diff --git a/core/state_prefetcher.go b/core/state_prefetcher.go
index 008108b32e..ed292d0beb 100644
--- a/core/state_prefetcher.go
+++ b/core/state_prefetcher.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (p *statePrefetcher) Prefetch(block *types.Block, statedb *state.StateDB, c
 			}
 			// Execute the message to preload the implicit touched states
 			evm := vm.NewEVM(NewEVMBlockContext(header, p.chain, nil), stateCpy, p.config, cfg)
-			defer evm.Free()
+			defer evm.Release()
 
 			// Convert the transaction into an executable message and pre-cache its sender
 			msg, err := TransactionToMessage(tx, signer, header.BaseFee)
diff --git a/core/state_processor.go b/core/state_processor.go
index 2226038cb7..54ebbd047b 100644
--- a/core/state_processor.go
+++ b/core/state_processor.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func (p *StateProcessor) Process(ctx context.Context, block *types.Block, stated
 	// Apply pre-execution system calls.
 	context = NewEVMBlockContext(header, p.chain, nil)
 	evm := vm.NewEVM(context, tracingStateDB, config, cfg)
-	defer evm.Free()
+	defer evm.Release()
 
 	if beaconRoot := block.BeaconRoot(); beaconRoot != nil {
 		ProcessBeaconBlockRoot(*beaconRoot, evm)
diff --git a/core/vm/evm.go b/core/vm/evm.go
index 6fd4d96377..26b2f73a00 100644
--- a/core/vm/evm.go
+++ b/core/vm/evm.go
@@ -226,9 +226,9 @@ func (evm *EVM) Cancel() {
 	evm.abort.Store(true)
 }
 
-// Free returns some memory allocated by the EVM, should be called after the EVM was used
+// Release returns some memory allocated by the EVM, should be called after the EVM was used
 // for the last time. Not necessary, but an improvement.
-func (evm *EVM) Free() {
+func (evm *EVM) Release() {
 	returnStack(evm.arena)
 }
 
diff --git a/eth/gasestimator/gasestimator.go b/eth/gasestimator/gasestimator.go
index 2c13353f35..efb089d456 100644
--- a/eth/gasestimator/gasestimator.go
+++ b/eth/gasestimator/gasestimator.go
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, call *core.Message, opts *Options) (*core.Executio
 		evmContext.BlobBaseFee = new(big.Int)
 	}
 	evm := vm.NewEVM(evmContext, dirtyState, opts.Config, vm.Config{NoBaseFee: true})
-	defer evm.Free()
+	defer evm.Release()
 
 	// Monitor the outer context and interrupt the EVM upon cancellation. To avoid
 	// a dangling goroutine until the outer estimation finishes, create an internal
diff --git a/eth/state_accessor.go b/eth/state_accessor.go
index f23dd5bfaf..a806a4fc56 100644
--- a/eth/state_accessor.go
+++ b/eth/state_accessor.go
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ func (eth *Ethereum) stateAtTransaction(ctx context.Context, block *types.Block,
 	// Insert parent beacon block root in the state as per EIP-4788.
 	context := core.NewEVMBlockContext(block.Header(), eth.blockchain, nil)
 	evm := vm.NewEVM(context, statedb, eth.blockchain.Config(), vm.Config{})
-	defer evm.Free()
+	defer evm.Release()
 	if beaconRoot := block.BeaconRoot(); beaconRoot != nil {
 		core.ProcessBeaconBlockRoot(*beaconRoot, evm)
 	}
diff --git a/eth/tracers/api.go b/eth/tracers/api.go
index d669f64008..dae11b81de 100644
--- a/eth/tracers/api.go
+++ b/eth/tracers/api.go
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ func (api *API) traceChain(start, end *types.Block, config *TraceConfig, closed
 			if api.backend.ChainConfig().IsPrague(next.Number(), next.Time()) {
 				core.ProcessParentBlockHash(next.ParentHash(), evm)
 			}
-			evm.Free()
+			evm.Release()
 			// Clean out any pending release functions of trace state. Note this
 			// step must be done after constructing tracing state, because the
 			// tracing state of block next depends on the parent state and construction
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ func (api *API) IntermediateRoots(ctx context.Context, hash common.Hash, config
 		deleteEmptyObjects = chainConfig.IsEIP158(block.Number())
 	)
 	evm := vm.NewEVM(vmctx, statedb, chainConfig, vm.Config{})
-	defer evm.Free()
+	defer evm.Release()
 	if beaconRoot := block.BeaconRoot(); beaconRoot != nil {
 		core.ProcessBeaconBlockRoot(*beaconRoot, evm)
 	}
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ func (api *API) traceBlock(ctx context.Context, block *types.Block, config *Trac
 
 	blockCtx := core.NewEVMBlockContext(block.Header(), api.chainContext(ctx), nil)
 	evm := vm.NewEVM(blockCtx, statedb, api.backend.ChainConfig(), vm.Config{})
-	defer evm.Free()
+	defer evm.Release()
 	if beaconRoot := block.BeaconRoot(); beaconRoot != nil {
 		core.ProcessBeaconBlockRoot(*beaconRoot, evm)
 	}
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ func (api *API) traceBlockParallel(ctx context.Context, block *types.Block, stat
 	var failed error
 	blockCtx := core.NewEVMBlockContext(block.Header(), api.chainContext(ctx), nil)
 	evm := vm.NewEVM(blockCtx, statedb, api.backend.ChainConfig(), vm.Config{})
-	defer evm.Free()
+	defer evm.Release()
 
 txloop:
 	for i, tx := range txs {
@@ -762,7 +762,7 @@ func (api *API) standardTraceBlockToFile(ctx context.Context, block *types.Block
 	}
 
 	evm := vm.NewEVM(vmctx, statedb, chainConfig, vm.Config{})
-	defer evm.Free()
+	defer evm.Release()
 	if beaconRoot := block.BeaconRoot(); beaconRoot != nil {
 		core.ProcessBeaconBlockRoot(*beaconRoot, evm)
 	}
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ func (api *API) standardTraceBlockToFile(ctx context.Context, block *types.Block
 			tracer.OnTxStart(evm.GetVMContext(), tx, msg.From)
 		}
 		_, err = core.ApplyMessage(evm, msg, nil)
-		evm.Free()
+		evm.Release()
 		if writer != nil {
 			writer.Flush()
 		}
@@ -1005,7 +1005,7 @@ func (api *API) traceTx(ctx context.Context, tx *types.Transaction, message *cor
 	}
 	tracingStateDB := state.NewHookedState(statedb, tracer.Hooks)
 	evm := vm.NewEVM(vmctx, tracingStateDB, api.backend.ChainConfig(), vm.Config{Tracer: tracer.Hooks, NoBaseFee: true})
-	defer evm.Free()
+	defer evm.Release()
 	if precompiles != nil {
 		evm.SetPrecompiles(precompiles)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/api.go b/internal/ethapi/api.go
index cfcc732164..e8669b86c6 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/api.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/api.go
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ func applyMessage(ctx context.Context, b Backend, args TransactionArgs, state *s
 		blockContext.BlobBaseFee = new(big.Int)
 	}
 	evm := b.GetEVM(ctx, state, header, vmConfig, blockContext)
-	defer evm.Free()
+	defer evm.Release()
 	if precompiles != nil {
 		evm.SetPrecompiles(precompiles)
 	}
@@ -1391,7 +1391,7 @@ func AccessList(ctx context.Context, b Backend, blockNrOrHash rpc.BlockNumberOrH
 			evm.Context.BlobBaseFee = new(big.Int)
 		}
 		res, err := core.ApplyMessage(evm, msg, nil)
-		evm.Free()
+		evm.Release()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, 0, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to apply transaction: %v err: %v", args.ToTransaction(types.LegacyTxType).Hash(), err)
 		}
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/simulate.go b/internal/ethapi/simulate.go
index e0898a63d0..e3a14bf5d6 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/simulate.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/simulate.go
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ func (sim *simulator) processBlock(ctx context.Context, block *simBlock, header,
 		tracingStateDB = state.NewHookedState(sim.state, hooks)
 	}
 	evm := vm.NewEVM(blockContext, tracingStateDB, sim.chainConfig, *vmConfig)
-	defer evm.Free()
+	defer evm.Release()
 	// It is possible to override precompiles with EVM bytecode, or
 	// move them to another address.
 	if precompiles != nil {
diff --git a/miner/worker.go b/miner/worker.go
index 9b65fc5fd7..158f1b26c0 100644
--- a/miner/worker.go
+++ b/miner/worker.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func (env *environment) txFitsSize(tx *types.Transaction) bool {
 func (env *environment) discard() {
 	env.state.StopPrefetcher()
 	if env.evm != nil {
-		env.evm.Free()
+		env.evm.Release()
 	}
 }