diff --git a/contracts/contracts.go b/contracts/contracts.go
index 130eafc63..6f18acb94 100644
--- a/contracts/contracts.go
+++ b/contracts/contracts.go
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@ type ContractMaker struct {
 	RPCClient *rpc.Client
 }
 
+func NewContractMaker(client *rpc.Client) (*ContractMaker, error) {
+	if client == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("could not initialize ContractMaker with an rpc client")
+	}
+	return &ContractMaker{RPCClient: client}, nil
+}
+
 func (c *ContractMaker) NewRegistryWithAddress(chainID uint64, address common.Address) (*resolver.ENSRegistryWithFallback, error) {
 	backend, err := c.RPCClient.EthClient(chainID)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/protocol/messenger.go b/protocol/messenger.go
index 776aa59da..5c0f8d149 100644
--- a/protocol/messenger.go
+++ b/protocol/messenger.go
@@ -518,9 +518,6 @@ func NewMessenger(
 		}{wait: make(chan struct{})},
 		browserDatabase: c.browserDatabase,
 		httpServer:      c.httpServer,
-		contractMaker: &contracts.ContractMaker{
-			RPCClient: c.rpcClient,
-		},
 		shutdownTasks: []func() error{
 			ensVerifier.Stop,
 			pushNotificationClient.Stop,
@@ -547,6 +544,15 @@ func NewMessenger(
 		logger:                logger,
 		savedAddressesManager: savedAddressesManager,
 	}
+
+	if c.rpcClient != nil {
+		contractMaker, err := contracts.NewContractMaker(c.rpcClient)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		messenger.contractMaker = contractMaker
+	}
+
 	messenger.mentionsManager = NewMentionManager(messenger)
 
 	if c.walletService != nil {
diff --git a/protocol/messenger_communities.go b/protocol/messenger_communities.go
index ae0ff57c9..25e759da0 100644
--- a/protocol/messenger_communities.go
+++ b/protocol/messenger_communities.go
@@ -505,6 +505,11 @@ func (m *Messenger) startCuratedCommunitiesUpdateLoop() {
 }
 
 func (m *Messenger) CuratedCommunities() (*communities.KnownCommunitiesResponse, error) {
+	if m.contractMaker == nil {
+		m.logger.Warn("contract maker not initialized")
+		return nil, errors.New("contract maker not initialized")
+	}
+
 	// Revert code to https://github.com/status-im/status-go/blob/e6a3f63ec7f2fa691878ed35f921413dc8acfc66/protocol/messenger_communities.go#L211-L226 once the curated communities contract is deployed to mainnet
 
 	chainID := uint64(420) // Optimism Goerli
diff --git a/services/wallet/router.go b/services/wallet/router.go
index 779e9ff82..9a5719773 100644
--- a/services/wallet/router.go
+++ b/services/wallet/router.go
@@ -373,7 +373,10 @@ func (r *Router) requireApproval(ctx context.Context, bridge bridge.Bridge, acco
 	if token.IsNative() {
 		return false, nil, 0, nil, nil
 	}
-	contractMaker := &contracts.ContractMaker{RPCClient: r.rpcClient}
+	contractMaker, err := contracts.NewContractMaker(r.rpcClient)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, nil, 0, nil, err
+	}
 
 	bridgeAddress := bridge.GetContractAddress(network, token)
 	if bridgeAddress == nil {
diff --git a/services/wallet/token/token.go b/services/wallet/token/token.go
index 32ea11e3f..078c81e54 100644
--- a/services/wallet/token/token.go
+++ b/services/wallet/token/token.go
@@ -568,7 +568,10 @@ func (tm *Manager) GetBalances(parent context.Context, clients map[uint64]*chain
 		response[account][token] = &sumHex
 		mu.Unlock()
 	}
-	contractMaker := contracts.ContractMaker{RPCClient: tm.RPCClient}
+	contractMaker, err := contracts.NewContractMaker(tm.RPCClient)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	for clientIdx := range clients {
 		client := clients[clientIdx]
 
@@ -703,7 +706,10 @@ func (tm *Manager) GetBalancesByChain(parent context.Context, clients map[uint64
 		mu.Unlock()
 	}
 
-	contractMaker := contracts.ContractMaker{RPCClient: tm.RPCClient}
+	contractMaker, err := contracts.NewContractMaker(tm.RPCClient)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	for clientIdx := range clients {
 		client := clients[clientIdx]
 		ethScanContract, err := contractMaker.NewEthScan(client.ChainID)