diff --git a/internal/worker/regular.go b/internal/worker/regular.go
index ec93d59..c40e07d 100644
--- a/internal/worker/regular.go
+++ b/internal/worker/regular.go
@@ -190,8 +190,9 @@ func (rw *RegularWorker) commitProgress(lastSuccess uint64, lastSuccessHash stri
 
 // determineStartingBlock picks a start block from the last indexed block and the
 // chain head. GetLatestBlock returns (0, nil) for a cold start, so a non-nil
-// kvErr means the store is genuinely down. When there is no prior block to
-// resume from, the chain head is the only safe anchor and we wait for it.
+// kvErr means the store is genuinely down. On a cold start with a healthy store,
+// a configured start_block (> 0) is used as the anchor; otherwise the chain head
+// is the only safe anchor and we wait for it.
 func (rw *RegularWorker) determineStartingBlock() uint64 {
 	kvLatest, kvErr := rw.blockStore.GetLatestBlock(rw.chain.GetNetworkInternalCode())
 
@@ -217,7 +218,21 @@ func (rw *RegularWorker) determineStartingBlock() uint64 {
 	if kvErr != nil {
 		rw.logger.Error("Block store unavailable, starting from chain head",
 			"chain", rw.chain.GetName(), "error", kvErr)
+		return rw.waitForChainHead()
 	}
+
+	// Cold start with a healthy store and no prior block: honor the configured
+	// start_block so operators can backfill from a chosen height. The regular
+	// loop then walks forward from here to the chain head. A down store falls
+	// through to the chain head above, so a broken store never triggers a
+	// re-backfill from start_block on every restart.
+	if rw.config.StartBlock > 0 {
+		start := uint64(rw.config.StartBlock)
+		rw.logger.Info("Cold start from configured start_block",
+			"chain", rw.chain.GetName(), "start_block", start)
+		return start
+	}
+
 	return rw.waitForChainHead()
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/worker/regular_test.go b/internal/worker/regular_test.go
index dad74de..cd8d088 100644
--- a/internal/worker/regular_test.go
+++ b/internal/worker/regular_test.go
@@ -197,6 +197,45 @@ func TestRegularWorkerDetermineStartingBlockColdStartChainUp(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, uint64(500), rw.determineStartingBlock())
 }
 
+func TestRegularWorkerDetermineStartingBlockColdStartUsesConfiguredStartBlock(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// Cold start with a healthy store and a configured start_block: anchor on it
+	// rather than the chain head, so a backfill begins from the chosen height.
+	chain := &stubIndexer{name: "ethereum", internalCode: "ETH", networkType: enum.NetworkTypeEVM, latest: 500}
+	store := &stubBlockStore{latestBlock: 0}
+	rw := newTestRegularWorker(chain, store, 0, 2)
+	rw.config.StartBlock = 100
+
+	require.Equal(t, uint64(100), rw.determineStartingBlock())
+}
+
+func TestRegularWorkerDetermineStartingBlockResumeIgnoresStartBlock(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// A prior KV checkpoint always wins over start_block: resume from the head
+	// (queuing catchup for the gap), never rewind to the configured start_block.
+	chain := &stubIndexer{name: "ethereum", internalCode: "ETH", networkType: enum.NetworkTypeEVM, latest: 500}
+	store := &stubBlockStore{latestBlock: 300}
+	rw := newTestRegularWorker(chain, store, 300, 2)
+	rw.config.StartBlock = 100
+
+	require.Equal(t, uint64(500), rw.determineStartingBlock())
+}
+
+func TestRegularWorkerDetermineStartingBlockStoreDownIgnoresStartBlock(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// Store down: fall back to the chain head even when start_block is set, so a
+	// broken store never re-triggers a backfill from start_block on each restart.
+	chain := &stubIndexer{name: "ethereum", internalCode: "ETH", networkType: enum.NetworkTypeEVM, latest: 500}
+	store := &stubBlockStore{getLatestBlockErr: errors.New("redis down")}
+	rw := newTestRegularWorker(chain, store, 0, 2)
+	rw.config.StartBlock = 100
+
+	require.Equal(t, uint64(500), rw.determineStartingBlock())
+}
+
 func TestRegularWorkerDetermineStartingBlockChainCancelledReturnsZero(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()