diff --git a/les/checkpointoracle/oracle.go b/les/checkpointoracle/oracle.go
index 73bd8f35d409..8f2dda3937f7 100644
--- a/les/checkpointoracle/oracle.go
+++ b/les/checkpointoracle/oracle.go
@@ -51,16 +51,6 @@ type CheckpointOracle struct {
 
 // New creates a checkpoint oracle handler with given configs and callback.
 func New(config *params.CheckpointOracleConfig, getLocal func(uint64) params.TrustedCheckpoint) *CheckpointOracle {
-	if config == nil {
-		log.Info("Checkpoint registrar is not enabled")
-		return nil
-	}
-	if config.Address == (common.Address{}) || uint64(len(config.Signers)) < config.Threshold {
-		log.Warn("Invalid checkpoint registrar config")
-		return nil
-	}
-	log.Info("Configured checkpoint registrar", "address", config.Address, "signers", len(config.Signers), "threshold", config.Threshold)
-
 	return &CheckpointOracle{
 		config:   config,
 		getLocal: getLocal,
diff --git a/les/commons.go b/les/commons.go
index 9f14f82a473a..003e196d2b82 100644
--- a/les/commons.go
+++ b/les/commons.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethdb"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/les/checkpointoracle"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/light"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/node"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/discv5"
@@ -149,14 +150,24 @@ func (c *lesCommons) localCheckpoint(index uint64) params.TrustedCheckpoint {
 }
 
 // setupOracle sets up the checkpoint oracle contract client.
-func (c *lesCommons) setupOracle(node *node.Node, genesis common.Hash, config *eth.Config) *checkpointoracle.CheckpointOracle {
-	cfg := config.CheckpointOracle
-	if cfg == nil {
-		cfg = params.CheckpointOracles[genesis]
+func (c *lesCommons) setupOracle(node *node.Node, genesis common.Hash, ethconfig *eth.Config) *checkpointoracle.CheckpointOracle {
+	config := ethconfig.CheckpointOracle
+	if config == nil {
+		// Try loading default config.
+		config = params.CheckpointOracles[genesis]
 	}
-	oracle := checkpointoracle.New(cfg, c.localCheckpoint)
+	if config == nil {
+		log.Info("Checkpoint registrar is not enabled")
+		return nil
+	}
+	if config.Address == (common.Address{}) || uint64(len(config.Signers)) < config.Threshold {
+		log.Warn("Invalid checkpoint registrar config")
+		return nil
+	}
+	oracle := checkpointoracle.New(config, c.localCheckpoint)
 	rpcClient, _ := node.Attach()
 	client := ethclient.NewClient(rpcClient)
 	oracle.Start(client)
+	log.Info("Configured checkpoint registrar", "address", config.Address, "signers", len(config.Signers), "threshold", config.Threshold)
 	return oracle
 }