diff --git a/eth/vm/forks/arrow_glacier/__init__.py b/eth/vm/forks/arrow_glacier/__init__.py
index 1f81db0833..18403f26d9 100644
--- a/eth/vm/forks/arrow_glacier/__init__.py
+++ b/eth/vm/forks/arrow_glacier/__init__.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class ArrowGlacierVM(LondonVM):
 
     # Methods
     create_header_from_parent = staticmethod(  # type: ignore
-        create_arrow_glacier_header_from_parent
+        create_arrow_glacier_header_from_parent(compute_arrow_glacier_difficulty)
     )
     compute_difficulty = staticmethod(compute_arrow_glacier_difficulty)  # type: ignore
     configure_header = configure_arrow_glacier_header
diff --git a/eth/vm/forks/arrow_glacier/headers.py b/eth/vm/forks/arrow_glacier/headers.py
index a23e503c49..1f0c43e8fb 100644
--- a/eth/vm/forks/arrow_glacier/headers.py
+++ b/eth/vm/forks/arrow_glacier/headers.py
@@ -1,18 +1,36 @@
+from typing import Any, Callable, Optional
+
+from toolz import curry
+
+from eth.abc import BlockHeaderAPI
+from .blocks import (
+    ArrowGlacierBlockHeader,
+)
 from eth.vm.forks.london.headers import (
-    create_header_from_parent,
+    create_london_header_from_parent,
 )
-from eth.vm.forks.petersburg.headers import (
+from eth.vm.forks.byzantium.headers import (
     compute_difficulty,
 )
-from eth.vm.forks.istanbul.headers import (
+from eth.vm.forks.byzantium.headers import (
     configure_header,
 )
 
-
 compute_arrow_glacier_difficulty = compute_difficulty(10_700_000)
+configure_arrow_glacier_header = configure_header(compute_arrow_glacier_difficulty)
 
-create_arrow_glacier_header_from_parent = create_header_from_parent(
-    compute_arrow_glacier_difficulty
-)
 
-configure_arrow_glacier_header = configure_header(compute_arrow_glacier_difficulty)
+@curry
+def create_arrow_glacier_header_from_parent(
+    difficulty_fn: Callable[[BlockHeaderAPI, int], int],
+    parent_header: Optional[BlockHeaderAPI],
+    **header_params: Any
+) -> BlockHeaderAPI:
+    london_validated_header = create_london_header_from_parent(
+        difficulty_fn, parent_header, **header_params
+    )
+
+    # extract header params validated up to london (previous VM) and plug
+    # into `ArrowGlacierBlockHeader` class
+    all_fields = london_validated_header.as_dict()
+    return ArrowGlacierBlockHeader(**all_fields)
diff --git a/eth/vm/forks/gray_glacier/__init__.py b/eth/vm/forks/gray_glacier/__init__.py
index 9f68e33aff..66beb96d17 100644
--- a/eth/vm/forks/gray_glacier/__init__.py
+++ b/eth/vm/forks/gray_glacier/__init__.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class GrayGlacierVM(ArrowGlacierVM):
 
     # Methods
     create_header_from_parent = staticmethod(  # type: ignore
-        create_gray_glacier_header_from_parent
+        create_gray_glacier_header_from_parent(compute_gray_glacier_difficulty)
     )
     compute_difficulty = staticmethod(compute_gray_glacier_difficulty)  # type: ignore
     configure_header = configure_gray_glacier_header
diff --git a/eth/vm/forks/gray_glacier/headers.py b/eth/vm/forks/gray_glacier/headers.py
index d8fbe21c8d..e9501ddd71 100644
--- a/eth/vm/forks/gray_glacier/headers.py
+++ b/eth/vm/forks/gray_glacier/headers.py
@@ -1,18 +1,38 @@
-from eth.vm.forks.london.headers import (
-    create_header_from_parent,
+from typing import Any, Callable, Optional
+
+from toolz import curry
+
+from .blocks import (
+    GrayGlacierBlockHeader,
+)
+from eth.abc import (
+    BlockHeaderAPI,
 )
-from eth.vm.forks.petersburg.headers import (
+from eth.vm.forks.arrow_glacier.headers import (
+    create_arrow_glacier_header_from_parent,
+)
+from eth.vm.forks.byzantium.headers import (
     compute_difficulty,
 )
-from eth.vm.forks.istanbul.headers import (
+from eth.vm.forks.byzantium.headers import (
     configure_header,
 )
 
-
 compute_gray_glacier_difficulty = compute_difficulty(11_400_000)
+configure_gray_glacier_header = configure_header(compute_gray_glacier_difficulty)
 
-create_gray_glacier_header_from_parent = create_header_from_parent(
-    compute_gray_glacier_difficulty
-)
 
-configure_gray_glacier_header = configure_header(compute_gray_glacier_difficulty)
+@curry
+def create_gray_glacier_header_from_parent(
+    difficulty_fn: Callable[[BlockHeaderAPI, int], int],
+    parent_header: Optional[BlockHeaderAPI],
+    **header_params: Any
+) -> BlockHeaderAPI:
+    arrow_glacier_validated_header = create_arrow_glacier_header_from_parent(
+        difficulty_fn, parent_header, **header_params
+    )
+
+    # extract header params validated up to arrow glacier (previous VM) and plug
+    # into `GrayGlacierBlockHeader` class
+    all_fields = arrow_glacier_validated_header.as_dict()
+    return GrayGlacierBlockHeader(**all_fields)
diff --git a/eth/vm/forks/london/__init__.py b/eth/vm/forks/london/__init__.py
index e68de6b355..72fc938e6d 100644
--- a/eth/vm/forks/london/__init__.py
+++ b/eth/vm/forks/london/__init__.py
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ class LondonVM(BerlinVM):
     _state_class: Type[BaseState] = LondonState
 
     # Methods
-    create_header_from_parent = staticmethod(create_london_header_from_parent)  # type: ignore
+    create_header_from_parent = staticmethod(  # type: ignore
+        create_london_header_from_parent(compute_london_difficulty)
+    )
     compute_difficulty = staticmethod(compute_london_difficulty)    # type: ignore
     configure_header = configure_london_header
 
diff --git a/eth/vm/forks/london/headers.py b/eth/vm/forks/london/headers.py
index ba2eb4d144..8a2a77c049 100644
--- a/eth/vm/forks/london/headers.py
+++ b/eth/vm/forks/london/headers.py
@@ -76,10 +76,11 @@ def calculate_expected_base_fee_per_gas(parent_header: BlockHeaderAPI) -> int:
 
 
 @curry
-def create_header_from_parent(difficulty_fn: Callable[[BlockHeaderAPI, int], int],
-                              parent_header: Optional[BlockHeaderAPI],
-                              **header_params: Any) -> BlockHeaderAPI:
-
+def create_london_header_from_parent(
+    difficulty_fn: Callable[[BlockHeaderAPI, int], int],
+    parent_header: Optional[BlockHeaderAPI],
+    **header_params: Any
+) -> BlockHeaderAPI:
     if 'gas_limit' not in header_params:
         if parent_header is not None and not hasattr(parent_header, 'base_fee_per_gas'):
             # If the previous block was not a London block,
@@ -133,11 +134,6 @@ def create_header_from_parent(difficulty_fn: Callable[[BlockHeaderAPI, int], int
 
 
 compute_london_difficulty = compute_difficulty(9700000)
-
-create_london_header_from_parent = create_header_from_parent(
-    compute_london_difficulty
-)
-
 configure_london_header = configure_header(compute_london_difficulty)
 
 
diff --git a/eth/vm/forks/london/state.py b/eth/vm/forks/london/state.py
index 60489d6a1a..51c58be21f 100644
--- a/eth/vm/forks/london/state.py
+++ b/eth/vm/forks/london/state.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 )
 
 from eth.abc import (
-    AccountDatabaseAPI,
     ComputationAPI,
     MessageAPI,
     SignedTransactionAPI,
@@ -17,9 +16,6 @@
 from eth.constants import (
     CREATE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS,
 )
-from eth.db.account import (
-    AccountDB
-)
 from eth.vm.message import (
     Message,
 )
@@ -100,7 +96,6 @@ def calculate_gas_refund(cls,
 
 
 class LondonState(BerlinState):
-    account_db_class: Type[AccountDatabaseAPI] = AccountDB
     computation_class = LondonComputation
     transaction_executor_class: Type[TransactionExecutorAPI] = LondonTransactionExecutor