diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/iterator_test.go b/triedb/pathdb/iterator_test.go
index b24575cb47..adb534f47d 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/iterator_test.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/iterator_test.go
@@ -816,7 +816,8 @@ func testAccountIteratorDeletions(t *testing.T, newIterator func(db *Database, r
 	config := &Config{
 		NoAsyncGeneration: true,
 	}
-	db := New(rawdb.NewMemoryDatabase(), config, false)
+	memoryDB := rawdb.NewMemoryDatabase()
+	db := New(memoryDB, config, false)
 
 	// Stack three diff layers on top with various overlaps
 	db.Update(common.HexToHash("0x02"), types.EmptyRootHash, 1, trienode.NewMergedNodeSet(),
@@ -831,31 +832,55 @@ func testAccountIteratorDeletions(t *testing.T, newIterator func(db *Database, r
 	db.Update(common.HexToHash("0x04"), common.HexToHash("0x03"), 3, trienode.NewMergedNodeSet(),
 		NewStateSetWithOrigin(randomAccountSet("0x33", "0x44", "0x55"), nil, nil, nil, false))
 
-	// The output should be 11,33,44,55
-	it := newIterator(db, common.HexToHash("0x04"), common.Hash{})
-	// Do a quick check
-	verifyIterator(t, 4, it, verifyAccount)
-	it.Release()
+	verify := func() {
+		// The output should be 11,33,44,55
+		it := newIterator(db, common.HexToHash("0x04"), common.Hash{})
+		// Do a quick check
+		verifyIterator(t, 4, it, verifyAccount)
+		it.Release()
 
-	// And a more detailed verification that we indeed do not see '0x22'
-	it = newIterator(db, common.HexToHash("0x04"), common.Hash{})
-	defer it.Release()
-	for it.Next() {
-		hash := it.Hash()
-		if it.Account() == nil {
-			t.Errorf("iterator returned nil-value for hash %x", hash)
-		}
-		if hash == deleted {
-			t.Errorf("expected deleted elem %x to not be returned by iterator", deleted)
+		// And a more detailed verification that we indeed do not see '0x22'
+		it = newIterator(db, common.HexToHash("0x04"), common.Hash{})
+		defer it.Release()
+		for it.Next() {
+			hash := it.Hash()
+			if it.Account() == nil {
+				t.Errorf("iterator returned nil-value for hash %x", hash)
+			}
+			if hash == deleted {
+				t.Errorf("expected deleted elem %x to not be returned by iterator", deleted)
+			}
 		}
 	}
+	verify()
+
+	if err := db.Journal(common.HexToHash("0x04")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to journal the database, %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := db.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to close the database, %v", err)
+	}
+	db = New(memoryDB, config, false)
+
+	verify()
 }
 
 func TestStorageIteratorDeletions(t *testing.T) {
 	config := &Config{
 		NoAsyncGeneration: true,
 	}
-	db := New(rawdb.NewMemoryDatabase(), config, false)
+	memoryDB := rawdb.NewMemoryDatabase()
+	db := New(memoryDB, config, false)
+
+	restart := func(head common.Hash) {
+		if err := db.Journal(head); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to journal the database, %v", err)
+		}
+		if err := db.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to close the database, %v", err)
+		}
+		db = New(memoryDB, config, false)
+	}
 
 	// Stack three diff layers on top with various overlaps
 	db.Update(common.HexToHash("0x02"), types.EmptyRootHash, 1, trienode.NewMergedNodeSet(),
@@ -874,6 +899,19 @@ func TestStorageIteratorDeletions(t *testing.T) {
 	verifyIterator(t, 3, it, verifyStorage)
 	it.Release()
 
+	// Ensure the iteration result aligns after the database restart
+	restart(common.HexToHash("0x03"))
+
+	// The output should be 02,04,05,06
+	it, _ = db.StorageIterator(common.HexToHash("0x03"), common.HexToHash("0xaa"), common.Hash{})
+	verifyIterator(t, 4, it, verifyStorage)
+	it.Release()
+
+	// The output should be 04,05,06
+	it, _ = db.StorageIterator(common.HexToHash("0x03"), common.HexToHash("0xaa"), common.HexToHash("0x03"))
+	verifyIterator(t, 3, it, verifyStorage)
+	it.Release()
+
 	// Destruct the whole storage
 	accounts := map[common.Hash][]byte{
 		common.HexToHash("0xaa"): nil,
@@ -885,6 +923,12 @@ func TestStorageIteratorDeletions(t *testing.T) {
 	verifyIterator(t, 0, it, verifyStorage)
 	it.Release()
 
+	// Ensure the iteration result aligns after the database restart
+	restart(common.HexToHash("0x04"))
+	it, _ = db.StorageIterator(common.HexToHash("0x04"), common.HexToHash("0xaa"), common.Hash{})
+	verifyIterator(t, 0, it, verifyStorage)
+	it.Release()
+
 	// Re-insert the slots of the same account
 	db.Update(common.HexToHash("0x05"), common.HexToHash("0x04"), 4, trienode.NewMergedNodeSet(),
 		NewStateSetWithOrigin(randomAccountSet("0xaa"), randomStorageSet([]string{"0xaa"}, [][]string{{"0x07", "0x08", "0x09"}}, nil), nil, nil, false))
@@ -894,6 +938,14 @@ func TestStorageIteratorDeletions(t *testing.T) {
 	verifyIterator(t, 3, it, verifyStorage)
 	it.Release()
 
+	// Ensure the iteration result aligns after the database restart
+	restart(common.HexToHash("0x05"))
+
+	// The output should be 07,08,09
+	it, _ = db.StorageIterator(common.HexToHash("0x05"), common.HexToHash("0xaa"), common.Hash{})
+	verifyIterator(t, 3, it, verifyStorage)
+	it.Release()
+
 	// Destruct the whole storage but re-create the account in the same layer
 	db.Update(common.HexToHash("0x06"), common.HexToHash("0x05"), 5, trienode.NewMergedNodeSet(),
 		NewStateSetWithOrigin(randomAccountSet("0xaa"), randomStorageSet([]string{"0xaa"}, [][]string{{"0x11", "0x12"}}, [][]string{{"0x07", "0x08", "0x09"}}), nil, nil, false))
@@ -903,6 +955,13 @@ func TestStorageIteratorDeletions(t *testing.T) {
 	it.Release()
 
 	verifyIterator(t, 2, db.tree.get(common.HexToHash("0x06")).(*diffLayer).newBinaryStorageIterator(common.HexToHash("0xaa"), common.Hash{}), verifyStorage)
+
+	// Ensure the iteration result aligns after the database restart
+	restart(common.HexToHash("0x06"))
+	it, _ = db.StorageIterator(common.HexToHash("0x06"), common.HexToHash("0xaa"), common.Hash{})
+	verifyIterator(t, 2, it, verifyStorage) // The output should be 11,12
+	it.Release()
+	verifyIterator(t, 2, db.tree.get(common.HexToHash("0x06")).(*diffLayer).newBinaryStorageIterator(common.HexToHash("0xaa"), common.Hash{}), verifyStorage)
 }
 
 // TestStaleIterator tests if the iterator could correctly terminate the iteration
diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/states.go b/triedb/pathdb/states.go
index 2a88d74f5f..bc638a569e 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/states.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/states.go
@@ -387,8 +387,8 @@ func (s *stateSet) decode(r *rlp.Stream) error {
 	if err := r.Decode(&dec); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("load diff accounts: %v", err)
 	}
-	for i := 0; i < len(dec.AddrHashes); i++ {
-		accountSet[dec.AddrHashes[i]] = dec.Accounts[i]
+	for i := range dec.AddrHashes {
+		accountSet[dec.AddrHashes[i]] = empty2nil(dec.Accounts[i])
 	}
 	s.accountData = accountSet
 
@@ -407,8 +407,8 @@ func (s *stateSet) decode(r *rlp.Stream) error {
 	}
 	for _, entry := range storages {
 		storageSet[entry.AddrHash] = make(map[common.Hash][]byte, len(entry.Keys))
-		for i := 0; i < len(entry.Keys); i++ {
-			storageSet[entry.AddrHash][entry.Keys[i]] = entry.Vals[i]
+		for i := range entry.Keys {
+			storageSet[entry.AddrHash][entry.Keys[i]] = empty2nil(entry.Vals[i])
 		}
 	}
 	s.storageData = storageSet
@@ -550,8 +550,8 @@ func (s *StateSetWithOrigin) decode(r *rlp.Stream) error {
 	if err := r.Decode(&accounts); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("load diff account origin set: %v", err)
 	}
-	for i := 0; i < len(accounts.Accounts); i++ {
-		accountSet[accounts.Addresses[i]] = accounts.Accounts[i]
+	for i := range accounts.Accounts {
+		accountSet[accounts.Addresses[i]] = empty2nil(accounts.Accounts[i])
 	}
 	s.accountOrigin = accountSet
 
@@ -570,10 +570,17 @@ func (s *StateSetWithOrigin) decode(r *rlp.Stream) error {
 	}
 	for _, storage := range storages {
 		storageSet[storage.Address] = make(map[common.Hash][]byte)
-		for i := 0; i < len(storage.Keys); i++ {
-			storageSet[storage.Address][storage.Keys[i]] = storage.Vals[i]
+		for i := range storage.Keys {
+			storageSet[storage.Address][storage.Keys[i]] = empty2nil(storage.Vals[i])
 		}
 	}
 	s.storageOrigin = storageSet
 	return nil
 }
+
+func empty2nil(b []byte) []byte {
+	if len(b) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return b
+}