diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ca449edfe7..7b774b6b3d 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/benbjohnson/clock v1.3.5
 	github.com/celestiaorg/celestia-app v1.4.0
 	github.com/celestiaorg/go-fraud v0.2.0
-	github.com/celestiaorg/go-header v0.5.3
+	github.com/celestiaorg/go-header v0.5.5-0.20240315130212-bdda26aab808
 	github.com/celestiaorg/go-libp2p-messenger v0.2.0
 	github.com/celestiaorg/nmt v0.20.0
 	github.com/celestiaorg/rsmt2d v0.11.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 6fe259ff0c..c6cb4f2afb 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -368,8 +368,8 @@ github.com/celestiaorg/dagstore v0.0.0-20230824094345-537c012aa403 h1:Lj73O3S+KJ
 github.com/celestiaorg/dagstore v0.0.0-20230824094345-537c012aa403/go.mod h1:cCGM1UoMvyTk8k62mkc+ReVu8iHBCtSBAAL4wYU7KEI=
 github.com/celestiaorg/go-fraud v0.2.0 h1:aaq2JiW0gTnhEdac3l51UCqSyJ4+VjFGTTpN83V4q7I=
 github.com/celestiaorg/go-fraud v0.2.0/go.mod h1:lNY1i4K6kUeeE60Z2VK8WXd+qXb8KRzfBhvwPkK6aUc=
-github.com/celestiaorg/go-header v0.5.3 h1:8CcflT6aIlcQXKNWcMekoBNs3EU50mEmDp17gbn1pP4=
-github.com/celestiaorg/go-header v0.5.3/go.mod h1:7BVR6myjRfACbqW1de6s8OjuK66XzHm8MpFNYr0G+nU=
+github.com/celestiaorg/go-header v0.5.5-0.20240315130212-bdda26aab808 h1:TvOOMX0rSSTp4DCu53hn2NeaGcHwEMQ8S58TltFggRg=
+github.com/celestiaorg/go-header v0.5.5-0.20240315130212-bdda26aab808/go.mod h1:7BVR6myjRfACbqW1de6s8OjuK66XzHm8MpFNYr0G+nU=
 github.com/celestiaorg/go-libp2p-messenger v0.2.0 h1:/0MuPDcFamQMbw9xTZ73yImqgTO3jHV7wKHvWD/Irao=
 github.com/celestiaorg/go-libp2p-messenger v0.2.0/go.mod h1:s9PIhMi7ApOauIsfBcQwbr7m+HBzmVfDIS+QLdgzDSo=
 github.com/celestiaorg/merkletree v0.0.0-20210714075610-a84dc3ddbbe4 h1:CJdIpo8n5MFP2MwK0gSRcOVlDlFdQJO1p+FqdxYzmvc=
diff --git a/nodebuilder/pruner/constructors.go b/nodebuilder/pruner/constructors.go
index 150d217f76..1b84d19d0d 100644
--- a/nodebuilder/pruner/constructors.go
+++ b/nodebuilder/pruner/constructors.go
@@ -17,12 +17,17 @@ func newPrunerService(
 	ds datastore.Batching,
 	opts ...pruner.Option,
 ) (*pruner.Service, error) {
-	serv := pruner.NewService(p, window, getter, ds, p2p.BlockTime, opts...)
+	serv, err := pruner.NewService(p, window, getter, ds, p2p.BlockTime, opts...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	if MetricsEnabled {
 		err := pruner.WithPrunerMetrics(serv)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
+
 	return serv, nil
 }
diff --git a/nodebuilder/pruner/module.go b/nodebuilder/pruner/module.go
index b0bec0f062..9545d51347 100644
--- a/nodebuilder/pruner/module.go
+++ b/nodebuilder/pruner/module.go
@@ -63,10 +63,6 @@ func ConstructModule(tp node.Type, cfg *Config) fx.Option {
 	//  in which case, this can be enabled.
 	case node.Light:
 		return fx.Module("prune",
-			baseComponents,
-			fx.Provide(func() pruner.Pruner {
-				return light.NewPruner()
-			}),
 			fx.Supply(light.Window),
 		)
 	default:
diff --git a/pruner/finder.go b/pruner/finder.go
index 1cee6f26d3..187537a981 100644
--- a/pruner/finder.go
+++ b/pruner/finder.go
@@ -19,24 +19,21 @@ func (s *Service) findPruneableHeaders(
 	lastPruned *header.ExtendedHeader,
 ) ([]*header.ExtendedHeader, error) {
 	pruneCutoff := time.Now().UTC().Add(time.Duration(-s.window))
-	estimatedCutoffHeight := lastPruned.Height() + s.numBlocksInWindow
 
-	head, err := s.getter.Head(ctx)
+	if !lastPruned.Time().UTC().Before(pruneCutoff) {
+		// this can happen when the network is young and all blocks
+		// are still within the AvailabilityWindow
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	estimatedCutoffHeight, err := s.calculateEstimatedCutoff(ctx, lastPruned, pruneCutoff)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Errorw("failed to get Head from header store", "error", err)
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if head.Height() < estimatedCutoffHeight {
-		estimatedCutoffHeight = head.Height()
-	}
 
 	log.Debugw("finder: fetching header range", "last pruned", lastPruned.Height(),
 		"target height", estimatedCutoffHeight)
 
-	if estimatedCutoffHeight-lastPruned.Height() > maxHeadersPerLoop {
-		estimatedCutoffHeight = lastPruned.Height() + maxHeadersPerLoop
-	}
-
 	headers, err := s.getter.GetRangeByHeight(ctx, lastPruned, estimatedCutoffHeight)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorw("failed to get range from header store", "from", lastPruned.Height(),
@@ -85,3 +82,28 @@ func (s *Service) findPruneableHeaders(
 	}
 	return headers, nil
 }
+
+func (s *Service) calculateEstimatedCutoff(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	lastPruned *header.ExtendedHeader,
+	pruneCutoff time.Time,
+) (uint64, error) {
+	estimatedRange := uint64(pruneCutoff.UTC().Sub(lastPruned.Time().UTC()) / s.blockTime)
+	estimatedCutoffHeight := lastPruned.Height() + estimatedRange
+
+	head, err := s.getter.Head(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorw("failed to get Head from header store", "error", err)
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	if head.Height() < estimatedCutoffHeight {
+		estimatedCutoffHeight = head.Height()
+	}
+
+	if estimatedCutoffHeight-lastPruned.Height() > maxHeadersPerLoop {
+		estimatedCutoffHeight = lastPruned.Height() + maxHeadersPerLoop
+	}
+
+	return estimatedCutoffHeight, nil
+}
diff --git a/pruner/params.go b/pruner/params.go
index 7a9b00336c..69755b89f6 100644
--- a/pruner/params.go
+++ b/pruner/params.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package pruner
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -12,6 +13,13 @@ type Params struct {
 	gcCycle time.Duration
 }
 
+func (p *Params) Validate() error {
+	if p.gcCycle == time.Duration(0) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid GC cycle given, value should be positive and non-zero")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func DefaultParams() Params {
 	return Params{
 		gcCycle: time.Minute * 5,
@@ -26,14 +34,6 @@ func WithGCCycle(cycle time.Duration) Option {
 	}
 }
 
-// WithDisabledGC disables the pruning Service's pruning
-// routine.
-func WithDisabledGC() Option {
-	return func(p *Params) {
-		p.gcCycle = time.Duration(0)
-	}
-}
-
 // WithPrunerMetrics is a utility function to turn on pruner metrics and that is
 // expected to be "invoked" by the fx lifecycle.
 func WithPrunerMetrics(s *Service) error {
diff --git a/pruner/service.go b/pruner/service.go
index 7a58ff82e1..52879852f0 100644
--- a/pruner/service.go
+++ b/pruner/service.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ type Service struct {
 	ds         datastore.Datastore
 	checkpoint *checkpoint
 
-	numBlocksInWindow uint64
+	blockTime time.Duration
 
 	ctx    context.Context
 	cancel context.CancelFunc
@@ -43,24 +43,26 @@ func NewService(
 	ds datastore.Datastore,
 	blockTime time.Duration,
 	opts ...Option,
-) *Service {
+) (*Service, error) {
 	params := DefaultParams()
 	for _, opt := range opts {
 		opt(&params)
 	}
 
-	numBlocksInWindow := uint64(time.Duration(window) / blockTime)
+	if err := params.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	return &Service{
-		pruner:            p,
-		window:            window,
-		getter:            getter,
-		checkpoint:        &checkpoint{FailedHeaders: map[uint64]struct{}{}},
-		ds:                namespace.Wrap(ds, storePrefix),
-		numBlocksInWindow: numBlocksInWindow,
-		doneCh:            make(chan struct{}),
-		params:            params,
-	}
+		pruner:     p,
+		window:     window,
+		getter:     getter,
+		checkpoint: &checkpoint{FailedHeaders: map[uint64]struct{}{}},
+		ds:         namespace.Wrap(ds, storePrefix),
+		blockTime:  blockTime,
+		doneCh:     make(chan struct{}),
+		params:     params,
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func (s *Service) Start(context.Context) error {
@@ -90,11 +92,6 @@ func (s *Service) Stop(ctx context.Context) error {
 func (s *Service) run() {
 	defer close(s.doneCh)
 
-	if s.params.gcCycle == time.Duration(0) {
-		// Service is disabled, exit
-		return
-	}
-
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(s.params.gcCycle)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
diff --git a/pruner/service_test.go b/pruner/service_test.go
index 15efc0d3e0..27f138fff0 100644
--- a/pruner/service_test.go
+++ b/pruner/service_test.go
@@ -38,17 +38,18 @@ func TestService(t *testing.T) {
 
 	mp := &mockPruner{}
 
-	serv := NewService(
+	serv, err := NewService(
 		mp,
 		AvailabilityWindow(time.Millisecond*2),
 		store,
 		sync.MutexWrap(datastore.NewMapDatastore()),
 		blockTime,
 	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	serv.ctx, serv.cancel = ctx, cancel
 
-	err := serv.loadCheckpoint(ctx)
+	err = serv.loadCheckpoint(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 2)
@@ -79,16 +80,18 @@ func TestService_FailedAreRecorded(t *testing.T) {
 		failHeight: map[uint64]int{4: 0, 5: 0, 13: 0},
 	}
 
-	serv := NewService(
+	serv, err := NewService(
 		mp,
 		AvailabilityWindow(time.Millisecond*20),
 		store,
 		sync.MutexWrap(datastore.NewMapDatastore()),
 		blockTime,
 	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
 	serv.ctx = ctx
 
-	err := serv.loadCheckpoint(ctx)
+	err = serv.loadCheckpoint(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// ensures at least 13 blocks are prune-able
@@ -122,16 +125,16 @@ func TestServiceCheckpointing(t *testing.T) {
 
 	mp := &mockPruner{}
 
-	serv := NewService(
+	serv, err := NewService(
 		mp,
 		AvailabilityWindow(time.Second),
 		store,
 		sync.MutexWrap(datastore.NewMapDatastore()),
 		time.Millisecond,
-		WithGCCycle(0), // we do not need to run GC in this test
 	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	err := serv.Start(ctx)
+	err = serv.loadCheckpoint(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// ensure checkpoint was initialized correctly
@@ -142,9 +145,6 @@ func TestServiceCheckpointing(t *testing.T) {
 	err = serv.updateCheckpoint(ctx, uint64(3), map[uint64]struct{}{2: {}})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	err = serv.Stop(ctx)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
 	// ensure checkpoint was updated correctly in datastore
 	err = serv.loadCheckpoint(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -174,16 +174,17 @@ func TestPrune_LargeNumberOfBlocks(t *testing.T) {
 
 	mp := &mockPruner{failHeight: make(map[uint64]int, 0)}
 
-	serv := NewService(
+	serv, err := NewService(
 		mp,
 		availabilityWindow,
 		store,
 		sync.MutexWrap(datastore.NewMapDatastore()),
 		blockTime,
 	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	serv.ctx = ctx
 
-	err := serv.loadCheckpoint(ctx)
+	err = serv.loadCheckpoint(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// ensures availability window has passed
@@ -253,15 +254,16 @@ func TestFindPruneableHeaders(t *testing.T) {
 
 			mp := &mockPruner{}
 
-			serv := NewService(
+			serv, err := NewService(
 				mp,
 				tc.availWindow,
 				store,
 				sync.MutexWrap(datastore.NewMapDatastore()),
 				tc.blockTime,
 			)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
 
-			err := serv.Start(ctx)
+			err = serv.Start(ctx)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 
 			lastPruned, err := serv.lastPruned(ctx)