diff --git a/cmd/conf/init.go b/cmd/conf/init.go
index d88bcdd241..f360691693 100644
--- a/cmd/conf/init.go
+++ b/cmd/conf/init.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ type InitConfig struct {
 	PruneThreads             int           `koanf:"prune-threads"`
 	PruneTrieCleanCache      int           `koanf:"prune-trie-clean-cache"`
 	RecreateMissingStateFrom uint64        `koanf:"recreate-missing-state-from"`
-	RebuildLocalWasm         bool          `koanf:"rebuild-local-wasm"`
+	RebuildLocalWasm         string        `koanf:"rebuild-local-wasm"`
 	ReorgToBatch             int64         `koanf:"reorg-to-batch"`
 	ReorgToMessageBatch      int64         `koanf:"reorg-to-message-batch"`
 	ReorgToBlockBatch        int64         `koanf:"reorg-to-block-batch"`
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ var InitConfigDefault = InitConfig{
 	PruneThreads:             runtime.NumCPU(),
 	PruneTrieCleanCache:      600,
 	RecreateMissingStateFrom: 0, // 0 = disabled
-	RebuildLocalWasm:         true,
+	RebuildLocalWasm:         "auto",
 	ReorgToBatch:             -1,
 	ReorgToMessageBatch:      -1,
 	ReorgToBlockBatch:        -1,
@@ -82,10 +82,14 @@ func InitConfigAddOptions(prefix string, f *pflag.FlagSet) {
 	f.Int(prefix+".prune-threads", InitConfigDefault.PruneThreads, "the number of threads to use when pruning")
 	f.Int(prefix+".prune-trie-clean-cache", InitConfigDefault.PruneTrieCleanCache, "amount of memory in megabytes to cache unchanged state trie nodes with when traversing state database during pruning")
 	f.Uint64(prefix+".recreate-missing-state-from", InitConfigDefault.RecreateMissingStateFrom, "block number to start recreating missing states from (0 = disabled)")
-	f.Bool(prefix+".rebuild-local-wasm", InitConfigDefault.RebuildLocalWasm, "rebuild local wasm database on boot if needed (otherwise-will be done lazily)")
 	f.Int64(prefix+".reorg-to-batch", InitConfigDefault.ReorgToBatch, "rolls back the blockchain to a specified batch number")
 	f.Int64(prefix+".reorg-to-message-batch", InitConfigDefault.ReorgToMessageBatch, "rolls back the blockchain to the first batch at or before a given message index")
 	f.Int64(prefix+".reorg-to-block-batch", InitConfigDefault.ReorgToBlockBatch, "rolls back the blockchain to the first batch at or before a given block number")
+	f.String(prefix+".rebuild-local-wasm", InitConfigDefault.RebuildLocalWasm, "rebuild local wasm database on boot if needed (otherwise-will be done lazily). Three modes are supported \n"+
+		"\"auto\"- (enabled by default) if any previous rebuilding attempt was successful then rebuilding is disabled else continues to rebuild,\n"+
+		"\"force\"- force rebuilding which would commence rebuilding despite the status of previous attempts,\n"+
+		"\"false\"- do not rebuild on startup",
+	)
 }
 
 func (c *InitConfig) Validate() error {
@@ -110,6 +114,10 @@ func (c *InitConfig) Validate() error {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	c.RebuildLocalWasm = strings.ToLower(c.RebuildLocalWasm)
+	if c.RebuildLocalWasm != "auto" && c.RebuildLocalWasm != "force" && c.RebuildLocalWasm != "false" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid value of rebuild-local-wasm, want: auto or force or false, got: %s", c.RebuildLocalWasm)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/nitro/init.go b/cmd/nitro/init.go
index d9ae0df3b0..fc3439a56d 100644
--- a/cmd/nitro/init.go
+++ b/cmd/nitro/init.go
@@ -532,13 +532,21 @@ func openInitializeChainDb(ctx context.Context, stack *node.Node, config *NodeCo
 					if err = gethexec.WriteToKeyValueStore(wasmDb, gethexec.RebuildingPositionKey, gethexec.RebuildingDone); err != nil {
 						return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to set rebuilding status of wasm store to done: %w", err)
 					}
-				} else if config.Init.RebuildLocalWasm {
-					position, err := gethexec.ReadFromKeyValueStore[common.Hash](wasmDb, gethexec.RebuildingPositionKey)
-					if err != nil {
-						log.Info("Unable to get codehash position in rebuilding of wasm store, its possible it isnt initialized yet, so initializing it and starting rebuilding", "err", err)
+				} else if config.Init.RebuildLocalWasm != "false" {
+					var position common.Hash
+					if config.Init.RebuildLocalWasm == "force" {
+						log.Info("Commencing force rebuilding of wasm store by setting codehash position in rebuilding to beginning")
 						if err := gethexec.WriteToKeyValueStore(wasmDb, gethexec.RebuildingPositionKey, common.Hash{}); err != nil {
 							return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to initialize codehash position in rebuilding of wasm store to beginning: %w", err)
 						}
+					} else {
+						position, err = gethexec.ReadFromKeyValueStore[common.Hash](wasmDb, gethexec.RebuildingPositionKey)
+						if err != nil {
+							log.Info("Unable to get codehash position in rebuilding of wasm store, its possible it isnt initialized yet, so initializing it and starting rebuilding", "err", err)
+							if err := gethexec.WriteToKeyValueStore(wasmDb, gethexec.RebuildingPositionKey, common.Hash{}); err != nil {
+								return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to initialize codehash position in rebuilding of wasm store to beginning: %w", err)
+							}
+						}
 					}
 					if position != gethexec.RebuildingDone {
 						startBlockHash, err := gethexec.ReadFromKeyValueStore[common.Hash](wasmDb, gethexec.RebuildingStartBlockHashKey)