diff --git a/core/state/database.go b/core/state/database.go
index 3a0ac422ee..58d0ccfe82 100644
--- a/core/state/database.go
+++ b/core/state/database.go
@@ -302,6 +302,8 @@ func mustCopyTrie(t Trie) Trie {
 		return t.Copy()
 	case *trie.VerkleTrie:
 		return t.Copy()
+	case *trie.TransitionTrie:
+		return t.Copy()
 	default:
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("unknown trie type %T", t))
 	}
diff --git a/core/state/state_object.go b/core/state/state_object.go
index 2938750503..fdeb4254c1 100644
--- a/core/state/state_object.go
+++ b/core/state/state_object.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/trie"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/trie/trienode"
 	"github.com/holiman/uint256"
 )
@@ -494,8 +495,20 @@ func (s *stateObject) deepCopy(db *StateDB) *stateObject {
 		selfDestructed:     s.selfDestructed,
 		newContract:        s.newContract,
 	}
-	if s.trie != nil {
+
+	switch s.trie.(type) {
+	case *trie.VerkleTrie:
+		// Verkle uses only one tree, and the copy has already been
+		// made in mustCopyTrie.
+		obj.trie = db.trie
+	case *trie.TransitionTrie:
+		// Same thing for the transition tree, since the MPT is
+		// read-only.
+		obj.trie = db.trie
+	case *trie.StateTrie:
 		obj.trie = mustCopyTrie(s.trie)
+	case nil:
+		// do nothing
 	}
 	return obj
 }
diff --git a/trie/transition.go b/trie/transition.go
index da49c6cdc2..c6eecd3937 100644
--- a/trie/transition.go
+++ b/trie/transition.go
@@ -211,7 +211,8 @@ func (t *TransitionTrie) UpdateStem(key []byte, values [][]byte) error {
 func (t *TransitionTrie) Copy() *TransitionTrie {
 	return &TransitionTrie{
 		overlay: t.overlay.Copy(),
-		base:    t.base.Copy(),
+		// base in immutable, so there is no need to copy it
+		base:    t.base,
 		storage: t.storage,
 	}
 }