diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4f3642451..c1081f3cb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@
 - Fixed no-std compatibility for remote prover clients ([#1407](https://github.com/0xMiden/miden-node/pull/1407)).
 - Fixed `AccountProofRequest` to retrieve the latest known state in case specified block number (or chain tip) does not contain account updates ([#1422](https://github.com/0xMiden/miden-node/issues/1422)).
 - Fixed missing asset setup for full account initialization ([#1461](https://github.com/0xMiden/miden-node/pull/1461)).
+- Fixed validator to use pre-stored asset witnesses from the transaction inputs instead of trying to open the partial vault ([#1490](https://github.com/0xMiden/miden-node/pull/1490)).
 - Fixed `GetNetworkAccountIds` pagination to return the chain tip ([#1489](https://github.com/0xMiden/miden-node/pull/1489)).
+- Fixed validator to use pre-stored asset witnesses from the transaction inputs instead of trying to open the partial vault ([#1490](https://github.com/0xMiden/miden-node/pull/1490)).
+- Fixed the network monitor counter account to use the storage slot name ([#1492](https://github.com/0xMiden/miden-node/pull/1492)).
 
 ## v0.12.6
 
diff --git a/bin/network-monitor/src/assets/counter_program.masm b/bin/network-monitor/src/assets/counter_program.masm
index 175e7e969..9cd6536f4 100644
--- a/bin/network-monitor/src/assets/counter_program.masm
+++ b/bin/network-monitor/src/assets/counter_program.masm
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Counter program for network monitoring with note authentication
 # Storage layout:
-# - Slot 0: counter value (u64)
-# - Slot 1: authorized wallet account id as [prefix, suffix, 0, 0]
+# - OWNER_SLOT: authorized wallet account id as [prefix, suffix, 0, 0]
+# - COUNTER_SLOT: counter value (u64)
 
 use miden::core::sys
 use miden::protocol::active_account
@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@ use miden::protocol::account_id
 use miden::protocol::tx
 
 
-# The slot in this component's storage layout where the counter is stored.
 const COUNTER_SLOT = word("miden::monitor::counter_contract::counter")
+const OWNER_SLOT = word("miden::monitor::counter_contract::owner")
 
 # Increment function with note authentication
 # => []
 pub proc increment
-    # Ensure the note sender matches the authorized wallet stored in slot 1.
-    push.1 exec.active_account::get_item
+    # Ensure the note sender matches the authorized wallet.
+    push.OWNER_SLOT[0..2] exec.active_account::get_item
     # => [owner_prefix, owner_suffix, 0, 0]
 
     exec.active_note::get_sender
diff --git a/bin/network-monitor/src/counter.rs b/bin/network-monitor/src/counter.rs
index 4c89c74f8..48539adb6 100644
--- a/bin/network-monitor/src/counter.rs
+++ b/bin/network-monitor/src/counter.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ use tracing::{error, info, instrument, warn};
 
 use crate::COMPONENT;
 use crate::config::MonitorConfig;
+use crate::deploy::counter::COUNTER_SLOT_NAME;
 use crate::deploy::{MonitorDataStore, create_genesis_aware_rpc_client, get_counter_library};
 use crate::status::{
     CounterTrackingDetails,
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ async fn get_genesis_block_header(rpc_client: &mut RpcClient) -> Result<BlockHea
     Ok(block_header)
 }
 
-/// Fetch the latest nonce of the given account from RPC.
+/// Fetch the latest counter value of the given account from RPC.
 async fn fetch_counter_value(
     rpc_client: &mut RpcClient,
     account_id: AccountId,
@@ -95,9 +96,13 @@ async fn fetch_counter_value(
         let account = Account::read_from_bytes(&raw)
             .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("failed to deserialize account details: {e}"))?;
 
-        let storage_slot = account.storage().slots().first().expect("storage slot is always value");
-        let word = storage_slot.value();
-        let value = word.as_elements().last().expect("a word is always 4 elements").as_int();
+        // Access the counter slot by name to avoid index-ordering issues
+        let word = account
+            .storage()
+            .get_item(&COUNTER_SLOT_NAME)
+            .context("failed to get counter storage slot")?;
+
+        let value = word.as_elements().first().expect("a word is always 4 elements").as_int();
 
         Ok(Some(value))
     } else {
@@ -644,6 +649,8 @@ async fn create_and_submit_network_note(
 
     let final_account = executed_tx.final_account().clone();
 
+    let tx_inputs = executed_tx.tx_inputs().to_bytes();
+
     // Prove the transaction
     let prover = LocalTransactionProver::default();
     let proven_tx = prover.prove(executed_tx).context("Failed to prove transaction")?;
@@ -651,7 +658,7 @@ async fn create_and_submit_network_note(
     // Submit the proven transaction
     let request = ProvenTransaction {
         transaction: proven_tx.to_bytes(),
-        transaction_inputs: None,
+        transaction_inputs: Some(tx_inputs),
     };
 
     let block_height: BlockNumber = rpc_client
diff --git a/bin/network-monitor/src/deploy/counter.rs b/bin/network-monitor/src/deploy/counter.rs
index fc10a43d1..a5ab3d363 100644
--- a/bin/network-monitor/src/deploy/counter.rs
+++ b/bin/network-monitor/src/deploy/counter.rs
@@ -22,12 +22,12 @@ use tracing::instrument;
 
 use crate::COMPONENT;
 
-static OWNER_SLOT_NAME: LazyLock<StorageSlotName> = LazyLock::new(|| {
+pub static OWNER_SLOT_NAME: LazyLock<StorageSlotName> = LazyLock::new(|| {
     StorageSlotName::new("miden::monitor::counter_contract::owner")
         .expect("storage slot name should be valid")
 });
 
-static COUNTER_SLOT_NAME: LazyLock<StorageSlotName> = LazyLock::new(|| {
+pub static COUNTER_SLOT_NAME: LazyLock<StorageSlotName> = LazyLock::new(|| {
     StorageSlotName::new("miden::monitor::counter_contract::counter")
         .expect("storage slot name should be valid")
 });
diff --git a/bin/network-monitor/src/deploy/mod.rs b/bin/network-monitor/src/deploy/mod.rs
index 0a6c4ebe5..29fa4303d 100644
--- a/bin/network-monitor/src/deploy/mod.rs
+++ b/bin/network-monitor/src/deploy/mod.rs
@@ -199,13 +199,15 @@ pub async fn deploy_counter_account(counter_account: &Account, rpc_url: &Url) ->
         .await
         .context("Failed to execute transaction")?;
 
+    let tx_inputs = executed_tx.tx_inputs().to_bytes();
+
     let prover = LocalTransactionProver::default();
 
     let proven_tx = prover.prove(executed_tx).context("Failed to prove transaction")?;
 
     let request = ProvenTransaction {
         transaction: proven_tx.to_bytes(),
-        transaction_inputs: None,
+        transaction_inputs: Some(tx_inputs),
     };
 
     rpc_client
diff --git a/crates/ntx-builder/src/actor/execute.rs b/crates/ntx-builder/src/actor/execute.rs
index 83c1d09c9..3f3bae70f 100644
--- a/crates/ntx-builder/src/actor/execute.rs
+++ b/crates/ntx-builder/src/actor/execute.rs
@@ -159,9 +159,10 @@ impl NtxContext {
                 let notes = notes.into_iter().map(Note::from).collect::<Vec<_>>();
                 let (successful, failed) = self.filter_notes(&data_store, notes).await?;
                 let executed = Box::pin(self.execute(&data_store, successful)).await?;
+                let tx_inputs = executed.tx_inputs().clone();
                 let proven = Box::pin(self.prove(executed.into())).await?;
                 let tx_id = proven.id();
-                self.submit(proven).await?;
+                self.submit(proven, &tx_inputs).await?;
                 Ok((tx_id, failed))
             }
             .in_current_span()
@@ -258,9 +259,9 @@ impl NtxContext {
 
     /// Submits the transaction to the block producer.
     #[instrument(target = COMPONENT, name = "ntx.execute_transaction.submit", skip_all, err)]
-    async fn submit(&self, tx: ProvenTransaction) -> NtxResult<()> {
+    async fn submit(&self, tx: ProvenTransaction, tx_inputs: &TransactionInputs) -> NtxResult<()> {
         self.block_producer
-            .submit_proven_transaction(tx)
+            .submit_proven_transaction(tx, tx_inputs)
             .await
             .map_err(NtxError::Submission)
     }
diff --git a/crates/ntx-builder/src/actor/mod.rs b/crates/ntx-builder/src/actor/mod.rs
index 60e7df54c..e3594be26 100644
--- a/crates/ntx-builder/src/actor/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/ntx-builder/src/actor/mod.rs
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ impl AccountActor {
                             let chain_state = self.chain_state.read().await.clone();
                             // Find a candidate transaction and execute it.
                             if let Some(tx_candidate) = state.select_candidate(crate::MAX_NOTES_PER_TX, chain_state) {
-                                self.execute_transactions(&mut state, tx_candidate).await;
+                                Box::pin(self.execute_transactions(&mut state, tx_candidate)).await;
                             } else {
                                 // No transactions to execute, wait for events.
                                 self.mode = ActorMode::NoViableNotes;
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ impl AccountActor {
             self.script_cache.clone(),
         );
 
-        let execution_result = context.execute_transaction(tx_candidate).await;
+        let execution_result = Box::pin(context.execute_transaction(tx_candidate)).await;
         match execution_result {
             // Execution completed without failed notes.
             Ok((tx_id, failed)) if failed.is_empty() => {
diff --git a/crates/ntx-builder/src/block_producer.rs b/crates/ntx-builder/src/block_producer.rs
index 7c1af9d8f..a4836a21e 100644
--- a/crates/ntx-builder/src/block_producer.rs
+++ b/crates/ntx-builder/src/block_producer.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use miden_node_proto::domain::mempool::MempoolEvent;
 use miden_node_proto::generated::{self as proto};
 use miden_node_utils::FlattenResult;
 use miden_protocol::block::BlockNumber;
-use miden_protocol::transaction::ProvenTransaction;
+use miden_protocol::transaction::{ProvenTransaction, TransactionInputs};
 use miden_tx::utils::Serializable;
 use tokio_stream::StreamExt;
 use tonic::Status;
@@ -45,10 +45,11 @@ impl BlockProducerClient {
     pub async fn submit_proven_transaction(
         &self,
         proven_tx: ProvenTransaction,
+        tx_inputs: &TransactionInputs,
     ) -> Result<(), Status> {
         let request = proto::transaction::ProvenTransaction {
             transaction: proven_tx.to_bytes(),
-            transaction_inputs: None,
+            transaction_inputs: Some(tx_inputs.to_bytes()),
         };
 
         self.client.clone().submit_proven_transaction(request).await?;
diff --git a/crates/validator/src/tx_validation/data_store.rs b/crates/validator/src/tx_validation/data_store.rs
index a48c2e8e6..c12ebfd58 100644
--- a/crates/validator/src/tx_validation/data_store.rs
+++ b/crates/validator/src/tx_validation/data_store.rs
@@ -74,20 +74,24 @@ impl DataStore for TransactionInputsDataStore {
                 });
             }
 
-            Result::<Vec<_>, _>::from_iter(vault_keys.into_iter().map(|vault_key| {
-                match self.tx_inputs.account().vault().open(vault_key) {
-                    Ok(vault_proof) => {
-                        AssetWitness::new(vault_proof.into()).map_err(|err| DataStoreError::Other {
-                            error_msg: "failed to open vault asset tree".into(),
-                            source: Some(err.into()),
+            let stored_witnesses = self.tx_inputs.asset_witnesses();
+
+            vault_keys
+                .into_iter()
+                .map(|vault_key| {
+                    stored_witnesses
+                        .iter()
+                        .find(|w| w.authenticates_asset_vault_key(vault_key))
+                        .cloned()
+                        .ok_or_else(|| DataStoreError::Other {
+                            error_msg: format!(
+                                "asset witness not found for vault key {vault_key}",
+                            )
+                            .into(),
+                            source: None,
                         })
-                    },
-                    Err(err) => Err(DataStoreError::Other {
-                        error_msg: "failed to open vault".into(),
-                        source: Some(err.into()),
-                    }),
-                }
-            }))
+                })
+                .collect()
         }
     }