diff --git a/src/block_template.cpp b/src/block_template.cpp
index 34b7138..783e774 100644
--- a/src/block_template.cpp
+++ b/src/block_template.cpp
@@ -596,6 +596,32 @@ void BlockTemplate::update(const MinerData& data, const Mempool& mempool, const
 	m_minerTxOffsetInTemplate = m_blockHeader.size();
 	m_minerTxSize = m_minerTx.size();
 	m_blockTemplateBlob.insert(m_blockTemplateBlob.end(), m_minerTx.begin(), m_minerTx.end());
+        
+        // Add protocol_tx for Salvium Carrot v1+
+        if (data.major_version >= 10) {
+                writeVarint(4, m_blockTemplateBlob);  // version = TRANSACTION_VERSION_CARROT
+                writeVarint(60, m_blockTemplateBlob);  // unlock_time = 60
+                
+                // vin (1 txin_gen)
+                writeVarint(1, m_blockTemplateBlob);  // vin.size() = 1
+                m_blockTemplateBlob.push_back(TXIN_GEN);
+                writeVarint(data.height, m_blockTemplateBlob);
+                
+                // vout (empty)
+                writeVarint(0, m_blockTemplateBlob);  // vout.size() = 0
+                
+                // extra (2 bytes: 0x02 0x00)
+                writeVarint(2, m_blockTemplateBlob);  // extra.size() = 2
+                m_blockTemplateBlob.push_back(0x02);
+                m_blockTemplateBlob.push_back(0x00);
+                
+                // type = PROTOCOL
+                writeVarint(2, m_blockTemplateBlob);  // transaction_type::PROTOCOL = 2
+                
+                // rct_signatures (null)
+                m_blockTemplateBlob.push_back(0);  // RCTTypeNull
+        }
+        
 	writeVarint(m_numTransactionHashes, m_blockTemplateBlob);
 
 	// Miner tx hash is skipped here because it's not a part of block template
diff --git a/src/pool_block.cpp b/src/pool_block.cpp
index b12ee10..9789922 100644
--- a/src/pool_block.cpp
+++ b/src/pool_block.cpp
@@ -228,31 +228,6 @@ std::vector<uint8_t> PoolBlock::serialize_mainchain_data(size_t* header_size, si
 		*miner_tx_size = data.size() - header_size0;
 	}
 
-        // Protocol tx (required for Salvium)
-        if (m_majorVersion >= 10) {
-                data.push_back(4);  // version = TRANSACTION_VERSION_CARROT
-                writeVarint(60, data);  // unlock_time = 60
-                
-                // vin (1 txin_gen)
-                data.push_back(1);  // vin.size() = 1
-                data.push_back(TXIN_GEN);
-                writeVarint(m_txinGenHeight, data);
-                
-                // vout (empty)
-                data.push_back(0);  // vout.size() = 0
-                
-                // extra (2 bytes: 0x02 0x00)
-                data.push_back(2);  // extra.size() = 2
-                data.push_back(0x02);
-                data.push_back(0x00);
-                
-                // type = PROTOCOL
-                writeVarint(2, data);  // transaction_type::PROTOCOL = 2
-                
-                // rct_signatures (null)
-                data.push_back(0);  // RCTTypeNull
-        }
-
 	writeVarint(m_transactions.size() - 1, data);
 
 #ifdef WITH_INDEXED_HASHES
diff --git a/src/pool_block_parser.inl b/src/pool_block_parser.inl
index 2c2c4e5..343d46c 100644
--- a/src/pool_block_parser.inl
+++ b/src/pool_block_parser.inl
@@ -219,9 +219,74 @@ int PoolBlock::deserialize(const uint8_t* data, size_t size, const SideChain& si
 		if (static_cast<uint64_t>(data - tx_extra_begin) != tx_extra_size) return __LINE__;
 
 		EXPECT_BYTE(0);
-
-		uint64_t num_transactions;
-		READ_VARINT(num_transactions);
+                
+                // Protocol TX (Salvium Carrot v1+) - parse if present
+                if (m_majorVersion >= 10) {
+                        // Save position in case we need to backtrack
+                        const uint8_t* saved_pos = data;
+                        
+                        uint64_t next_val;
+                        const uint8_t* peek = readVarint(data, data_end, next_val);
+                        
+                        // Check if this looks like protocol_tx (version 4) or num_transactions
+                        // num_transactions is typically 0-100, protocol version is 4
+                        if (peek && next_val == 4) {
+                                // Likely protocol_tx, try to parse it
+                                data = peek;  // Consume the version varint
+                                
+                                uint64_t protocol_unlock_time;
+                                data = readVarint(data, data_end, protocol_unlock_time);
+                                if (!data) { data = saved_pos; goto skip_protocol_tx; }
+                                
+                                uint64_t protocol_vin_size;
+                                data = readVarint(data, data_end, protocol_vin_size);
+                                if (!data || protocol_vin_size != 1) { data = saved_pos; goto skip_protocol_tx; }
+                                
+                                uint8_t txin_type;
+                                READ_BYTE(txin_type);
+                                if (txin_type != TXIN_GEN) { data = saved_pos; goto skip_protocol_tx; }
+                                
+                                uint64_t protocol_height;
+                                data = readVarint(data, data_end, protocol_height);
+                                if (!data) { data = saved_pos; goto skip_protocol_tx; }
+                                
+                                uint64_t protocol_vout_size;
+                                data = readVarint(data, data_end, protocol_vout_size);
+                                if (!data) { data = saved_pos; goto skip_protocol_tx; }
+                                
+                                // Skip vout if any
+                                for (uint64_t i = 0; i < protocol_vout_size; ++i) {
+                                        uint64_t amount;
+                                        data = readVarint(data, data_end, amount);
+                                        if (!data) { data = saved_pos; goto skip_protocol_tx; }
+                                        uint8_t type;
+                                        READ_BYTE(type);
+                                        // Skip output data based on type
+                                        if (!read_buf(nullptr, 32)) { data = saved_pos; goto skip_protocol_tx; }
+                                }
+                                
+                                uint64_t protocol_extra_size;
+                                data = readVarint(data, data_end, protocol_extra_size);
+                                if (!data) { data = saved_pos; goto skip_protocol_tx; }
+                                
+                                for (uint64_t i = 0; i < protocol_extra_size; ++i) {
+                                        uint8_t tmp;
+                                        READ_BYTE(tmp);
+                                }
+                                
+                                uint64_t protocol_type;
+                                data = readVarint(data, data_end, protocol_type);
+                                if (!data) { data = saved_pos; goto skip_protocol_tx; }
+                                
+                                uint8_t rct;
+                                READ_BYTE(rct);
+                                if (rct != 0) { data = saved_pos; goto skip_protocol_tx; }
+                        }
+                }
+                
+skip_protocol_tx:
+                uint64_t num_transactions;
+                READ_VARINT(num_transactions);
 
 		const int transactions_offset = static_cast<int>(data - data_begin);