diff --git a/core/vm/ewasm.go b/core/vm/ewasm.go
index 9f4b5c7626..acd0a9a29b 100644
--- a/core/vm/ewasm.go
+++ b/core/vm/ewasm.go
@@ -24,10 +24,8 @@ import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"math/big"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/params"
 	"github.com/go-interpreter/wagon/wasm"
 
@@ -78,11 +76,9 @@ func NewEWASMInterpreter(evm *EVM, cfg Config) Interpreter {
 	var meteringContract *Contract
 	if metering {
 		meteringContractAddress := common.HexToAddress("0x000000000000000000000000000000000000000a")
-		meteringContract = NewContract(nil, AccountRef(meteringContractAddress), &big.Int{}, 0)
 		meteringCode := evm.StateDB.GetCode(meteringContractAddress)
-		meteringContract.SetCallCode(&meteringContractAddress, crypto.Keccak256Hash(meteringCode), meteringCode)
 
-		module, err := wasm.ReadModule(bytes.NewReader(evm.StateDB.GetCode(meteringContractAddress)), nil)
+		module, err := wasm.ReadModule(bytes.NewReader(meteringCode), nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(fmt.Sprintf("Error loading the metering contract: %v", err))
 		}
diff --git a/core/vm/ewasm_eei.go b/core/vm/ewasm_eei.go
index c0672cc28e..854e0e3536 100644
--- a/core/vm/ewasm_eei.go
+++ b/core/vm/ewasm_eei.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/go-interpreter/wagon/exec"
 	"github.com/go-interpreter/wagon/wasm"
 )
@@ -697,7 +698,11 @@ func sentinel(in *InterpreterEWASM, input []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 		in.contract = savedContract
 		in.vm = savedVM
 	}()
+	meteringContractAddress := common.HexToAddress("0x000000000000000000000000000000000000000a")
+	meteringCode := in.StateDB.GetCode(meteringContractAddress)
+	in.contract = NewContract(in.contract, AccountRef(meteringContractAddress), &big.Int{}, 0)
 	in.contract = in.meteringContract
+	in.contract.SetCallCode(&meteringContractAddress, crypto.Keccak256Hash(meteringCode), meteringCode)
 	in.vm = in.meteringVM
 	meteredCode, err := in.meteringVM.ExecCode(0)
 	return meteredCode.([]byte), err
diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index 4bcf805e0f..0fef3e6ea0 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -151,12 +151,14 @@ func New(ctx *node.ServiceContext, config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 	}
 
 	ewasmOptions := make(map[string]string)
-	for _, option := range strings.Split(config.EWASMInterpreter, ",") {
-		opt := strings.Split(option, ":")
-		if len(opt) != 2 || len(opt[0]) == 0 {
-			panic(fmt.Sprintf("Invalid ewasm option: expected a format of name:value, got: %s", option))
+	if len(config.EWASMInterpreter) > 0 {
+		for _, option := range strings.Split(config.EWASMInterpreter, ",") {
+			opt := strings.Split(option, ":")
+			if len(opt) != 2 || len(opt[0]) == 0 {
+				panic(fmt.Sprintf("Invalid ewasm option: expected a format of name:value, got: %s", option))
+			}
+			ewasmOptions[opt[0]] = opt[1]
 		}
-		ewasmOptions[opt[0]] = opt[1]
 	}
 
 	var (