diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/database.go b/triedb/pathdb/database.go
index f7c0ba1398..5255602a4e 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/database.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/database.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ type layer interface {
 	// Note:
 	// - the returned node is not a copy, please don't modify it.
 	// - no error will be returned if the requested node is not found in database.
-	node(owner common.Hash, path []byte, depth int) ([]byte, common.Hash, *nodeLoc, error)
+	node(owner common.Hash, path []byte, depth int) ([]byte, common.Hash, nodeLoc, error)
 
 	// account directly retrieves the account RLP associated with a particular
 	// hash in the slim data format. An error will be returned if the read
diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/difflayer.go b/triedb/pathdb/difflayer.go
index ae523c979c..8ca3a39cf3 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/difflayer.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/difflayer.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func (dl *diffLayer) parentLayer() layer {
 
 // node implements the layer interface, retrieving the trie node blob with the
 // provided node information. No error will be returned if the node is not found.
-func (dl *diffLayer) node(owner common.Hash, path []byte, depth int) ([]byte, common.Hash, *nodeLoc, error) {
+func (dl *diffLayer) node(owner common.Hash, path []byte, depth int) ([]byte, common.Hash, nodeLoc, error) {
 	// Hold the lock, ensure the parent won't be changed during the
 	// state accessing.
 	dl.lock.RLock()
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func (dl *diffLayer) node(owner common.Hash, path []byte, depth int) ([]byte, co
 		dirtyNodeHitMeter.Mark(1)
 		dirtyNodeHitDepthHist.Update(int64(depth))
 		dirtyNodeReadMeter.Mark(int64(len(n.Blob)))
-		return n.Blob, n.Hash, &nodeLoc{loc: locDiffLayer, depth: depth}, nil
+		return n.Blob, n.Hash, nodeLoc{loc: locDiffLayer, depth: depth}, nil
 	}
 	// Trie node unknown to this layer, resolve from parent
 	return dl.parent.node(owner, path, depth+1)
diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/disklayer.go b/triedb/pathdb/disklayer.go
index 911959dfa9..5bad19b4f5 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/disklayer.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/disklayer.go
@@ -112,12 +112,12 @@ func (dl *diskLayer) markStale() {
 
 // node implements the layer interface, retrieving the trie node with the
 // provided node info. No error will be returned if the node is not found.
-func (dl *diskLayer) node(owner common.Hash, path []byte, depth int) ([]byte, common.Hash, *nodeLoc, error) {
+func (dl *diskLayer) node(owner common.Hash, path []byte, depth int) ([]byte, common.Hash, nodeLoc, error) {
 	dl.lock.RLock()
 	defer dl.lock.RUnlock()
 
 	if dl.stale {
-		return nil, common.Hash{}, nil, errSnapshotStale
+		return nil, common.Hash{}, nodeLoc{}, errSnapshotStale
 	}
 	// Try to retrieve the trie node from the not-yet-written node buffer first
 	// (both the live one and the frozen one). Note the buffer is lock free since
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func (dl *diskLayer) node(owner common.Hash, path []byte, depth int) ([]byte, co
 				dirtyNodeHitMeter.Mark(1)
 				dirtyNodeReadMeter.Mark(int64(len(n.Blob)))
 				dirtyNodeHitDepthHist.Update(int64(depth))
-				return n.Blob, n.Hash, &nodeLoc{loc: locDirtyCache, depth: depth}, nil
+				return n.Blob, n.Hash, nodeLoc{loc: locDirtyCache, depth: depth}, nil
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func (dl *diskLayer) node(owner common.Hash, path []byte, depth int) ([]byte, co
 		if blob := dl.nodes.Get(nil, key); len(blob) > 0 {
 			cleanNodeHitMeter.Mark(1)
 			cleanNodeReadMeter.Mark(int64(len(blob)))
-			return blob, crypto.Keccak256Hash(blob), &nodeLoc{loc: locCleanCache, depth: depth}, nil
+			return blob, crypto.Keccak256Hash(blob), nodeLoc{loc: locCleanCache, depth: depth}, nil
 		}
 		cleanNodeMissMeter.Mark(1)
 	}
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func (dl *diskLayer) node(owner common.Hash, path []byte, depth int) ([]byte, co
 		dl.nodes.Set(key, blob)
 		cleanNodeWriteMeter.Mark(int64(len(blob)))
 	}
-	return blob, crypto.Keccak256Hash(blob), &nodeLoc{loc: locDiskLayer, depth: depth}, nil
+	return blob, crypto.Keccak256Hash(blob), nodeLoc{loc: locDiskLayer, depth: depth}, nil
 }
 
 // account directly retrieves the account RLP associated with a particular
diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/reader.go b/triedb/pathdb/reader.go
index f55e015ee6..aaa64e902c 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/reader.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/reader.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ type nodeLoc struct {
 }
 
 // string returns the string representation of node location.
-func (loc *nodeLoc) string() string {
+func (loc nodeLoc) string() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("loc: %s, depth: %d", loc.loc, loc.depth)
 }