diff --git a/yarn-project/circuit-types/src/l2_block.ts b/yarn-project/circuit-types/src/l2_block.ts
index 620659b01f13..0f7dc8844e84 100644
--- a/yarn-project/circuit-types/src/l2_block.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/circuit-types/src/l2_block.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
   NUMBER_OF_L1_L2_MESSAGES_PER_ROLLUP,
   STRING_ENCODING,
 } from '@aztec/circuits.js';
-import { makeAppendOnlyTreeSnapshot, makeGlobalVariables, makeHeader } from '@aztec/circuits.js/factories';
+import { makeAppendOnlyTreeSnapshot, makeHeader } from '@aztec/circuits.js/factories';
 import { times } from '@aztec/foundation/collection';
 import { keccak, sha256 } from '@aztec/foundation/crypto';
 import { Fr } from '@aztec/foundation/fields';
@@ -139,8 +139,6 @@ export class L2Block {
     numEncryptedLogsPerCall = 2,
     numUnencryptedLogsPerCall = 1,
   ): L2Block {
-    const globalVariables = makeGlobalVariables(0, l2BlockNum);
-
     const newNullifiers = times(MAX_NEW_NULLIFIERS_PER_TX * txsPerBlock, Fr.random);
     const newCommitments = times(MAX_NEW_COMMITMENTS_PER_TX * txsPerBlock, Fr.random);
     const newContracts = times(MAX_NEW_CONTRACTS_PER_TX * txsPerBlock, Fr.random);
@@ -164,7 +162,7 @@ export class L2Block {
     return L2Block.fromFields(
       {
         archive: makeAppendOnlyTreeSnapshot(1),
-        header: makeHeader(0, globalVariables),
+        header: makeHeader(0, l2BlockNum),
         newCommitments,
         newNullifiers,
         newContracts,
diff --git a/yarn-project/circuits.js/src/tests/factories.ts b/yarn-project/circuits.js/src/tests/factories.ts
index dc56fe364597..f56175e9d095 100644
--- a/yarn-project/circuits.js/src/tests/factories.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/circuits.js/src/tests/factories.ts
@@ -888,18 +888,17 @@ export function makeRootRollupInputs(seed = 0, globalVariables?: GlobalVariables
 /**
  * Makes root rollup public inputs.
  * @param seed - The seed to use for generating the root rollup public inputs.
- * @param blockNumber - The block number to use for generating the root rollup public inputs.
- * if blockNumber is undefined, it will be set to seed + 2.
+ * @param blockNumber - The block number to use in the global variables of a header.
  * @returns A root rollup public inputs.
  */
 export function makeRootRollupPublicInputs(
   seed = 0,
-  globalVariables: GlobalVariables | undefined = undefined,
+  blockNumber: number | undefined = undefined,
 ): RootRollupPublicInputs {
   return RootRollupPublicInputs.from({
     aggregationObject: makeAggregationObject(seed),
     archive: makeAppendOnlyTreeSnapshot(seed + 0x100),
-    header: makeHeader(seed + 0x200, globalVariables),
+    header: makeHeader(seed + 0x200, blockNumber),
     l1ToL2MessagesHash: [new Fr(3n), new Fr(4n)],
   });
 }
@@ -907,14 +906,12 @@ export function makeRootRollupPublicInputs(
 /**
  * Makes header.
  */
-// TODO(benesjan): is passing in global vars separately really used?
-//                 would it be better to just allow for setting block num?
-export function makeHeader(seed = 0, globalVariables: GlobalVariables | undefined): Header {
+export function makeHeader(seed = 0, blockNumber: number | undefined = undefined): Header {
   return new Header(
     makeAppendOnlyTreeSnapshot(seed + 0x100),
     toBufferBE(BigInt(seed + 0x200), NUM_BYTES_PER_SHA256),
     makeStateReference(seed + 0x300),
-    globalVariables ?? makeGlobalVariables((seed += 0x400)),
+    makeGlobalVariables((seed += 0x400), blockNumber),
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/database/pxe_database_test_suite.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/database/pxe_database_test_suite.ts
index f52d60897044..3583d2a20814 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/database/pxe_database_test_suite.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/database/pxe_database_test_suite.ts
@@ -156,10 +156,7 @@ export function describePxeDatabase(getDatabase: () => PxeDatabase) {
 
     describe('block header', () => {
       it('stores and retrieves the block header', async () => {
-        // TODO(benesjan): make this more straightforward?
-        const randomInt = () => Math.floor(Math.random() * 1000);
-        const globalVariables = makeGlobalVariables(randomInt(), INITIAL_L2_BLOCK_NUM);
-        const header = makeHeader(randomInt(), globalVariables);
+        const header = makeHeader(Math.floor(Math.random() * 1000), INITIAL_L2_BLOCK_NUM);
 
         await database.setHeader(header);
         expect(database.getHeader()).toEqual(header);
diff --git a/yarn-project/pxe/src/synchronizer/synchronizer.test.ts b/yarn-project/pxe/src/synchronizer/synchronizer.test.ts
index 42524fb8dd81..3b0fb55f767c 100644
--- a/yarn-project/pxe/src/synchronizer/synchronizer.test.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/pxe/src/synchronizer/synchronizer.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { AztecNode, INITIAL_L2_BLOCK_NUM, L2Block } from '@aztec/circuit-types';
 import { CompleteAddress, Fr, GrumpkinScalar, Header } from '@aztec/circuits.js';
 import { Grumpkin } from '@aztec/circuits.js/barretenberg';
-import { makeGlobalVariables, makeHeader } from '@aztec/circuits.js/factories';
+import { makeHeader } from '@aztec/circuits.js/factories';
 import { SerialQueue } from '@aztec/foundation/fifo';
 import { TestKeyStore } from '@aztec/key-store';
 import { AztecLmdbStore } from '@aztec/kv-store';
@@ -22,10 +22,7 @@ describe('Synchronizer', () => {
   let headerBlock3: Header;
 
   beforeEach(async () => {
-    // TODO(benesjan): make this more straightforward?
-    const randomInt = () => Math.floor(Math.random() * 1000);
-    const globalVariables = makeGlobalVariables(randomInt(), initialSyncBlockNumber);
-    headerBlock3 = makeHeader(randomInt(), globalVariables);
+    headerBlock3 = makeHeader(Math.floor(Math.random() * 1000), initialSyncBlockNumber);
 
     aztecNode = mock<AztecNode>();
     database = new KVPxeDatabase(await AztecLmdbStore.openTmp());
diff --git a/yarn-project/sequencer-client/src/block_builder/solo_block_builder.test.ts b/yarn-project/sequencer-client/src/block_builder/solo_block_builder.test.ts
index f3f2b1ecc357..27f6e78a20b9 100644
--- a/yarn-project/sequencer-client/src/block_builder/solo_block_builder.test.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/sequencer-client/src/block_builder/solo_block_builder.test.ts
@@ -109,7 +109,8 @@ describe('sequencer/solo_block_builder', () => {
     // Create mock outputs for simulator
     baseRollupOutputLeft = makeBaseOrMergeRollupPublicInputs(0, globalVariables);
     baseRollupOutputRight = makeBaseOrMergeRollupPublicInputs(0, globalVariables);
-    rootRollupOutput = makeRootRollupPublicInputs(0, globalVariables);
+    rootRollupOutput = makeRootRollupPublicInputs(0);
+    rootRollupOutput.header.globalVariables = globalVariables;
 
     // Set up mocks
     prover.getBaseRollupProof.mockResolvedValue(emptyProof);