diff --git a/consensus/bor/bor.go b/consensus/bor/bor.go
index 15c94e6d539014c960990ced58e800587036f43d..37ae73128fda012e3ce922516c46b6279c4efc60 100644
--- a/consensus/bor/bor.go
+++ b/consensus/bor/bor.go
@@ -1085,7 +1085,7 @@ func (c *Bor) CommitStates(
 		return err
 	}
 
-	from := *lastSync
+	from := lastSync
 	to := time.Unix(int64(chain.Chain.GetHeaderByNumber(number-c.config.Sprint).Time), 0)
 	lastStateID := _lastStateID.Uint64()
 	if !from.Before(to) {
diff --git a/consensus/bor/genesis_contracts_client.go b/consensus/bor/genesis_contracts_client.go
index 48c4bb5e63cd2047768bff6dd5bd0c2d0541d678..fe995dfbf706bd1753c936772cdb50c762e30b96 100644
--- a/consensus/bor/genesis_contracts_client.go
+++ b/consensus/bor/genesis_contracts_client.go
@@ -76,12 +76,12 @@ func (gc *GenesisContractsClient) CommitState(
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (gc *GenesisContractsClient) LastStateSyncTime(snapshotNumber uint64) (*time.Time, error) {
+func (gc *GenesisContractsClient) LastStateSyncTime(snapshotNumber uint64) (time.Time, error) {
 	method := "lastStateSyncTime"
 	data, err := gc.stateReceiverABI.Pack(method)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("Unable to pack tx for getLastSyncTime", "error", err)
-		return nil, err
+		return time.Time{}, err
 	}
 
 	msgData := (hexutil.Bytes)(data)
@@ -93,15 +93,14 @@ func (gc *GenesisContractsClient) LastStateSyncTime(snapshotNumber uint64) (*tim
 		Data: &msgData,
 	}, rpc.BlockNumber(snapshotNumber))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return time.Time{}, err
 	}
 
 	var ret = new(*big.Int)
 	if err := gc.stateReceiverABI.Unpack(ret, method, result); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return time.Time{}, err
 	}
-	_time := time.Unix((*ret).Int64(), 0)
-	return &_time, nil
+	return time.Unix((*ret).Int64(), 0), nil
 }
 
 func (gc *GenesisContractsClient) LastStateId(snapshotNumber uint64) (*big.Int, error) {