diff --git a/base_layer/core/src/base_node/proto/chain_metadata.rs b/base_layer/core/src/base_node/proto/chain_metadata.rs
index f3506967d6..702141d288 100644
--- a/base_layer/core/src/base_node/proto/chain_metadata.rs
+++ b/base_layer/core/src/base_node/proto/chain_metadata.rs
@@ -27,14 +27,15 @@ use tari_common_types::{chain_metadata::ChainMetadata, types::FixedHash};
 
 use crate::proto::base_node as proto;
 
+const ACCUMULATED_DIFFICULTY_BYTE_SIZE: usize = 32;
 impl TryFrom<proto::ChainMetadata> for ChainMetadata {
     type Error = String;
 
     fn try_from(metadata: proto::ChainMetadata) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
-        if metadata.accumulated_difficulty.len() != 32 {
+        if metadata.accumulated_difficulty.len() != ACCUMULATED_DIFFICULTY_BYTE_SIZE {
             return Err(format!(
                 "Invalid accumulated difficulty byte length. {} was expected but the actual length was {}",
-                32,
+                ACCUMULATED_DIFFICULTY_BYTE_SIZE,
                 metadata.accumulated_difficulty.len()
             ));
         }
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ impl TryFrom<proto::ChainMetadata> for ChainMetadata {
 
 impl From<ChainMetadata> for proto::ChainMetadata {
     fn from(metadata: ChainMetadata) -> Self {
-        let mut accumulated_difficulty = [0u8; 32];
+        let mut accumulated_difficulty = [0u8; ACCUMULATED_DIFFICULTY_BYTE_SIZE];
         metadata
             .accumulated_difficulty()
             .to_big_endian(&mut accumulated_difficulty);
diff --git a/base_layer/core/src/proof_of_work/accumulated_difficulty.rs b/base_layer/core/src/proof_of_work/accumulated_difficulty.rs
index 3399853e32..cd5646590b 100644
--- a/base_layer/core/src/proof_of_work/accumulated_difficulty.rs
+++ b/base_layer/core/src/proof_of_work/accumulated_difficulty.rs
@@ -56,11 +56,7 @@ impl AccumulatedDifficulty {
     }
 
     pub fn checked_add_difficulty(&self, d: Difficulty) -> Option<AccumulatedDifficulty> {
-        let difficulty = d.as_u64() as u128;
-        if u128::MAX - difficulty < self.0 {
-            return None;
-        }
-        Some(AccumulatedDifficulty(self.0 + difficulty))
+        self.0.checked_add(u128::from(d.as_u64())).map(AccumulatedDifficulty)
     }
 
     pub fn to_be_bytes(&self) -> Vec<u8> {