diff --git a/trie/expired_node.go b/trie/expired_node.go
index 18957ccfcc..27fef5dc9c 100644
--- a/trie/expired_node.go
+++ b/trie/expired_node.go
@@ -67,31 +67,109 @@ func archiveRecordsToNode(records []*archive.Record) (node, error) {
 		return nil, archive.EmptyArchiveRecord
 	}
 	if len(records) == 1 {
-		return decodeNodeUnsafe(nil, records[0].Value)
+		return buildLeafFromRecord(records[0])
 	}
 
-	var (
-		newnode fullNode
-		curnode *fullNode
-	)
-	for _, record := range records {
-		curnode = &newnode
-		resolved, err := decodeNodeUnsafe(nil, record.Value)
+	var newnode fullNode
+	for i, record := range records {
+		if err := validateRecordPath(record.Path); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		// we are not in the case of a single leaf node, so each
+		// path should be at least 2 nibbles (terminator included)
+		if len(record.Path) < 2 || !hasTerm(record.Path) {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid record path for non-leaf node #%d: %v", i, record.Path)
+		}
+		key, err := normalizeRecordKey(record.Path)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		// It's not needed to resurrect all nodes, nodes
-		// not along the path of what has been asked can
-		// be updated as expired. This is for v2.
-		for i, b := range record.Path {
-			if curnode.Children[b] == nil {
-				if i < len(record.Path)-1 {
-					curnode.Children[b] = &fullNode{}
-				} else {
-					curnode.Children[b] = resolved
-				}
-			}
+		child, err := insertTrieNode(newnode.Children[key[0]], key[1:], valueNode(record.Value))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
 		}
+		newnode.Children[key[0]] = child
 	}
 	return &newnode, nil
 }
+
+func validateRecordPath(path []byte) error {
+	for i, b := range path {
+		if b > 16 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid nibble in record path: %d", b)
+		}
+		if b == 16 && i != len(path)-1 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("terminator nibble in middle of record path")
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func buildLeafFromRecord(record *archive.Record) (node, error) {
+	key, err := normalizeRecordKey(record.Path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &shortNode{Key: key, Val: valueNode(record.Value)}, nil
+}
+
+// normalizeRecordKey ensures the record path is a hex-nibble key suitable for
+// leaf insertion by guaranteeing a single terminator nibble and preserving any
+// already-terminated path. Empty paths are normalized to a sole terminator.
+func normalizeRecordKey(path []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	if len(path) == 0 {
+		return []byte{16}, nil
+	}
+	if hasTerm(path) {
+		return path, nil
+	}
+	key := append([]byte{}, path...)
+	key = append(key, 16)
+	return key, nil
+}
+
+func insertTrieNode(n node, key []byte, value node) (node, error) {
+	if len(key) == 0 {
+		return value, nil
+	}
+	switch n := n.(type) {
+	case *shortNode:
+		matchlen := prefixLen(key, n.Key)
+		if matchlen == len(n.Key) {
+			nn, err := insertTrieNode(n.Val, key[matchlen:], value)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			return &shortNode{Key: n.Key, Val: nn}, nil
+		}
+		branch := &fullNode{}
+		var err error
+		branch.Children[n.Key[matchlen]], err = insertTrieNode(nil, n.Key[matchlen+1:], n.Val)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		branch.Children[key[matchlen]], err = insertTrieNode(nil, key[matchlen+1:], value)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		if matchlen == 0 {
+			return branch, nil
+		}
+		return &shortNode{Key: key[:matchlen], Val: branch}, nil
+
+	case *fullNode:
+		child, err := insertTrieNode(n.Children[key[0]], key[1:], value)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		n.Children[key[0]] = child
+		return n, nil
+
+	case nil:
+		return &shortNode{Key: key, Val: value}, nil
+
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid node type in trie insert: %T", n)
+	}
+}