diff --git a/eth/api_tracer.go b/eth/api_tracer.go
index cc169f6121..80552ada8c 100644
--- a/eth/api_tracer.go
+++ b/eth/api_tracer.go
@@ -653,6 +653,9 @@ func (api *PrivateDebugAPI) computeTxEnv(blockHash common.Hash, txIndex int, ree
 		// Assemble the transaction call message and return if the requested offset
 		msg, _ := tx.AsMessage(signer)
 		context := core.NewEVMContext(msg, block.Header(), api.eth.blockchain, nil)
+		if idx == txIndex {
+			return msg, context, statedb, nil
+		}
 		// Not yet the searched for transaction, execute on top of the current state
 		vmenv := vm.NewEVM(context, statedb, api.config, vm.Config{})
 		if _, _, _, err := core.ApplyMessage(vmenv, msg, new(core.GasPool).AddGas(tx.Gas())); err != nil {
@@ -660,9 +663,6 @@ func (api *PrivateDebugAPI) computeTxEnv(blockHash common.Hash, txIndex int, ree
 		}
 		// Ensure any modifications are committed to the state
 		statedb.Finalise(true)
-		if idx == txIndex {
-			return msg, context, statedb, nil
-		}
 	}
 	return nil, vm.Context{}, nil, fmt.Errorf("tx index %d out of range for block %x", txIndex, blockHash)
 }