diff --git a/pkg/network/protocols/core/protocol.go b/pkg/network/protocols/core/protocol.go
index 6be570113..7f49e88b6 100644
--- a/pkg/network/protocols/core/protocol.go
+++ b/pkg/network/protocols/core/protocol.go
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func (p *Protocol) onBlock(blockData []byte, id peer.ID) {
 
 func (p *Protocol) onBlockRequest(idBytes []byte, id peer.ID) {
 	if len(idBytes) != iotago.BlockIDLength {
-		p.Events.Error.Trigger(ierrors.Wrap(iotago.ErrInvalidIdentifierLength, "failed to deserialize block request"), id)
+		p.Events.Error.Trigger(ierrors.Errorf("failed to deserialize block request: invalid block id length"), id)
 
 		return
 	}
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func (p *Protocol) onSlotCommitment(commitmentBytes []byte, id peer.ID) {
 
 func (p *Protocol) onSlotCommitmentRequest(idBytes []byte, id peer.ID) {
 	if len(idBytes) != iotago.CommitmentIDLength {
-		p.Events.Error.Trigger(ierrors.Wrap(iotago.ErrInvalidIdentifierLength, "failed to deserialize slot commitment request"), id)
+		p.Events.Error.Trigger(ierrors.Errorf("failed to deserialize slot commitment request: invalid commitment id length"), id)
 
 		return
 	}
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ func (p *Protocol) onAttestations(commitmentBytes []byte, attestationsBytes []by
 
 func (p *Protocol) onAttestationsRequest(commitmentIDBytes []byte, id peer.ID) {
 	if len(commitmentIDBytes) != iotago.CommitmentIDLength {
-		p.Events.Error.Trigger(ierrors.Wrap(iotago.ErrInvalidIdentifierLength, "failed to deserialize commitmentID in attestations request"), id)
+		p.Events.Error.Trigger(ierrors.Errorf("failed to deserialize commitmentID in attestations request: invalid commitment id length"), id)
 
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/protocol/engine/ledger/ledger/ledger.go b/pkg/protocol/engine/ledger/ledger/ledger.go
index de2dc6aaa..22fc3b200 100644
--- a/pkg/protocol/engine/ledger/ledger/ledger.go
+++ b/pkg/protocol/engine/ledger/ledger/ledger.go
@@ -612,11 +612,7 @@ func (l *Ledger) processStateDiffTransactions(stateDiff mempool.StateDiff) (spen
 			return false
 		}
 
-		inputRefs, errInput := tx.Inputs()
-		if errInput != nil {
-			err = ierrors.Errorf("failed to retrieve inputs of %s: %w", txID, errInput)
-			return false
-		}
+		inputRefs := tx.Inputs()
 
 		// process outputs
 		{
@@ -624,7 +620,7 @@ func (l *Ledger) processStateDiffTransactions(stateDiff mempool.StateDiff) (spen
 			for _, inputRef := range lo.Map(inputRefs, mempool.UTXOInputStateRefFromInput) {
 				stateWithMetadata, stateError := l.memPool.StateMetadata(inputRef)
 				if stateError != nil {
-					err = ierrors.Errorf("failed to retrieve outputs of %s: %w", txID, errInput)
+					err = ierrors.Wrapf(stateError, "failed to retrieve outputs of %s", txID)
 					return false
 				}
 				spent := utxoledger.NewSpent(l.outputFromState(stateWithMetadata.State()), txWithMeta.ID(), stateDiff.Slot())
diff --git a/pkg/protocol/engine/ledger/ledger/vm.go b/pkg/protocol/engine/ledger/ledger/vm.go
index 6e3227b59..a26152e8e 100644
--- a/pkg/protocol/engine/ledger/ledger/vm.go
+++ b/pkg/protocol/engine/ledger/ledger/vm.go
@@ -65,11 +65,7 @@ func (v *VM) ValidateSignatures(signedTransaction mempool.SignedTransaction, res
 		return nil, iotago.ErrTxTypeInvalid
 	}
 
-	contextInputs, err := iotagoSignedTransaction.Transaction.ContextInputs()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, ierrors.Wrapf(err, "unable to retrieve context inputs from transaction")
-	}
-
+	contextInputs := iotagoSignedTransaction.Transaction.ContextInputs()
 	utxoInputSet := iotagovm.InputSet{}
 	commitmentInput := (*iotago.Commitment)(nil)
 	bicInputs := make([]*iotago.BlockIssuanceCreditInput, 0)