diff --git a/core/state/statedb.go b/core/state/statedb.go
index 8ceddf923e..a26d97e178 100644
--- a/core/state/statedb.go
+++ b/core/state/statedb.go
@@ -434,17 +434,31 @@ func (s *StateDB) SetState(addr common.Address, key, value common.Hash) {
 }
 
 // SetStorage replaces the entire storage for the specified account with given
-// storage. This function should only be used for debugging.
+// storage. This function should only be used for debugging and the mutations
+// must be discarded afterwards.
 func (s *StateDB) SetStorage(addr common.Address, storage map[common.Hash]common.Hash) {
-	// SetStorage needs to wipe existing storage. We achieve this by pretending
-	// that the account self-destructed earlier in this block, by flagging
-	// it in stateObjectsDestruct. The effect of doing so is that storage lookups
-	// will not hit disk, since it is assumed that the disk-data is belonging
+	// SetStorage needs to wipe the existing storage. We achieve this by marking
+	// the account as self-destructed in this block. The effect is that storage
+	// lookups will not hit the disk, as it is assumed that the disk data belongs
 	// to a previous incarnation of the object.
-	s.stateObjectsDestruct[addr] = struct{}{}
-	stateObject := s.GetOrNewStateObject(addr)
+	//
+	// TODO(rjl493456442): This function should only be supported by 'unwritable'
+	// state, and all mutations made should be discarded afterward.
+	obj := s.getStateObject(addr)
+	if obj != nil {
+		if _, ok := s.stateObjectsDestruct[addr]; !ok {
+			s.stateObjectsDestruct[addr] = struct{}{}
+		}
+	}
+	newObj, _ := s.createObject(addr)
 	for k, v := range storage {
-		stateObject.SetState(s.db, k, v)
+		newObj.SetState(s.db, k, v)
+	}
+	// Inherit the metadata of original object if it was existent
+	if obj != nil {
+		newObj.SetCode(common.BytesToHash(obj.CodeHash()), obj.code)
+		newObj.SetNonce(obj.Nonce())
+		newObj.SetBalance(obj.Balance(), tracing.BalanceChangeUnspecified)
 	}
 }