diff --git a/trie/hasher.go b/trie/hasher.go
index 816a29857c..e333928ce6 100644
--- a/trie/hasher.go
+++ b/trie/hasher.go
@@ -70,10 +70,15 @@ var hasherPool = sync.Pool{
 func newHasher(onleaf LeafCallback) *hasher {
 	h := hasherPool.Get().(*hasher)
 	h.onleaf = onleaf
+	if onleaf != nil {
+		h.leafCh = make(chan *Leaf, 200) // arbitrary number
+	}
 	return h
 }
 
 func returnHasherToPool(h *hasher) {
+	h.onleaf = nil
+	h.leafCh = nil
 	hasherPool.Put(h)
 }
 
@@ -185,12 +190,21 @@ func (h *hasher) store(n node, db *Database, force bool) (node, error) {
 	if hash == nil {
 		hash = h.makeHashNode(h.tmp)
 	}
-	if db != nil {
+	// If we're using channel-based leaf-reporting, send to channel.
+	// The leaf channel will be active only when there an active leaf-callback
+	if h.leafCh != nil {
 		h.leafCh <- &Leaf{
 			size: len(h.tmp),
 			hash: common.BytesToHash(hash),
 			node: n,
 		}
+	} else if db != nil {
+		// No leaf-callback used, but there's still a database. Do serial
+		// insertion
+		db.lock.Lock()
+		db.insert(common.BytesToHash(hash), len(h.tmp), n)
+		db.lock.Unlock()
+
 	}
 	return hash, nil
 }
diff --git a/trie/trie.go b/trie/trie.go
index 9efc8657a3..60a96b02a3 100644
--- a/trie/trie.go
+++ b/trie/trie.go
@@ -420,14 +420,17 @@ func (t *Trie) Commit(onleaf LeafCallback) (root common.Hash, err error) {
 		return emptyRoot, nil
 	}
 	h := newHasher(onleaf)
-	h.leafCh = make(chan *Leaf, 200) // arbitrary number
 	defer returnHasherToPool(h)
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
-	wg.Add(1)
-	go h.commitLoop(t.db, &wg)
-	hash, cached, err :=  h.hash(t.root, t.db, true)
-	close(h.leafCh)
-	wg.Wait()
+	if onleaf != nil {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go h.commitLoop(t.db, &wg)
+	}
+	hash, cached, err := h.hash(t.root, t.db, true)
+	if onleaf != nil {
+		close(h.leafCh)
+		wg.Wait()
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return common.Hash{}, err
 	}
@@ -443,4 +446,3 @@ func (t *Trie) hashRoot(db *Database, onleaf LeafCallback) (node, node, error) {
 	defer returnHasherToPool(h)
 	return h.hash(t.root, db, true)
 }
-
diff --git a/trie/trie_test.go b/trie/trie_test.go
index 86bb831370..82c1421c3e 100644
--- a/trie/trie_test.go
+++ b/trie/trie_test.go
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ func benchmarkCommitAfterHashFixedSize(b *testing.B, addresses [][20]byte, accou
 	// Insert the accounts into the trie and hash it
 	trie.Hash()
 	b.StartTimer()
-	trie.Commit(nil)
+	trie.Commit()
 	b.StopTimer()
 }