core, eth/gasestimator: hard guess at a possible required gas

core/state_transition.go

@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ import (
 // ExecutionResult includes all output after executing given evm
 // message no matter the execution itself is successful or not.
 type ExecutionResult struct {
-	UsedGas    uint64 // Total used gas but include the refunded gas
+	UsedGas     uint64 // Total used gas, not including the refunded gas
+	RefundedGas uint64 // Total gas refunded after execution
 	Err         error  // Any error encountered during the execution(listed in core/vm/errors.go)
 	ReturnData  []byte // Returned data from evm(function result or data supplied with revert opcode)
 }
@@ -419,12 +420,13 @@ func (st *StateTransition) TransitionDb() (*ExecutionResult, error) {
 		ret, st.gasRemaining, vmerr = st.evm.Call(sender, st.to(), msg.Data, st.gasRemaining, msg.Value)
 	}
 
+	var gasRefund uint64
 	if !rules.IsLondon {
 		// Before EIP-3529: refunds were capped to gasUsed / 2
-		st.refundGas(params.RefundQuotient)
+		gasRefund = st.refundGas(params.RefundQuotient)
 	} else {
 		// After EIP-3529: refunds are capped to gasUsed / 5
-		st.refundGas(params.RefundQuotientEIP3529)
+		gasRefund = st.refundGas(params.RefundQuotientEIP3529)
 	}
 	effectiveTip := msg.GasPrice
 	if rules.IsLondon {
@@ -443,12 +445,13 @@ func (st *StateTransition) TransitionDb() (*ExecutionResult, error) {
 
 	return &ExecutionResult{
 		UsedGas:     st.gasUsed(),
+		RefundedGas: gasRefund,
 		Err:         vmerr,
 		ReturnData:  ret,
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func (st *StateTransition) refundGas(refundQuotient uint64) {
+func (st *StateTransition) refundGas(refundQuotient uint64) uint64 {
 	// Apply refund counter, capped to a refund quotient
 	refund := st.gasUsed() / refundQuotient
 	if refund > st.state.GetRefund() {
@@ -463,6 +466,8 @@ func (st *StateTransition) refundGas(refundQuotient uint64) {
 	// Also return remaining gas to the block gas counter so it is
 	// available for the next transaction.
 	st.gp.AddGas(st.gasRemaining)
+
+	return refund
 }
 
 // gasUsed returns the amount of gas used up by the state transition.

eth/gasestimator/gasestimator.go

@@ -129,6 +129,24 @@ func Estimate(ctx context.Context, call *core.Message, opts *Options, gasCap uin
 	// limit for these cases anyway.
 	lo = result.UsedGas - 1
 
+	// There's a fairly high chance for the transaction to execute successfully
+	// with gasLimit set to the first execution's usedGas + gasRefund. Explicitly
+	// check that gas amount and use as a limit for the binary search.
+	optimisticGasLimit := (result.UsedGas + result.RefundedGas + params.CallStipend) * 64 / 63
+	if optimisticGasLimit < hi {
+		failed, _, err = execute(ctx, call, opts, optimisticGasLimit)
+		if err != nil {
+			// This should not happen under normal conditions since if we make it this far the
+			// transaction had run without error at least once before.
+			log.Error("Execution error in estimate gas", "err", err)
+			return 0, nil, err
+		}
+		if failed {
+			lo = optimisticGasLimit
+		} else {
+			hi = optimisticGasLimit
+		}
+	}
 	// Binary search for the smallest gas limit that allows the tx to execute successfully.
 	for lo+1 < hi {
 		if opts.ErrorRatio > 0 {