diff --git a/core/state/state_object.go b/core/state/state_object.go
index 606441d2a6..1e28b4c12e 100644
--- a/core/state/state_object.go
+++ b/core/state/state_object.go
@@ -183,9 +183,8 @@ func (s *stateObject) GetCommittedState(db Database, key common.Hash) common.Has
 	}
 	// If no live objects are available, attempt to use snapshots
 	var (
-		enc   []byte
-		err   error
-		value common.Hash
+		enc []byte
+		err error
 	)
 	if s.db.snap != nil {
 		start := time.Now()
@@ -193,13 +192,6 @@ func (s *stateObject) GetCommittedState(db Database, key common.Hash) common.Has
 		if metrics.EnabledExpensive {
 			s.db.SnapshotStorageReads += time.Since(start)
 		}
-		if len(enc) > 0 {
-			_, content, _, err := rlp.Split(enc)
-			if err != nil {
-				s.db.setError(err)
-			}
-			value.SetBytes(content)
-		}
 	}
 	// If the snapshot is unavailable or reading from it fails, load from the database.
 	if s.db.snap == nil || err != nil {
@@ -209,7 +201,7 @@ func (s *stateObject) GetCommittedState(db Database, key common.Hash) common.Has
 			s.db.setError(err)
 			return common.Hash{}
 		}
-		val, err := tr.GetStorage(s.address, key.Bytes())
+		enc, err = tr.GetStorage(s.address, key.Bytes())
 		if metrics.EnabledExpensive {
 			s.db.StorageReads += time.Since(start)
 		}
@@ -217,7 +209,14 @@ func (s *stateObject) GetCommittedState(db Database, key common.Hash) common.Has
 			s.db.setError(err)
 			return common.Hash{}
 		}
-		value.SetBytes(val)
+	}
+	var value common.Hash
+	if len(enc) > 0 {
+		_, content, _, err := rlp.Split(enc)
+		if err != nil {
+			s.db.setError(err)
+		}
+		value.SetBytes(content)
 	}
 	s.originStorage[key] = value
 	return value
@@ -293,8 +292,7 @@ func (s *stateObject) updateTrie(db Database) (Trie, error) {
 		}
 		s.originStorage[key] = value
 
-		// rlp-encoded value to be used by the snapshot
-		var snapshotVal []byte
+		var v []byte
 		if (value == common.Hash{}) {
 			if err := tr.DeleteStorage(s.address, key[:]); err != nil {
 				s.db.setError(err)
@@ -302,10 +300,9 @@ func (s *stateObject) updateTrie(db Database) (Trie, error) {
 			}
 			s.db.StorageDeleted += 1
 		} else {
-			trimmedVal := common.TrimLeftZeroes(value[:])
 			// Encoding []byte cannot fail, ok to ignore the error.
-			snapshotVal, _ = rlp.EncodeToBytes(trimmedVal)
-			if err := tr.UpdateStorage(s.address, key[:], trimmedVal); err != nil {
+			v, _ = rlp.EncodeToBytes(common.TrimLeftZeroes(value[:]))
+			if err := tr.UpdateStorage(s.address, key[:], v); err != nil {
 				s.db.setError(err)
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -320,7 +317,7 @@ func (s *stateObject) updateTrie(db Database) (Trie, error) {
 					s.db.snapStorage[s.addrHash] = storage
 				}
 			}
-			storage[crypto.HashData(hasher, key[:])] = snapshotVal // will be nil if it's deleted
+			storage[crypto.HashData(hasher, key[:])] = v // v will be nil if it's deleted
 		}
 		usedStorage = append(usedStorage, common.CopyBytes(key[:])) // Copy needed for closure
 	}
diff --git a/light/trie.go b/light/trie.go
index 105a11fb31..6d802a5fbf 100644
--- a/light/trie.go
+++ b/light/trie.go
@@ -108,16 +108,12 @@ type odrTrie struct {
 
 func (t *odrTrie) GetStorage(_ common.Address, key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	key = crypto.Keccak256(key)
-	var enc []byte
+	var res []byte
 	err := t.do(key, func() (err error) {
-		enc, err = t.trie.Get(key)
+		res, err = t.trie.Get(key)
 		return err
 	})
-	if err != nil || len(enc) == 0 {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	_, content, _, err := rlp.Split(enc)
-	return content, err
+	return res, err
 }
 
 func (t *odrTrie) GetAccount(address common.Address) (*types.StateAccount, error) {
@@ -149,9 +145,8 @@ func (t *odrTrie) UpdateAccount(address common.Address, acc *types.StateAccount)
 
 func (t *odrTrie) UpdateStorage(_ common.Address, key, value []byte) error {
 	key = crypto.Keccak256(key)
-	v, _ := rlp.EncodeToBytes(value)
 	return t.do(key, func() error {
-		return t.trie.Update(key, v)
+		return t.trie.Update(key, value)
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/trie/secure_trie.go b/trie/secure_trie.go
index 62666c7f0c..b3cdeadb6b 100644
--- a/trie/secure_trie.go
+++ b/trie/secure_trie.go
@@ -86,12 +86,7 @@ func (t *StateTrie) MustGet(key []byte) []byte {
 // If the specified storage slot is not in the trie, nil will be returned.
 // If a trie node is not found in the database, a MissingNodeError is returned.
 func (t *StateTrie) GetStorage(_ common.Address, key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
-	enc, err := t.trie.Get(t.hashKey(key))
-	if err != nil || len(enc) == 0 {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	_, content, _, err := rlp.Split(enc)
-	return content, err
+	return t.trie.Get(t.hashKey(key))
 }
 
 // GetAccount attempts to retrieve an account with provided account address.
@@ -153,8 +148,7 @@ func (t *StateTrie) MustUpdate(key, value []byte) {
 // If a node is not found in the database, a MissingNodeError is returned.
 func (t *StateTrie) UpdateStorage(_ common.Address, key, value []byte) error {
 	hk := t.hashKey(key)
-	v, _ := rlp.EncodeToBytes(value)
-	err := t.trie.Update(hk, v)
+	err := t.trie.Update(hk, value)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}