diff --git a/trie/database.go b/trie/database.go
index 9a15aa6cc7..8cec3b654a 100644
--- a/trie/database.go
+++ b/trie/database.go
@@ -437,6 +437,9 @@ func (db *Database) DiskDB() DatabaseReader {
 // well ex trie node insertions. The blob must always be specified to allow proper
 // size tracking.
 func (db *Database) insert(owner common.Hash, hash common.Hash, blob []byte, node node) {
+	if owner == faultyOwner && hash == faultyHash {
+		log.Error("Inserting sensitive dex trie node", "owner", owner, "hash", hash)
+	}
 	// If the node's already cached, skip
 	key := makeNodeKey(owner, hash)
 	if _, ok := db.dirties[key]; ok {
@@ -464,6 +467,10 @@ func (db *Database) insert(owner common.Hash, hash common.Hash, blob []byte, nod
 		db.dirties[db.newest].flushNext, db.newest = key, key
 	}
 	db.dirtiesSize += common.StorageSize(common.HashLength + entry.size)
+
+	if owner == faultyOwner && hash == faultyHash {
+		log.Error("Inserted sensitive dex trie node", "owner", owner, "hash", hash)
+	}
 }
 
 // insertPreimage writes a new trie node pre-image to the memory database if it's
diff --git a/trie/pruning.go b/trie/pruning.go
index 6567d404a5..c45ad0c9c7 100644
--- a/trie/pruning.go
+++ b/trie/pruning.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/hexutil"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethdb"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/metrics"
@@ -237,7 +238,6 @@ func (p *pruner) loop() {
 			memcachePruneTimeTimer.Update(time.Since(start))
 
 			p.db.prunetime += time.Since(start)
-			p.db.lock.RUnlock()
 
 			// Push any change to disk
 			if err := batch.Write(); err != nil {
@@ -245,6 +245,11 @@ func (p *pruner) loop() {
 			}
 			batch.Reset()
 
+			// Relinquish the lock to any writer. We can't do this earlier to avoid data
+			// races between this goroutine deleting the same node that some other one is
+			// attempting to put back.
+			p.db.lock.RUnlock()
+
 			// If we're actually shutting down, clean up everything
 			if quit != nil {
 				quit <- struct{}{}
@@ -260,11 +265,17 @@ func (p *pruner) loop() {
 	}
 }
 
+var faultyOwner = common.HexToHash("0x9f13f88230a70de90ed5fa41ba35a5fb78bc55d11cc9406f17d314fb67047ac7")
+var faultyHash = common.HexToHash("0x5610d8d5e4056edad0db0743616df01c0911675c5fc5604c8967312a4961cf72")
+
 // prune deletes a trie node from disk if there are no more live references to
 // it, cascading until all dangling nodes are removed. If the pruner's interrupt
 // has been triggered (block processing pending), the remaining nodes are bubbled
 // up to the caller to reschedule later.
 func (p *pruner) prune(owner common.Hash, hash common.Hash, path []byte, taskset map[string]struct{}, tries []*traverser, batch ethdb.Batch) []*prunerTarget {
+	if owner == faultyOwner && hash == faultyHash {
+		log.Error("Evaluating sensitive dex trie node", "owner", owner, "hash", hash, "path", hexutil.Encode(path))
+	}
 	// If the node is already queued for pruning, don't duplicate any effort on it
 	key := makeNodeKey(owner, hash)
 	if _, ok := taskset[key]; ok {
@@ -272,7 +283,7 @@ func (p *pruner) prune(owner common.Hash, hash common.Hash, path []byte, taskset
 	}
 	// If the node is still live in the memory cache, it's still referenced so we
 	// can abort. This case is important when and old trie being pruned references
-	// a new node (maybe that node was recreted since), since currently live nodes
+	// a new node (maybe that node was recreated since), since currently live nodes
 	// are stored expanded, not as hashes.
 	if p.db.dirties[key] != nil {
 		return nil
@@ -302,6 +313,9 @@ func (p *pruner) prune(owner common.Hash, hash common.Hash, path []byte, taskset
 	node := mustDecodeNode(hash[:], blob, 0)
 
 	// Prune the node and its children if it's not a bytecode blob
+	if owner == faultyOwner && hash == faultyHash {
+		log.Error("Deleting sensitive dex trie node", "owner", owner, "hash", hash, "path", hexutil.Encode(path))
+	}
 	p.db.cleans.Delete(string(hash[:]))
 	batch.Delete(dead)
 	p.db.prunenodes++