diff --git a/internal/core/application/service.go b/internal/core/application/service.go
index 7f4258a01..ac1df6a3e 100644
--- a/internal/core/application/service.go
+++ b/internal/core/application/service.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"math"
 	"runtime"
 	"slices"
-	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -330,15 +329,21 @@ func (s *service) registerEventHandlers() {
 				return
 			}
 
-			// Calculate depth for new vtxos: max(parent depths) + 1
-			var maxDepth uint32
-			for _, v := range spentVtxos {
-				if v.Depth > maxDepth {
-					maxDepth = v.Depth
-				}
-			}
+			// Depth for new vtxos is max(parent depths) + 1, shared with the
+			// accept path via the same domain helper.
+			//
+			// The parent marker IDs are dropped on purpose. Projecting the
+			// Accepted event already assigned marker IDs to these vtxos from
+			// the ParentMarkerIDs recorded at Accept, so only depth has to be
+			// carried onto the event payload here.
+			//
+			// An empty spent set yields depth 0. It is unreachable, since
+			// submission rejects a checkpoint tx without an input and the ark tx
+			// must pass bitcoin sanity, so an accepted tx always spends at least
+			// one vtxo. Were it reached, 0 is the depth of a tx with no parents.
+			depth, _ := domain.ChainDepthAndParentMarkers(spentVtxos)
 			for i := range newVtxos {
-				newVtxos[i].Depth = maxDepth + 1
+				newVtxos[i].Depth = depth
 			}
 
 			// Make sure to mark new vtxos as swept if any of the spent inputs is swept as well or
@@ -1131,27 +1136,7 @@ func (s *service) SubmitOffchainTx(
 	}
 
 	// Compute depth and parent markers from spent VTXOs for the accepted event.
-	var maxDepth uint32
-	parentMarkerSet := make(map[string]struct{})
-	for _, v := range spentVtxos {
-		if v.Depth > maxDepth {
-			maxDepth = v.Depth
-		}
-		for _, markerID := range v.MarkerIDs {
-			if markerID != "" {
-				parentMarkerSet[markerID] = struct{}{}
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	var newDepth uint32
-	if len(spentVtxos) > 0 {
-		newDepth = maxDepth + 1
-	}
-	parentMarkerIDs := make([]string, 0, len(parentMarkerSet))
-	for id := range parentMarkerSet {
-		parentMarkerIDs = append(parentMarkerIDs, id)
-	}
-	sort.Strings(parentMarkerIDs)
+	newDepth, parentMarkerIDs := domain.ChainDepthAndParentMarkers(spentVtxos)
 
 	change, err := offchainTx.Accept(
 		fullySignedArkTx, signedCheckpointTxsMap,
diff --git a/internal/core/domain/marker.go b/internal/core/domain/marker.go
index 9484e81b2..a16d75403 100644
--- a/internal/core/domain/marker.go
+++ b/internal/core/domain/marker.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package domain
 
-import "fmt"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"sort"
+)
 
 // MarkerInterval is the depth interval at which markers are created.
 // VTXOs at depth 0, 100, 200, etc. create new markers.
@@ -27,6 +30,39 @@ type Marker struct {
 	ParentMarkerIDs []string
 }
 
+// ChainDepthAndParentMarkers computes the chain depth and inherited parent
+// marker IDs for a new tx from the vtxos it spends. Depth is
+// max(parent depths) + 1, or 0 when nothing is spent. ParentMarkerIDs is the
+// deduplicated union of the spent vtxos' non-empty marker IDs, sorted so the
+// result is deterministic regardless of input order.
+//
+// This is the single source of truth for the computation recorded on the
+// OffchainTxAccepted event, so the call sites that need it cannot drift.
+func ChainDepthAndParentMarkers(spent []Vtxo) (uint32, []string) {
+	var maxDepth uint32
+	parentSet := make(map[string]struct{})
+	for _, v := range spent {
+		if v.Depth > maxDepth {
+			maxDepth = v.Depth
+		}
+		for _, id := range v.MarkerIDs {
+			if id != "" {
+				parentSet[id] = struct{}{}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	var depth uint32
+	if len(spent) > 0 {
+		depth = maxDepth + 1
+	}
+	parents := make([]string, 0, len(parentSet))
+	for id := range parentSet {
+		parents = append(parents, id)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(parents)
+	return depth, parents
+}
+
 // NewMarker computes marker information for a new offchain transaction.
 // If the depth is at a marker boundary, it returns a new Marker and the marker IDs
 // to assign to the child VTXOs (just the new marker ID).
diff --git a/internal/core/domain/marker_test.go b/internal/core/domain/marker_test.go
index 57873b0ab..81a362765 100644
--- a/internal/core/domain/marker_test.go
+++ b/internal/core/domain/marker_test.go
@@ -659,3 +659,38 @@ func TestDepth20k_MarkerBoundaryAndInheritance(t *testing.T) {
 		require.False(t, isAtMarkerBoundary(20099))
 	})
 }
+
+func TestChainDepthAndParentMarkers(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("empty spent input yields depth 0 and no markers", func(t *testing.T) {
+		depth, markers := ChainDepthAndParentMarkers(nil)
+		require.Equal(t, uint32(0), depth)
+		require.Empty(t, markers)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("single parent increments depth and inherits its marker", func(t *testing.T) {
+		depth, markers := ChainDepthAndParentMarkers([]Vtxo{
+			{Depth: 5, MarkerIDs: []string{"a"}},
+		})
+		require.Equal(t, uint32(6), depth)
+		require.Equal(t, []string{"a"}, markers)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("depth is max parent plus one, markers deduped sorted empties dropped", func(t *testing.T) {
+		depth, markers := ChainDepthAndParentMarkers([]Vtxo{
+			{Depth: 3, MarkerIDs: []string{"b"}},
+			{Depth: 7, MarkerIDs: []string{"a"}},
+			{Depth: 7, MarkerIDs: []string{"a", ""}},
+		})
+		require.Equal(t, uint32(8), depth)
+		require.Equal(t, []string{"a", "b"}, markers)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("parents without markers still increment depth", func(t *testing.T) {
+		depth, markers := ChainDepthAndParentMarkers([]Vtxo{
+			{Depth: 2, MarkerIDs: nil},
+			{Depth: 4, MarkerIDs: nil},
+		})
+		require.Equal(t, uint32(5), depth)
+		require.Empty(t, markers)
+	})
+}