diff --git a/hypergraph/sync_client_driven.go b/hypergraph/sync_client_driven.go
index 54a0930..051d44e 100644
--- a/hypergraph/sync_client_driven.go
+++ b/hypergraph/sync_client_driven.go
@@ -648,12 +648,11 @@ func (hg *HypergraphCRDT) syncSubtree(
 ) error {
 	tree := localSet.GetTree()
 
-	// Get local node at same path
+	// Get local commitment at same path to check if subtrees match
 	var localCommitment []byte
-	var localNode tries.LazyVectorCommitmentNode
 	if tree != nil && tree.Root != nil {
 		path := toIntSlice(serverBranch.FullPath)
-		localNode = getNodeAtPath(
+		localNode := getNodeAtPath(
 			logger,
 			tree.SetType,
 			tree.PhaseType,
@@ -673,7 +672,7 @@ func (hg *HypergraphCRDT) syncSubtree(
 		}
 	}
 
-	// If commitments match, subtrees are identical
+	// If commitments match, subtrees are identical - no sync needed
 	if bytes.Equal(localCommitment, serverBranch.Commitment) {
 		logger.Debug("subtree matches",
 			zap.String("path", hex.EncodeToString(packPath(serverBranch.FullPath))),
@@ -681,102 +680,15 @@ func (hg *HypergraphCRDT) syncSubtree(
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	// If server node is a leaf or has no children, fetch all leaves
-	if serverBranch.IsLeaf || len(serverBranch.Children) == 0 {
-		return hg.fetchAndIntegrateLeaves(stream, shardKey, phaseSet, expectedRoot, serverBranch.FullPath, localSet, logger)
-	}
-
-	// OPTIMIZATION: If we have NO local data at this path, skip the branch-by-branch
-	// traversal and just fetch all leaves directly. This avoids N round trips for N
-	// children when we know we need all of them anyway.
-	if localNode == nil {
-		logger.Debug("no local data at path, fetching all leaves directly",
-			zap.String("path", hex.EncodeToString(packPath(serverBranch.FullPath))),
-			zap.Int("serverChildren", len(serverBranch.Children)),
-		)
-		return hg.fetchAndIntegrateLeaves(stream, shardKey, phaseSet, expectedRoot, serverBranch.FullPath, localSet, logger)
-	}
-
-	// Compare children and recurse
-	localChildren := make(map[int32][]byte)
-	if tree != nil && tree.Root != nil {
-		path := toIntSlice(serverBranch.FullPath)
-		if branch, ok := localNode.(*tries.LazyVectorCommitmentBranchNode); ok {
-			for i := 0; i < 64; i++ {
-				child := branch.Children[i]
-				if child == nil {
-					child, _ = branch.Store.GetNodeByPath(
-						tree.SetType,
-						tree.PhaseType,
-						tree.ShardKey,
-						slices.Concat(path, []int{i}),
-					)
-				}
-				if child != nil {
-					childPath := slices.Concat(path, []int{i})
-					child = ensureCommittedNode(logger, tree, childPath, child)
-					switch c := child.(type) {
-					case *tries.LazyVectorCommitmentBranchNode:
-						localChildren[int32(i)] = c.Commitment
-					case *tries.LazyVectorCommitmentLeafNode:
-						localChildren[int32(i)] = c.Commitment
-					}
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	for _, serverChild := range serverBranch.Children {
-		localChildCommit := localChildren[serverChild.Index]
-
-		if bytes.Equal(localChildCommit, serverChild.Commitment) {
-			// Child matches, skip
-			continue
-		}
-
-		// Need to sync this child
-		childPath := append(slices.Clone(serverBranch.FullPath), serverChild.Index)
-
-		// Query for child branch
-		err := stream.Send(&protobufs.HypergraphSyncQuery{
-			Request: &protobufs.HypergraphSyncQuery_GetBranch{
-				GetBranch: &protobufs.HypergraphSyncGetBranchRequest{
-					ShardKey:     shardKey,
-					PhaseSet:     phaseSet,
-					Path:         childPath,
-					ExpectedRoot: expectedRoot,
-				},
-			},
-		})
-		if err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "send GetBranch for child")
-		}
-
-		resp, err := stream.Recv()
-		if err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "receive GetBranch response for child")
-		}
-
-		if errResp := resp.GetError(); errResp != nil {
-			logger.Warn("error getting child branch",
-				zap.String("error", errResp.Message),
-				zap.String("path", hex.EncodeToString(packPath(childPath))),
-			)
-			continue
-		}
-
-		childBranch := resp.GetBranch()
-		if childBranch == nil {
-			continue
-		}
-
-		// Recurse
-		if err := hg.syncSubtree(stream, shardKey, phaseSet, expectedRoot, childBranch, localSet, logger); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	// Commitments don't match - fetch all leaves from server.
+	// This is simpler and more reliable than branch-by-branch comparison,
+	// ensuring we get the complete correct state from the server.
+	logger.Debug("subtree mismatch, fetching all leaves from server",
+		zap.String("path", hex.EncodeToString(packPath(serverBranch.FullPath))),
+		zap.String("localCommitment", hex.EncodeToString(localCommitment)),
+		zap.String("serverCommitment", hex.EncodeToString(serverBranch.Commitment)),
+	)
+	return hg.fetchAndIntegrateLeaves(stream, shardKey, phaseSet, expectedRoot, serverBranch.FullPath, localSet, logger)
 }
 
 func (hg *HypergraphCRDT) fetchAndIntegrateLeaves(
diff --git a/node/execution/engines/global_execution_engine.go b/node/execution/engines/global_execution_engine.go
index a31e564..422f5a7 100644
--- a/node/execution/engines/global_execution_engine.go
+++ b/node/execution/engines/global_execution_engine.go
@@ -207,7 +207,8 @@ func (e *GlobalExecutionEngine) validateBundle(
 				op.GetReject() != nil ||
 				op.GetKick() != nil ||
 				op.GetUpdate() != nil ||
-				op.GetShard() != nil
+				op.GetShard() != nil ||
+				op.GetSeniorityMerge() != nil
 
 			if !isGlobalOp {
 				if e.config.Network == 0 &&