diff --git a/pruner/checkpoint.go b/pruner/checkpoint.go
index 591333cb3f..6811d42fbf 100644
--- a/pruner/checkpoint.go
+++ b/pruner/checkpoint.go
@@ -32,6 +32,14 @@ type checkpoint struct {
 	FailedHeaders    map[uint64]struct{} `json:"failed"`
 }
 
+func newCheckpoint(prunerKind string) *checkpoint {
+	return &checkpoint{
+		PrunerKind:       prunerKind,
+		LastPrunedHeight: 1,
+		FailedHeaders:    map[uint64]struct{}{},
+	}
+}
+
 // DetectPreviousRun ensures that a node that has been run with "full" pruning
 // mode previously cannot revert back to an "archival" one. This check should
 // only be performed when a node is either a Full or Bridge node.
@@ -52,7 +60,8 @@ func DetectPreviousRun(ctx context.Context, ds datastore.Datastore, expectedKind
 			return ErrDisallowRevertToArchival
 		}
 		// allow conversion from archival to full by overriding previous checkpoint
-		cp.PrunerKind = expectedKind
+		log.Infow("overriding checkpoint to enable full pruning mode...")
+		cp = newCheckpoint(expectedKind)
 		return storeCheckpoint(ctx, wrappedDs, cp)
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -92,11 +101,7 @@ func (s *Service) loadCheckpoint(ctx context.Context) error {
 	cp, err := getCheckpoint(ctx, s.ds)
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, errCheckpointNotFound) {
-			s.checkpoint = &checkpoint{
-				PrunerKind:       s.pruner.Kind(),
-				LastPrunedHeight: 1,
-				FailedHeaders:    map[uint64]struct{}{},
-			}
+			s.checkpoint = newCheckpoint(s.pruner.Kind())
 			return storeCheckpoint(ctx, s.ds, s.checkpoint)
 		}
 		return err
diff --git a/pruner/checkpoint_test.go b/pruner/checkpoint_test.go
index 6eaf92a1ce..ea65fb48e1 100644
--- a/pruner/checkpoint_test.go
+++ b/pruner/checkpoint_test.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ func TestCheckpointOverride(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	cp, err := getCheckpoint(ctx, namespaceWrapped)
-	t.Log(err)
-	t.Log(cp)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "full", cp.PrunerKind)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint64(1), cp.LastPrunedHeight)
 }