diff --git a/beacon_chain/sync/sync_protocol.nim b/beacon_chain/sync/sync_protocol.nim
index 2a9e40ab1..92730fbbe 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/sync/sync_protocol.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/sync/sync_protocol.nim
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 import
   options, tables, sets, macros,
   chronicles, chronos, stew/ranges/bitranges, libp2p/switch,
-  ../spec/datatypes/[phase0, altair],
+  ../spec/datatypes/[phase0, altair, merge],
   ../spec/[helpers, forks, network],
   ".."/[beacon_node_types, beacon_clock],
   ../networking/eth2_network,
@@ -79,6 +79,12 @@ proc readChunkPayload*(conn: Connection, peer: Peer,
       return ok ForkedSignedBeaconBlock.init(res.get)
     else:
       return err(res.error)
+  elif contextBytes == peer.network.forkDigests.merge:
+    let res = await readChunkPayload(conn, peer, merge.SignedBeaconBlock)
+    if res.isOk:
+      return ok ForkedSignedBeaconBlock.init(res.get)
+    else:
+      return err(res.error)
   else:
     return neterr InvalidContextBytes