diff --git a/.changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1856-eth-contract-nonce-fixes.md b/.changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1856-eth-contract-nonce-fixes.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0e11191cd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/unreleased/bug-fixes/1856-eth-contract-nonce-fixes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- Miscellaneous Ethereum smart contract nonce fixes
+  ([\#1856](https://github.com/anoma/namada/pull/1856))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/types/ethereum_events.rs b/core/src/types/ethereum_events.rs
index f7097e9749..57c8047fdd 100644
--- a/core/src/types/ethereum_events.rs
+++ b/core/src/types/ethereum_events.rs
@@ -51,11 +51,14 @@ impl Ord for Uint {
 }
 
 impl Uint {
-    /// Convert to a little endian byte representation of
-    /// a uint256.
+    /// Convert to an Ethereum-compatible byte representation.
+    ///
+    /// The Ethereum virtual machine employs big-endian integers
+    /// (Wood, 2014), therefore the returned byte array has the
+    /// same endianness.
     pub fn to_bytes(self) -> [u8; 32] {
         let mut bytes = [0; 32];
-        ethUint(self.0).to_little_endian(&mut bytes);
+        ethUint(self.0).to_big_endian(&mut bytes);
         bytes
     }
 
diff --git a/shared/src/ledger/eth_bridge/validator_set.rs b/shared/src/ledger/eth_bridge/validator_set.rs
index 6814fae8ec..7ff30ef07c 100644
--- a/shared/src/ledger/eth_bridge/validator_set.rs
+++ b/shared/src/ledger/eth_bridge/validator_set.rs
@@ -165,6 +165,9 @@ trait ShouldRelay {
     where
         E: Middleware,
         E::Error: std::fmt::Display;
+
+    /// Try to recover from an error that has happened.
+    fn try_recover(err: String) -> Error;
 }
 
 impl ShouldRelay for DoNotCheckNonce {
@@ -179,6 +182,11 @@ impl ShouldRelay for DoNotCheckNonce {
     {
         std::future::ready(Ok(()))
     }
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn try_recover(err: String) -> Error {
+        Error::recoverable(err)
+    }
 }
 
 impl ShouldRelay for CheckNonce {
@@ -216,6 +224,11 @@ impl ShouldRelay for CheckNonce {
             }
         })
     }
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn try_recover(err: String) -> Error {
+        Error::critical(err)
+    }
 }
 
 /// Relay result for [`CheckNonce`].
@@ -360,7 +373,7 @@ where
                 }
                 RelayResult::Receipt { receipt } => {
                     if receipt.is_successful() {
-                        tracing::info!(?receipt, "Ethereum transfer succeded");
+                        tracing::info!(?receipt, "Ethereum transfer succeeded");
                     } else {
                         tracing::error!(?receipt, "Ethereum transfer failed");
                     }
@@ -447,16 +460,18 @@ where
                             "Failed to fetch latest validator set nonce: {err}"
                         );
                     })
-                    .map(|e| Epoch(e.as_u64()))
+                    .map(|e| e.as_u64() as i128)
             });
 
         let shell = RPC.shell();
         let nam_current_epoch_fut = shell.epoch(nam_client).map(|result| {
-            result.map_err(|err| {
-                tracing::error!(
-                    "Failed to fetch the latest epoch in Namada: {err}"
-                );
-            })
+            result
+                .map_err(|err| {
+                    tracing::error!(
+                        "Failed to fetch the latest epoch in Namada: {err}"
+                    );
+                })
+                .map(|Epoch(e)| e as i128)
         });
 
         let (nam_current_epoch, gov_current_epoch) =
@@ -469,8 +484,11 @@ where
             "Fetched the latest epochs"
         );
 
-        match nam_current_epoch.cmp(&gov_current_epoch) {
-            Ordering::Equal => {
+        let new_epoch = match nam_current_epoch - gov_current_epoch {
+            // NB: a namada epoch should always be one behind the nonce
+            // in the governance contract, for the latter to be considered
+            // up to date
+            -1 => {
                 tracing::debug!(
                     "Nothing to do, since the validator set in the Governance \
                      contract is up to date",
@@ -478,16 +496,21 @@ where
                 last_call_succeeded = false;
                 continue;
             }
-            Ordering::Less => {
+            0.. => {
+                let e = gov_current_epoch + 1;
+                // consider only the lower 64-bits
+                Epoch((e & (u64::MAX as i128)) as u64)
+            }
+            // NB: if the nonce difference is lower than 0, somehow the state
+            // of namada managed to fall behind the state of the smart contract
+            _ => {
                 tracing::error!("The Governance contract is ahead of Namada!");
                 last_call_succeeded = false;
                 continue;
             }
-            Ordering::Greater => {}
-        }
+        };
 
         // update epoch in the contract
-        let new_epoch = gov_current_epoch + 1u64;
         args.epoch = Some(new_epoch);
 
         let result = relay_validator_set_update_once::<DoNotCheckNonce, _, _, _>(
@@ -502,7 +525,7 @@ where
                 };
                 last_call_succeeded = receipt.is_successful();
                 if last_call_succeeded {
-                    tracing::info!(?receipt, "Ethereum transfer succeded");
+                    tracing::info!(?receipt, "Ethereum transfer succeeded");
                     tracing::info!(?new_epoch, "Updated the validator set");
                 } else {
                     tracing::error!(?receipt, "Ethereum transfer failed");
@@ -557,11 +580,18 @@ where
             .map_err(|e| Error::critical(e.to_string()))?
             .next()
     };
+
+    if hints::unlikely(epoch_to_relay == Epoch(0)) {
+        return Err(Error::critical(
+            "There is no validator set update proof for epoch 0",
+        ));
+    }
+
     let shell = RPC.shell().eth_bridge();
     let encoded_proof_fut =
         shell.read_valset_upd_proof(nam_client, &epoch_to_relay);
 
-    let bridge_current_epoch = Epoch(epoch_to_relay.0.saturating_sub(2));
+    let bridge_current_epoch = epoch_to_relay - 1;
     let shell = RPC.shell().eth_bridge();
     let encoded_validator_set_args_fut =
         shell.read_consensus_valset(nam_client, &bridge_current_epoch);
@@ -575,7 +605,7 @@ where
             encoded_validator_set_args_fut,
             governance_address_fut
         )
-        .map_err(|err| Error::recoverable(err.to_string()))?;
+        .map_err(|err| R::try_recover(err.to_string()))?;
 
     let (bridge_hash, gov_hash, signatures): (
         [u8; 32],