diff --git a/core/blockchain.go b/core/blockchain.go
index f58df07e44..90e87b6bbb 100644
--- a/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/core/blockchain.go
@@ -258,6 +258,8 @@ type BlockChain struct {
 	processor  Processor // Block transaction processor interface
 	forker     *ForkChoice
 	vmConfig   vm.Config
+
+	witnessRecordingPath atomic.Pointer[string]
 }
 
 // NewBlockChain returns a fully initialised block chain using information
@@ -1779,7 +1781,15 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) insertChain(chain types.Blocks, setHead bool) (int, error)
 		if parent == nil {
 			parent = bc.GetHeader(block.ParentHash(), block.NumberU64()-1)
 		}
-		statedb, err := state.New(parent.Root, bc.stateCache, bc.snaps)
+
+		var statedb *state.StateDB
+		var err error
+		recordBlockwitness := bc.witnessRecordingPath.Load() != nil
+		if recordBlockwitness {
+			statedb, err = state.NewWithWitnessRecording(parent.Root, bc.stateCache, bc.snaps)
+		} else {
+			statedb, err = state.New(parent.Root, bc.stateCache, bc.snaps)
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			return it.index, err
 		}
@@ -1852,8 +1862,16 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) insertChain(chain types.Blocks, setHead bool) (int, error)
 		} else {
 			status, err = bc.writeBlockAndSetHead(block, receipts, logs, statedb, false)
 		}
-		statedb.GetWitness().SetBlock(block)
-		log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("block %d summary:\n%s", block.NumberU64(), statedb.GetWitness().Summary()))
+
+		if witnessRecordingPath := bc.witnessRecordingPath.Load(); witnessRecordingPath != nil {
+			witness := statedb.GetWitness()
+			witness.SetBlock(block)
+			if err := state.DumpBlockWitnessToFile(witness, *witnessRecordingPath); err != nil {
+				log.Error("could not dump block witness to file", "err", err)
+			} else {
+				log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("block %d summary:\n%s", block.NumberU64(), statedb.GetWitness().Summary()))
+			}
+		}
 		//state.DumpBlockWithWitnessToFile(statedb.GetWitness(), block)
 
 		followupInterrupt.Store(true)
@@ -2594,3 +2612,11 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) SetTrieFlushInterval(interval time.Duration) {
 func (bc *BlockChain) GetTrieFlushInterval() time.Duration {
 	return time.Duration(bc.flushInterval.Load())
 }
+
+func (bc *BlockChain) SetWitnessRecording(path string, enabled bool) {
+	if enabled {
+		bc.witnessRecordingPath.Store(&path)
+	} else {
+		bc.witnessRecordingPath.Store(nil)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/core/state/state_witness.go b/core/state/state_witness.go
index 21018e2c3a..56ed645692 100644
--- a/core/state/state_witness.go
+++ b/core/state/state_witness.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethdb"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 )
 
 type Witness struct {
@@ -260,16 +261,15 @@ func NewWitness() *Witness {
 	}
 }
 
-func DumpBlockWithWitnessToFile(w *Witness, b *types.Block) {
+func DumpBlockWitnessToFile(w *Witness, path string) error {
 	enc := w.EncodeRLP()
-	path, _ := os.Getwd() //"/datadrive/"
-	err := os.MkdirAll(fmt.Sprintf("%s/block-dump", path), 0755)
+
+	blockHash := w.block.Hash()
+	outputFName := fmt.Sprintf("%d-%x.rlp", w.block.NumberU64(), blockHash[0:8])
+	path = filepath.Join(path, outputFName)
+	err := os.WriteFile(path, enc, 0644)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic("shite2")
-	}
-	outputFName := fmt.Sprintf("%d-%x.rlp", b.NumberU64(), b.Hash())
-	err = os.WriteFile(path+"/block-dump/"+outputFName, enc, 0644)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic("shite 3")
+		return err
 	}
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/core/state/statedb.go b/core/state/statedb.go
index 66aaad395b..6474e2474d 100644
--- a/core/state/statedb.go
+++ b/core/state/statedb.go
@@ -139,7 +139,17 @@ type StateDB struct {
 	// Testing hooks
 	onCommit func(states *triestate.Set) // Hook invoked when commit is performed
 
-	witness *Witness
+	recordWitness bool
+	witness       *Witness
+}
+
+func NewWithWitnessRecording(root common.Hash, db Database, snaps *snapshot.Tree) (*StateDB, error) {
+	sdb, err := New(root, db, snaps)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	sdb.recordWitness = true
+	return sdb, nil
 }
 
 // New creates a new state from a given trie.
@@ -1202,6 +1212,8 @@ func (s *StateDB) Commit(block uint64, deleteEmptyObjects bool) (common.Hash, er
 		storageTrieNodesDeleted int
 		nodes                   = trienode.NewMergedNodeSet()
 		codeWriter              = s.db.DiskDB().NewBatch()
+		root                    common.Hash
+		set                     *trienode.NodeSet
 	)
 	// Handle all state deletions first
 	incomplete, err := s.handleDestruction(nodes)
@@ -1247,9 +1259,14 @@ func (s *StateDB) Commit(block uint64, deleteEmptyObjects bool) (common.Hash, er
 	if metrics.EnabledExpensive {
 		start = time.Now()
 	}
-	//root, set, err := s.trie.Commit(true)
-	root, set, accessList, err := s.trie.CommitAndObtainAccessList(true)
-	s.witness.addAccessList(common.Hash{}, accessList)
+
+	if s.recordWitness {
+		var accessList map[string][]byte
+		root, set, accessList, err = s.trie.CommitAndObtainAccessList(true)
+		s.witness.addAccessList(common.Hash{}, accessList)
+	} else {
+		root, set, err = s.trie.Commit(true)
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return common.Hash{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/eth/api_debug.go b/eth/api_debug.go
index dc9f568146..7c78cc985d 100644
--- a/eth/api_debug.go
+++ b/eth/api_debug.go
@@ -443,3 +443,8 @@ func (api *DebugAPI) GetTrieFlushInterval() (string, error) {
 	}
 	return api.eth.blockchain.GetTrieFlushInterval().String(), nil
 }
+
+func (api *DebugAPI) SetWitnessRecording(path string, enabled bool) error {
+	api.eth.blockchain.SetWitnessRecording(path, enabled)
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/web3ext/web3ext.go b/internal/web3ext/web3ext.go
index b86b5909d2..829fad95a5 100644
--- a/internal/web3ext/web3ext.go
+++ b/internal/web3ext/web3ext.go
@@ -501,6 +501,11 @@ web3._extend({
 			call: 'debug_getTrieFlushInterval',
 			params: 0
 		}),
+		new web3._extend.Method({
+			name: 'setWitnessRecording',
+			call: 'debug_setWitnessRecording',
+			params: 2
+		}),
 	],
 	properties: []
 });