diff --git a/consensus/bor/bor.go b/consensus/bor/bor.go
index 2b0ca4fcb7..a881e6698b 100644
--- a/consensus/bor/bor.go
+++ b/consensus/bor/bor.go
@@ -1104,7 +1104,10 @@ func (c *Bor) Prepare(chain consensus.ChainHeaderReader, header *types.Header, w
 	if currentSigner.signer != (common.Address{}) {
 		succession, err = snap.GetSignerSuccessionNumber(currentSigner.signer)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			// If the signer is not in the active validator set, use succession 0
+			// so that the pending block header is still valid for RPC queries.
+			// Seal() will independently reject the block if unauthorized.
+			succession = 0
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1154,15 +1157,9 @@ func (c *Bor) Prepare(chain consensus.ChainHeaderReader, header *types.Header, w
 
 	// Wait before start the block production if needed (previously this wait was on Seal)
 	if c.config.IsGiugliano(header.Number) && waitOnPrepare {
-		var successionNumber int
 		// if signer is not empty (RPC nodes have empty signer)
 		if currentSigner.signer != (common.Address{}) {
-			var err error
-			successionNumber, err = snap.GetSignerSuccessionNumber(currentSigner.signer)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			if successionNumber == 0 {
+			if succession == 0 {
 				<-time.After(delay)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/miner/worker.go b/miner/worker.go
index 9a633a12f8..33a5094b0b 100644
--- a/miner/worker.go
+++ b/miner/worker.go
@@ -973,7 +973,12 @@ func (w *worker) taskLoop() {
 			w.pendingMu.Unlock()
 
 			if err := w.engine.Seal(w.chain, task.block, task.state.Witness(), w.resultCh, stopCh); err != nil {
-				log.Warn("Block sealing failed", "err", err)
+				switch err.(type) {
+				case *bor.UnauthorizedSignerError:
+					log.Debug("Block sealing skipped (not in validator set)", "err", err)
+				default:
+					log.Warn("Block sealing failed", "err", err)
+				}
 				w.pendingMu.Lock()
 				delete(w.pendingTasks, sealHash)
 				w.pendingMu.Unlock()
diff --git a/miner/worker_test.go b/miner/worker_test.go
index 8da774b8e4..ffe6986ac2 100644
--- a/miner/worker_test.go
+++ b/miner/worker_test.go
@@ -59,6 +59,57 @@ import (
 	borSpan "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/consensus/bor/heimdall/span"
 )
 
+// TestPendingStateNotStaleForNonValidator verifies that a Bor node whose signer
+// is NOT in the active validator set still keeps its pending snapshot fresh.
+// Regression test: previously, Prepare() returned UnauthorizedSignerError for
+// non-validators, which caused prepareWork to fail and the snapshot to never
+// update, leading to stale trie errors on "pending" RPC queries.
+func TestPendingStateNotStaleForNonValidator(t *testing.T) {
+	chainConfig := *params.BorUnittestChainConfig
+
+	engine, ctrl := getFakeBorFromConfig(t, &chainConfig)
+	defer engine.Close()
+	defer ctrl.Finish()
+
+	// Set up the worker normally, then re-authorize with a key NOT in the
+	// validator set. newTestWorkerBackend authorizes with testBankAddress
+	// (which IS the validator), so we must override AFTER backend creation.
+	nonValidatorKey, _ := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	nonValidatorAddr := crypto.PubkeyToAddress(nonValidatorKey.PublicKey)
+
+	db := rawdb.NewMemoryDatabase()
+	backend := newTestWorkerBackend(t, &chainConfig, engine, db)
+	w := newWorker(DefaultTestConfig(), &chainConfig, engine, backend, new(event.TypeMux), nil, false, false)
+	defer w.close()
+
+	// Override the signer to one NOT in the validator set.
+	engine.(*bor.Bor).Authorize(nonValidatorAddr, func(account accounts.Account, s string, data []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+		return crypto.Sign(crypto.Keccak256(data), nonValidatorKey)
+	})
+	w.setEtherbase(nonValidatorAddr)
+
+	// Start the worker. It will call commitWork which calls Prepare.
+	// Before the fix: Prepare fails with UnauthorizedSignerError, snapshot
+	// is never set, pending() returns nil.
+	// After the fix: Prepare succeeds (defaults succession to 0), snapshot
+	// is updated, pending() returns valid state.
+	w.start()
+
+	// Give the worker time to process the start event and run commitWork.
+	time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+
+	pendingBlock, _, pendingState := w.pending()
+	require.NotNil(t, pendingBlock, "pending block should not be nil for non-validator node")
+	require.NotNil(t, pendingState, "pending state should not be nil for non-validator node")
+
+	// The pending state must be readable without errors (not a stale trie).
+	balance := pendingState.GetBalance(testBankAddress)
+	require.False(t, balance.IsZero(),
+		"pending state balance for funded account should not be zero (would indicate stale trie)")
+	require.NoError(t, pendingState.Error(),
+		"pending state should have no database errors")
+}
+
 // nolint : paralleltest
 func TestGenerateBlockAndImportClique(t *testing.T) {
 	testGenerateBlockAndImport(t, true, false)