diff --git a/core/state/sync_test.go b/core/state/sync_test.go
index 052c166578..2f22ff93a6 100644
--- a/core/state/sync_test.go
+++ b/core/state/sync_test.go
@@ -288,7 +288,10 @@ func testIterativeStateSync(t *testing.T, count int, commit bool, bypath bool, s
 		}
 	}
 	// Copy the preimages from source db in order to traverse the state.
-	srcDb.TrieDB().WritePreimages()
+	err = srcDb.TrieDB().WritePreimages()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write preimages error: %v", err)
+	}
 	copyPreimages(srcDisk, dstDb)
 
 	// Cross check that the two states are in sync
@@ -389,7 +392,10 @@ func testIterativeDelayedStateSync(t *testing.T, scheme string) {
 		}
 	}
 	// Copy the preimages from source db in order to traverse the state.
-	srcDb.TrieDB().WritePreimages()
+	err = srcDb.TrieDB().WritePreimages()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write preimages error: %v", err)
+	}
 	copyPreimages(srcDisk, dstDb)
 
 	// Cross check that the two states are in sync
@@ -487,7 +493,10 @@ func testIterativeRandomStateSync(t *testing.T, count int, scheme string) {
 		}
 	}
 	// Copy the preimages from source db in order to traverse the state.
-	srcDb.TrieDB().WritePreimages()
+	err = srcDb.TrieDB().WritePreimages()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write preimages error: %v", err)
+	}
 	copyPreimages(srcDisk, dstDb)
 
 	// Cross check that the two states are in sync
@@ -591,7 +600,10 @@ func testIterativeRandomDelayedStateSync(t *testing.T, scheme string) {
 		}
 	}
 	// Copy the preimages from source db in order to traverse the state.
-	srcDb.TrieDB().WritePreimages()
+	err = srcDb.TrieDB().WritePreimages()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write preimages error: %v", err)
+	}
 	copyPreimages(srcDisk, dstDb)
 
 	// Cross check that the two states are in sync
@@ -707,7 +719,10 @@ func testIncompleteStateSync(t *testing.T, scheme string) {
 		}
 	}
 	// Copy the preimages from source db in order to traverse the state.
-	srcDb.TrieDB().WritePreimages()
+	err = srcDb.TrieDB().WritePreimages()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write preimages error: %v", err)
+	}
 	copyPreimages(db, dstDb)
 
 	// Sanity check that removing any node from the database is detected
diff --git a/triedb/database.go b/triedb/database.go
index 939a21f147..6674dd8970 100644
--- a/triedb/database.go
+++ b/triedb/database.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func (db *Database) Reader(blockRoot common.Hash) (database.Reader, error) {
 // Therefore, these maps must not be changed afterwards.
 func (db *Database) Update(root common.Hash, parent common.Hash, block uint64, nodes *trienode.MergedNodeSet, states *triestate.Set) error {
 	if db.preimages != nil {
-		db.preimages.commit(false)
+		return db.preimages.commit(false)
 	}
 	return db.backend.Update(root, parent, block, nodes, states)
 }
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func (db *Database) Update(root common.Hash, parent common.Hash, block uint64, n
 // also written.
 func (db *Database) Commit(root common.Hash, report bool) error {
 	if db.preimages != nil {
-		db.preimages.commit(true)
+		return db.preimages.commit(true)
 	}
 	return db.backend.Commit(root, report)
 }
@@ -188,15 +188,19 @@ func (db *Database) Scheme() string {
 // It is meant to be called when closing the blockchain object, so that all
 // resources held can be released correctly.
 func (db *Database) Close() error {
-	db.WritePreimages()
+	err := db.WritePreimages()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return db.backend.Close()
 }
 
 // WritePreimages flushes all accumulated preimages to disk forcibly.
-func (db *Database) WritePreimages() {
+func (db *Database) WritePreimages() error {
 	if db.preimages != nil {
-		db.preimages.commit(true)
+		return db.preimages.commit(true)
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Preimage retrieves a cached trie node pre-image from preimage store.
@@ -226,7 +230,7 @@ func (db *Database) Cap(limit common.StorageSize) error {
 		return errors.New("not supported")
 	}
 	if db.preimages != nil {
-		db.preimages.commit(false)
+		return db.preimages.commit(false)
 	}
 	return hdb.Cap(limit)
 }