OnAccepted(func() {
 						b.events.TransactionAccepted.Trigger(transaction)
@@ -193,6 +195,7 @@ func (b *Booker) inheritSpenders(block *blocks.Block) (spenderIDs ds.Set[iotago.
 		parentBlock, exists := b.blockCache.Block(parent.ID)
 		if !exists {
 			b.retainBlockFailure(block.ID(), api.BlockFailureParentNotFound)
+
 			return nil, ierrors.Errorf("parent %s does not exist", parent.ID)
 		}
 
@@ -202,6 +205,21 @@ func (b *Booker) inheritSpenders(block *blocks.Block) (spenderIDs ds.Set[iotago.
 		case iotago.WeakParentType:
 			spenderIDsToInherit.AddAll(parentBlock.PayloadSpenderIDs())
 		case iotago.ShallowLikeParentType:
+			// If parent block is a RootBlock, then make sure that the block contains a transaction;
+			// otherwise, the reference is invalid.
+			if parentBlock.IsRootBlock() {
+				parentModelBlock, exists := b.loadBlockFromStorage(parent.ID)
+				if !exists {
+					return nil, ierrors.Wrapf(err, "shallow like parent %s does not exist in storage", parent.ID.String())
+				}
+
+				if _, hasTx := parentModelBlock.SignedTransaction(); !hasTx {
+					return nil, ierrors.Wrapf(err, "shallow like parent %s does not contain a conflicting transaction", parent.ID.String())
+				}
+
+				break
+			}
+
 			// Check whether the parent contains a conflicting TX,
 			// otherwise reference is invalid and the block should be marked as invalid as well.
 			if signedTransaction, hasTx := parentBlock.SignedTransaction(); !hasTx || !parentBlock.PayloadSpenderIDs().Has(lo.PanicOnErr(signedTransaction.Transaction.ID())) {
diff --git a/pkg/tests/booker_test.go b/pkg/tests/booker_test.go
index abd3db23b..8f37d0f57 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/booker_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/booker_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package tests
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/lo"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/runtime/options"
@@ -775,3 +776,57 @@ func Test_SpendPendingCommittedRace(t *testing.T) {
 		ts.AssertTransactionsExist(wallet.Transactions("tx1", "tx2"), false, node1, node2)
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_RootBlockShallowLike(t *testing.T) {
+	ts := testsuite.NewTestSuite(t,
+		testsuite.WithProtocolParametersOptions(
+			iotago.WithTimeProviderOptions(
+				0,
+				testsuite.GenesisTimeWithOffsetBySlots(1000, testsuite.DefaultSlotDurationInSeconds),
+				testsuite.DefaultSlotDurationInSeconds,
+				3,
+			),
+			iotago.WithLivenessOptions(
+				10,
+				10,
+				2,
+				4,
+				5,
+			),
+		),
+
+		testsuite.WithWaitFor(5*time.Second),
+	)
+	defer ts.Shutdown()
+
+	node1 := ts.AddValidatorNode("node1")
+	wallet := ts.AddDefaultWallet(node1)
+	ts.Run(true, map[string][]options.Option[protocol.Protocol]{})
+
+	tx1 := wallet.CreateBasicOutputsEquallyFromInput("tx1", 1, "Genesis:0")
+
+	ts.IssueBasicBlockWithOptions("block1", wallet, tx1, mock.WithIssuingTime(ts.API.TimeProvider().SlotStartTime(1)))
+	ts.IssueBasicBlockWithOptions("block2", wallet, &iotago.TaggedData{}, mock.WithIssuingTime(ts.API.TimeProvider().SlotStartTime(1)))
+
+	ts.AssertTransactionsExist(wallet.Transactions("tx1"), true, node1)
+
+	ts.AssertBlocksInCacheConflicts(map[*blocks.Block][]string{
+		ts.Block("block1"): {"tx1"},
+	}, node1)
+
+	ts.AssertTransactionInCacheConflicts(map[*iotago.Transaction][]string{
+		wallet.Transaction("tx1"): {"tx1"},
+	}, node1)
+
+	ts.IssueBlocksAtSlots("", []iotago.SlotIndex{2, 3, 4}, 2, "block", ts.Nodes(), true, false)
+
+	ts.AssertActiveRootBlocks(ts.Blocks("Genesis", "block1", "block2", "2.1-node1"), ts.Nodes()...)
+
+	ts.IssueBasicBlockWithOptions("block-shallow-like-valid", wallet, &iotago.TaggedData{}, mock.WithStrongParents(ts.BlockID("4.1-node1")), mock.WithShallowLikeParents(ts.BlockID("block1")), mock.WithIssuingTime(ts.API.TimeProvider().SlotStartTime(5)))
+	ts.AssertBlocksInCacheBooked(ts.Blocks("block-shallow-like-valid"), true, node1)
+	ts.AssertBlocksInCacheInvalid(ts.Blocks("block-shallow-like-valid"), false, node1)
+
+	ts.IssueBasicBlockWithOptions("block-shallow-like-invalid", wallet, &iotago.TaggedData{}, mock.WithStrongParents(ts.BlockID("4.1-node1")), mock.WithShallowLikeParents(ts.BlockID("block2")), mock.WithIssuingTime(ts.API.TimeProvider().SlotStartTime(5)))
+	ts.AssertBlocksInCacheBooked(ts.Blocks("block-shallow-like-invalid"), false, node1)
+	ts.AssertBlocksInCacheInvalid(ts.Blocks("block-shallow-like-invalid"), true, node1)
+}