diff --git a/core/block/editor/state/normalize.go b/core/block/editor/state/normalize.go
index 9c4d02760..ee9b82391 100644
--- a/core/block/editor/state/normalize.go
+++ b/core/block/editor/state/normalize.go
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ package state
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/anytypeio/go-anytype-middleware/core/block/simple/base"
-
 	"github.com/globalsign/mgo/bson"
 
 	"github.com/anytypeio/go-anytype-middleware/core/block/simple"
@@ -43,12 +41,7 @@ func (s *State) normalize(withLayouts bool) (err error) {
 			}
 		}
 		if b.Model().Id == s.RootId() {
-			if n, ok := b.(base.Normalizable); ok {
-				if err := n.Normalize(); err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("custom normalization for block %s: %w", b.Model().Id, err)
-				}
-			}
-
+			s.normalizeSmartBlock(b)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -291,6 +284,22 @@ func (s *State) removeDuplicates() {
 	})
 }
 
+func (s *State) normalizeSmartBlock(b simple.Block) {
+	if isBlockEmpty(b) {
+		b.Model().Content = &model.BlockContentOfSmartblock{
+			Smartblock: &model.BlockContentSmartblock{},
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func isBlockEmpty(b simple.Block) bool {
+	if b.Model().Content == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	smartBlock := b.Model().Content.(*model.BlockContentOfSmartblock)
+	return smartBlock == nil || smartBlock.Smartblock == nil
+}
+
 func CleanupLayouts(s *State) (removedCount int) {
 	var cleanup func(id string) []string
 	cleanup = func(id string) (result []string) {
diff --git a/core/block/simple/base/base.go b/core/block/simple/base/base.go
index e958a0ada..ba5434bb8 100644
--- a/core/block/simple/base/base.go
+++ b/core/block/simple/base/base.go
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ type Base struct {
 	*model.Block
 }
 
-type Normalizable interface {
-	Normalize() error
-}
-
 func (s *Base) Model() *model.Block {
 	return s.Block
 }
@@ -109,23 +105,6 @@ func (b *Base) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s: %T (%d)", b.Id, b.Content, len(b.ChildrenIds))
 }
 
-func (b *Base) Normalize() error {
-	if isBlockEmpty(b) {
-		b.Content = &model.BlockContentOfSmartblock{
-			Smartblock: &model.BlockContentSmartblock{},
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func isBlockEmpty(block *Base) bool {
-	if block.Content == nil {
-		return true
-	}
-	smartBlock := block.Content.(*model.BlockContentOfSmartblock)
-	return smartBlock == nil || smartBlock.Smartblock == nil
-}
-
 func stringSlicesEq(s1, s2 []string) bool {
 	if len(s1) != len(s2) {
 		return false