diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/database.go b/triedb/pathdb/database.go
index 28bf2af1b9..b38c48ea3d 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/database.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/database.go
@@ -151,9 +151,17 @@ var ReadOnly = &Config{ReadOnly: true}
 
 // nodeToHash computes the hash of the given node based on the tree structure.
 func nodeToHash(blob []byte, isVerkle bool) (common.Hash, error) {
+	// Compute the node hash in merkle tree manner
 	if !isVerkle {
+		if len(blob) == 0 {
+			return types.EmptyRootHash, nil
+		}
 		return crypto.Keccak256Hash(blob), nil
 	}
+	// Compute the node hash in verkle tree manner
+	if len(blob) == 0 {
+		return types.EmptyVerkleHash, nil
+	}
 	n, err := verkle.ParseNode(blob, 0)
 	if err != nil {
 		return common.Hash{}, err
@@ -363,15 +371,9 @@ func (db *Database) Enable(root common.Hash) error {
 		return errDatabaseReadOnly
 	}
 	// Ensure the provided state root matches the stored one.
-	var (
-		err    error
-		stored = types.EmptyRootHash
-	)
-	if blob := rawdb.ReadAccountTrieNode(db.diskdb, nil); len(blob) > 0 {
-		stored, err = nodeToHash(blob, db.isVerkle)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	stored, err := nodeToHash(rawdb.ReadAccountTrieNode(db.diskdb, nil), db.isVerkle)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	root = types.TrieRootHash(root)
 	if stored != root {
@@ -521,9 +523,15 @@ func (db *Database) Size() (diffs common.StorageSize, nodes common.StorageSize)
 // Initialized returns an indicator if the state data is already
 // initialized in path-based scheme.
 func (db *Database) Initialized(genesisRoot common.Hash) bool {
-	var inited bool
+	var (
+		inited    bool
+		emptyRoot = types.EmptyRootHash
+	)
+	if db.isVerkle {
+		emptyRoot = types.EmptyVerkleHash
+	}
 	db.tree.forEach(func(layer layer) {
-		if layer.rootHash() != types.EmptyRootHash {
+		if layer.rootHash() != emptyRoot {
 			inited = true
 		}
 	})
diff --git a/triedb/pathdb/journal.go b/triedb/pathdb/journal.go
index 8a4e4adb4c..8e00aa5d86 100644
--- a/triedb/pathdb/journal.go
+++ b/triedb/pathdb/journal.go
@@ -92,15 +92,9 @@ func (db *Database) loadJournal(diskRoot common.Hash) (layer, error) {
 // loadLayers loads a pre-existing state layer backed by a key-value store.
 func (db *Database) loadLayers() layer {
 	// Retrieve the root node of persistent state.
-	var (
-		err  error
-		root = types.EmptyRootHash
-	)
-	if blob := rawdb.ReadAccountTrieNode(db.diskdb, nil); len(blob) > 0 {
-		root, err = nodeToHash(blob, db.isVerkle)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Crit("Invalid root verkle node", "err", err)
-		}
+	root, err := nodeToHash(rawdb.ReadAccountTrieNode(db.diskdb, nil), db.isVerkle)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Crit("Invalid root verkle node", "err", err)
 	}
 	// Load the layers by resolving the journal
 	head, err := db.loadJournal(root)
@@ -110,7 +104,11 @@ func (db *Database) loadLayers() layer {
 	// journal is not matched(or missing) with the persistent state, discard
 	// it. Display log for discarding journal, but try to avoid showing
 	// useless information when the db is created from scratch.
-	if !(root == types.EmptyRootHash && errors.Is(err, errMissJournal)) {
+	emptyRoot := types.EmptyRootHash
+	if db.isVerkle {
+		emptyRoot = types.EmptyVerkleHash
+	}
+	if !(root == emptyRoot && errors.Is(err, errMissJournal)) {
 		log.Info("Failed to load journal, discard it", "err", err)
 	}
 	// Return single layer with persistent state.
@@ -271,12 +269,9 @@ func (db *Database) Journal(root common.Hash) error {
 	}
 	// Secondly write out the state root in disk, ensure all layers
 	// on top are continuous with disk.
-	diskRoot := types.EmptyRootHash
-	if blob := rawdb.ReadAccountTrieNode(db.diskdb, nil); len(blob) > 0 {
-		diskRoot, err = nodeToHash(blob, db.isVerkle)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	diskRoot, err := nodeToHash(rawdb.ReadAccountTrieNode(db.diskdb, nil), db.isVerkle)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	if err := rlp.Encode(journal, diskRoot); err != nil {
 		return err