diff --git a/cmd/evm/internal/t8ntool/transition.go b/cmd/evm/internal/t8ntool/transition.go
index 42139b8b97c64..e3a59ea059d1c 100644
--- a/cmd/evm/internal/t8ntool/transition.go
+++ b/cmd/evm/internal/t8ntool/transition.go
@@ -259,11 +259,12 @@ func Main(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 			return NewError(ErrorVMConfig, errors.New("currentDifficulty was not provided, and cannot be calculated due to missing parentDifficulty"))
 		case env.Number == 0:
 			return NewError(ErrorVMConfig, errors.New("currentDifficulty needs to be provided for block number 0"))
-		case env.Timestamp == 0:
-			return NewError(ErrorVMConfig, errors.New("currentDifficulty cannot be calculated if time is set to 0"))
+		case env.Timestamp <= env.ParentTimestamp:
+			return NewError(ErrorVMConfig, fmt.Errorf("currentDifficulty cannot be calculated -- currentTime (%d) needs to be after parent time (%d)",
+				env.Timestamp, env.ParentTimestamp))
 		}
 		prestate.Env.Difficulty = calcDifficulty(chainConfig, env.Number, env.Timestamp,
-			env.ParentTimestamp, env.ParentDifficulty, env.ParentUncleHash)
+			env.ParentTimestamp, env.ParentDsifficulty, env.ParentUncleHash)
 	}
 	// Run the test and aggregate the result
 	s, result, err := prestate.Apply(vmConfig, chainConfig, txs, ctx.Int64(RewardFlag.Name), getTracer)