diff --git a/src/core/modules/impl/CacheableStateEvaluator.ts b/src/core/modules/impl/CacheableStateEvaluator.ts
index c2e4efc1..625ce9a1 100644
--- a/src/core/modules/impl/CacheableStateEvaluator.ts
+++ b/src/core/modules/impl/CacheableStateEvaluator.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ import {
   EvalStateResult,
   ExecutionContext,
   ExecutionContextModifier,
-  HandlerApi
+  genesisSortKey,
+  HandlerApi,
+  LexicographicalInteractionsSorter
 } from '@warp/core';
 import Arweave from 'arweave';
 import { GQLNodeInterface } from '@warp/legacy';
@@ -76,10 +78,12 @@ export class CacheableStateEvaluator extends DefaultStateEvaluator {
         return cachedState;
       } else {
         executionContext.handler?.initState(executionContext.contractDefinition.initState);
-        return new SortKeyCacheResult<EvalStateResult<State>>(
-          null, // no real sort-key - as we're returning the initial state
-          new EvalStateResult(executionContext.contractDefinition.initState, {}, {})
-        );
+        this.cLogger.debug('Inserting initial state into cache');
+        const stateToCache = new EvalStateResult(executionContext.contractDefinition.initState, {}, {});
+        // no real sort-key - as we're returning the initial state
+        await this.cache.put(new CacheKey(contractTxId, genesisSortKey), stateToCache);
+
+        return new SortKeyCacheResult<EvalStateResult<State>>(genesisSortKey, stateToCache);
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/core/modules/impl/LexicographicalInteractionsSorter.ts b/src/core/modules/impl/LexicographicalInteractionsSorter.ts
index 5ce539de..eb4f9a67 100644
--- a/src/core/modules/impl/LexicographicalInteractionsSorter.ts
+++ b/src/core/modules/impl/LexicographicalInteractionsSorter.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,15 @@ import { arrayToHex, GQLEdgeInterface, InteractionsSorter, LoggerFactory, Source
 import Arweave from 'arweave';
 
 // note: this (i.e. padding to 13 digits) should be safe between years ~1966 and ~2286
+const firstSortKeyMs = ''.padEnd(13, '0');
 const lastSortKeyMs = ''.padEnd(13, '9');
 const defaultArweaveMs = ''.padEnd(13, '0');
 
+export const sortingFirst = ''.padEnd(64, '0');
 export const sortingLast = ''.padEnd(64, 'z');
 
+export const genesisSortKey = `${''.padStart(12, '0')},${firstSortKeyMs},${sortingFirst}`;
+
 /**
  * implementation that is based on current's SDK sorting alg.
  */