diff --git a/ethereum/rlp/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/rlp/RLP.java b/ethereum/rlp/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/rlp/RLP.java
index bdd07bf0fbb..b3c18749ddb 100644
--- a/ethereum/rlp/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/rlp/RLP.java
+++ b/ethereum/rlp/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/rlp/RLP.java
@@ -187,10 +187,11 @@ public static Bytes decodeOne(final Bytes encodedValue) {
   public static void validate(final Bytes encodedValue) {
     final RLPInput in = input(encodedValue);
     while (!in.isDone()) {
+      while (in.isEndOfCurrentList()) {
+        in.leaveList();
+      }
       if (in.nextIsList()) {
         in.enterList();
-      } else if (in.isEndOfCurrentList()) {
-        in.leaveList();
       } else {
         // Skip does as much validation as can be done in general, without allocating anything.
         in.skipNext();
diff --git a/ethereum/rlp/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/rlp/RLPTest.java b/ethereum/rlp/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/rlp/RLPTest.java
index a4389cafa98..144e17c55ee 100644
--- a/ethereum/rlp/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/rlp/RLPTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/rlp/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/rlp/RLPTest.java
@@ -168,6 +168,17 @@ public void calculateSize_overflowMaxRLPStringLength() {
         .hasMessageContaining("RLP item exceeds max supported size of 2147483647: 2147483648");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testValidateWithListEndingAtStartOfList() {
+    // The structue of the RLP is as shown below
+    // [
+    //  ["0x01"],
+    //  ["0x02"]
+    // ]
+    Bytes validRlp = Bytes.fromHexString("c4c101c102");
+    RLP.validate(validRlp);
+  }
+
   private static Bytes h(final String hex) {
     return Bytes.fromHexString(hex);
   }