diff --git a/plugin/evm/config/config.go b/plugin/evm/config/config.go
index abc113e90e..9171acaa50 100644
--- a/plugin/evm/config/config.go
+++ b/plugin/evm/config/config.go
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	// default to use the parent block's target gas per second.
 	GasTarget *gas.Gas `json:"gas-target,omitempty"`
 
+	InitialTargetExcess *gas.Gas `json:"initial-target-excess,omitempty"`
+
 	// Coreth APIs
 	AdminAPIEnabled       bool   `json:"admin-api-enabled"`
 	AdminAPIDir           string `json:"admin-api-dir"`
diff --git a/plugin/evm/config/config.md b/plugin/evm/config/config.md
index 857601de16..9456cbbf60 100644
--- a/plugin/evm/config/config.md
+++ b/plugin/evm/config/config.md
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ _Integer_
 
 The target gas per second that this node will attempt to use when creating blocks. If this config is not specified, the node will default to use the parent block's target gas per second. Defaults to using the parent block's target.
 
+### `initial-target-excess`
+
+_Integer_
+
+The initial target excess that this node will start the chain with. If this
+config is not specified, the initial target excess defaults to `0`.
+
 ## State Sync
 
 ### `state-sync-enabled`
diff --git a/plugin/evm/header/dynamic_fee_state.go b/plugin/evm/header/dynamic_fee_state.go
index 59113c21aa..2c669c89fd 100644
--- a/plugin/evm/header/dynamic_fee_state.go
+++ b/plugin/evm/header/dynamic_fee_state.go
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ava-labs/libevm/core/types"
 )
 
+var InitialTargetExcess gas.Gas
+
 // feeStateBeforeBlock takes the previous header and the timestamp of its child
 // block and calculates the fee state before the child block is executed.
 func feeStateBeforeBlock(
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ func feeStateBeforeBlock(
 		)
 	}
 
-	var state acp176.State
+	var state acp176.State = acp176.State{TargetExcess: InitialTargetExcess}
 	if config.IsFortuna(parent.Time) && parent.Number.Cmp(common.Big0) != 0 {
 		// If the parent block was running with ACP-176, we start with the
 		// resulting fee state from the parent block. It is assumed that the
diff --git a/plugin/evm/vm.go b/plugin/evm/vm.go
index aa079347b5..8a50373175 100644
--- a/plugin/evm/vm.go
+++ b/plugin/evm/vm.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ava-labs/coreth/network"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/coreth/plugin/evm/extension"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/coreth/plugin/evm/gossip"
+	"github.com/ava-labs/coreth/plugin/evm/header"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/coreth/plugin/evm/vmerrors"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 
@@ -531,6 +532,10 @@ func (vm *VM) initializeChain(lastAcceptedHash common.Hash) error {
 		*desiredTargetExcess = acp176.DesiredTargetExcess(*vm.config.GasTarget)
 	}
 
+	if vm.config.InitialTargetExcess != nil {
+		header.InitialTargetExcess = *vm.config.InitialTargetExcess
+	}
+
 	vm.eth, err = eth.New(
 		node,
 		&vm.ethConfig,