diff --git a/core/rawdb/eradb/eradb.go b/core/rawdb/eradb/eradb.go
index 29e658798e..a552b94da9 100644
--- a/core/rawdb/eradb/eradb.go
+++ b/core/rawdb/eradb/eradb.go
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ func (db *Store) openEraFile(epoch uint64) (*era.Era, error) {
 	}
 	// Sanity-check start block.
 	if e.Start()%uint64(era.MaxEra1Size) != 0 {
+		e.Close()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("pre-merge era1 file has invalid boundary. %d %% %d != 0", e.Start(), era.MaxEra1Size)
 	}
 	log.Debug("Opened era1 file", "epoch", epoch)
diff --git a/core/rawdb/freezer_batch.go b/core/rawdb/freezer_batch.go
index 7e46e49f43..080c0720a1 100644
--- a/core/rawdb/freezer_batch.go
+++ b/core/rawdb/freezer_batch.go
@@ -51,12 +51,18 @@ func newFreezerBatch(f *Freezer) *freezerBatch {
 
 // Append adds an RLP-encoded item of the given kind.
 func (batch *freezerBatch) Append(kind string, num uint64, item interface{}) error {
-	return batch.tables[kind].Append(num, item)
+	if table := batch.tables[kind]; table != nil {
+		return table.Append(num, item)
+	}
+	return errUnknownTable
 }
 
 // AppendRaw adds an item of the given kind.
 func (batch *freezerBatch) AppendRaw(kind string, num uint64, item []byte) error {
-	return batch.tables[kind].AppendRaw(num, item)
+	if table := batch.tables[kind]; table != nil {
+		return table.AppendRaw(num, item)
+	}
+	return errUnknownTable
 }
 
 // reset initializes the batch.
diff --git a/core/rawdb/freezer_table.go b/core/rawdb/freezer_table.go
index 01a754c5c8..aedb2d8eed 100644
--- a/core/rawdb/freezer_table.go
+++ b/core/rawdb/freezer_table.go
@@ -1196,8 +1196,7 @@ func (t *freezerTable) sizeNolock() (uint64, error) {
 }
 
 // advanceHead should be called when the current head file would outgrow the file limits,
-// and a new file must be opened. The caller of this method must hold the write-lock
-// before calling this method.
+// and a new file must be opened. This method acquires the write-lock internally.
 func (t *freezerTable) advanceHead() error {
 	t.lock.Lock()
 	defer t.lock.Unlock()
@@ -1218,7 +1217,9 @@ func (t *freezerTable) advanceHead() error {
 		return err
 	}
 	t.releaseFile(t.headId)
-	t.openFile(t.headId, openFreezerFileForReadOnly)
+	if _, err := t.openFile(t.headId, openFreezerFileForReadOnly); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	// Swap out the current head.
 	t.head = newHead