diff --git a/src/consensus/pob/miner.rs b/src/consensus/pob/miner.rs
index 9499c54400c3db95eb5e3da612bbdbf800127864..95a63701f508726ac8e302b3cc7970efe6a6b071 100644
--- a/src/consensus/pob/miner.rs
+++ b/src/consensus/pob/miner.rs
@@ -185,6 +185,11 @@ where
         } else {
             parent_block_header.difficulty
         };
+        let network_difficulty = if network_difficulty.eq(&U256::ZERO) {
+            U256::ONE
+        } else {
+            network_difficulty
+        };
         let mut vdf_difficulty = prepare_work(
             parent_block_header.parent_hash,
             miner_behavior.behavior.clone(),
diff --git a/src/res/chainspec/local-demo-docker.ron b/src/res/chainspec/local-demo-docker.ron
index e323cf52a463aec1be2ca1c2a023ed08d19fcb33..e56fa7e4e9c18e214f8ebe6dc72324ad692d043c 100644
--- a/src/res/chainspec/local-demo-docker.ron
+++ b/src/res/chainspec/local-demo-docker.ron
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
         gas_limit: 5000,
         seal: Pob(
             vanity: "0x5365706f6c69612c20417468656e732c204174746963612c2047726565636521",
-            difficulty: "0x64",
+            difficulty: "0xA",
             nonce: "0x0000000000000000",
             output: "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
         ),