diff --git a/data/block/block.go b/data/block/block.go
index 0ac8fd2a..b1b305a8 100644
--- a/data/block/block.go
+++ b/data/block/block.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ var _ = data.HeaderHandler(&Header{})
 var _ = data.ShardHeaderHandler(&Header{})
 
 // MiniBlockSlice should be used when referring to subset of mini blocks that is not
-//  necessarily representing a full block body
+// necessarily representing a full block body
 type MiniBlockSlice []*MiniBlock
 
 // MiniblockAndHash holds the info related to a miniblock and its hash
@@ -278,6 +278,17 @@ func (h *Header) ShallowClone() data.HeaderHandler {
 	return &headerCopy
 }
 
+// SetBlockBodyTypeInt32 sets the blockBodyType in the header
+func (h *Header) SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(blockBodyType int32) error {
+	if h == nil {
+		return data.ErrNilPointerReceiver
+	}
+
+	h.BlockBodyType = Type(blockBodyType)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // IsInterfaceNil returns true if there is no value under the interface
 func (h *Header) IsInterfaceNil() bool {
 	return h == nil
diff --git a/data/block/blockV2.go b/data/block/blockV2.go
index 0a690e2e..4fb87a15 100644
--- a/data/block/blockV2.go
+++ b/data/block/blockV2.go
@@ -401,6 +401,15 @@ func (hv2 *HeaderV2) ShallowClone() data.HeaderHandler {
 	return &headerCopy
 }
 
+// SetBlockBodyTypeInt32 sets the blockBodyType in the header
+func (hv2 *HeaderV2) SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(blockBodyType int32) error {
+	if hv2 == nil {
+		return data.ErrNilPointerReceiver
+	}
+
+	return hv2.Header.SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(blockBodyType)
+}
+
 // IsInterfaceNil returns true if there is no value under the interface
 func (hv2 *HeaderV2) IsInterfaceNil() bool {
 	return hv2 == nil
diff --git a/data/block/blockV2_test.go b/data/block/blockV2_test.go
index a0e28f58..6cedd08a 100644
--- a/data/block/blockV2_test.go
+++ b/data/block/blockV2_test.go
@@ -1217,3 +1217,29 @@ func TestHeaderV2_HasScheduledMiniBlocks(t *testing.T) {
 
 	require.False(t, shardBlock.HasScheduledMiniBlocks())
 }
+
+func TestHeaderV2_SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	t.Run("nil header should error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		var header *block.HeaderV2
+		err := header.SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(int32(block.ReceiptBlock))
+		require.Equal(t, data.ErrNilPointerReceiver, err)
+	})
+	t.Run("should work", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		header := &block.HeaderV2{
+			Header: &block.Header{},
+		}
+		err := header.SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(int32(block.ReceiptBlock))
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, int32(block.ReceiptBlock), header.GetBlockBodyTypeInt32())
+
+		err = header.SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(int32(block.TxBlock))
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, int32(block.TxBlock), header.GetBlockBodyTypeInt32())
+	})
+}
diff --git a/data/block/block_test.go b/data/block/block_test.go
index 980543b2..c83d88e7 100644
--- a/data/block/block_test.go
+++ b/data/block/block_test.go
@@ -845,3 +845,27 @@ func TestMiniBlockHeader_GetMiniBlockHeaderReservedShouldErrWhenReservedFieldIsN
 	assert.Nil(t, mbhr)
 	assert.Equal(t, data.ErrNilReservedField, err)
 }
+
+func TestHeader_SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	t.Run("nil header should error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		var header *block.Header
+		err := header.SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(int32(block.ReceiptBlock))
+		require.Equal(t, data.ErrNilPointerReceiver, err)
+	})
+	t.Run("should work", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		header := &block.Header{}
+		err := header.SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(int32(block.ReceiptBlock))
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, block.ReceiptBlock, header.BlockBodyType)
+
+		err = header.SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(int32(block.TxBlock))
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, block.TxBlock, header.BlockBodyType)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/data/interface.go b/data/interface.go
index 80b039da..97f5ecd7 100644
--- a/data/interface.go
+++ b/data/interface.go
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ type ShardHeaderHandler interface {
 	GetBlockBodyTypeInt32() int32
 	SetMetaBlockHashes(hashes [][]byte) error
 	MapMiniBlockHashesToShards() map[string]uint32
+	SetBlockBodyTypeInt32(blockBodyType int32) error
 }
 
 // MetaHeaderHandler defines getters and setters for the meta block header