diff --git a/metrics/metrics.go b/metrics/metrics.go
index 7f647cd00b..bb6bfb5e10 100644
--- a/metrics/metrics.go
+++ b/metrics/metrics.go
@@ -66,6 +66,15 @@ func NewTimer(name string) metrics.Timer {
 	return metrics.GetOrRegisterTimer(name, metrics.DefaultRegistry)
 }
 
+// NewCounter create a new metrics Counter, either a real one of a NOP stub depending
+// on the metrics flag.
+func NewCounter(name string) metrics.Counter {
+	if !Enabled {
+		return new(metrics.NilCounter)
+	}
+	return metrics.GetOrRegisterCounter(name, metrics.DefaultRegistry)
+}
+
 // CollectProcessMetrics periodically collects various metrics about the running
 // process.
 func CollectProcessMetrics(refresh time.Duration) {
diff --git a/trie/directcache.go b/trie/directcache.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0d2a0f2410
--- /dev/null
+++ b/trie/directcache.go
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The go-ethereum Authors
+// This file is part of the go-ethereum library.
+//
+// The go-ethereum library is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// The go-ethereum library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+// GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+// along with the go-ethereum library. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+package trie
+
+import (
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/logger"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/logger/glog"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/metrics"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
+)
+
+var directCacheWrites = metrics.NewCounter("directcache/writes")
+var directCacheHitTimer = metrics.NewTimer("directcache/timer/hits")
+var directCacheMissTimer = metrics.NewTimer("directcache/timer/misses")
+
+type cachedValue struct {
+	Value     []byte
+	BlockNum  uint64
+	BlockHash common.Hash
+}
+
+// CacheValidator can check whether a certain block is in the current canonical chain.
+type CacheValidator interface {
+	IsCanonChainBlock(uint64, common.Hash) bool
+}
+
+type DirectCache struct {
+	storage   Storage
+	db        Database
+	keyPrefix []byte
+	blockNum  uint64
+	blockHash common.Hash
+	validator CacheValidator
+	complete  bool
+	dirty     map[string]bool
+}
+
+func NewDirectCache(s Storage, db Database, keyPrefix []byte, blockNum uint64, blockHash common.Hash, validator CacheValidator, complete bool) *DirectCache {
+	return &DirectCache{
+		storage: s,
+		db: db,
+		keyPrefix: keyPrefix,
+		blockNum: blockNum,
+		blockHash: blockHash,
+		validator: validator,
+		complete: complete,
+		dirty: make(map[string]bool),
+	}
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) Iterator() *Iterator {
+	// Todo: If complete is true, implement an iterator over the DB instead.
+	return dc.storage.Iterator()
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) NodeIterator() *NodeIterator {
+	return dc.storage.NodeIterator()
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) makeKey(key []byte) []byte {
+	return append(dc.keyPrefix, key...)
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) Get(key []byte) []byte {
+	res, err := dc.TryGet(key)
+	if err != nil && glog.V(logger.Error) {
+		glog.Errorf("Unhandled error: %v", err)
+	}
+	return res
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) TryGet(key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	start := time.Now()
+
+	// Use the underlying object for dirty keys
+	if !dc.dirty[string(key)] {
+		cacheKey := dc.makeKey(key)
+		if cached, ok := dc.getCached(cacheKey); ok {
+			directCacheHitTimer.UpdateSince(start)
+			return cached, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	value, err := dc.storage.TryGet(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return value, err
+	}
+
+	// If the cache isn't comprehensive, update it
+	if !dc.complete && !dc.dirty[string(key)] {
+		if err := dc.putCache(dc.db, key, value); err != nil && glog.V(logger.Error) {
+			glog.Errorf("Error updating cache: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	directCacheMissTimer.UpdateSince(start)
+	return value, nil
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) getCached(key []byte) ([]byte, bool) {
+	enc, _ := dc.db.Get(key)
+	if len(enc) == 0 {
+		return nil, dc.complete
+	}
+
+	var data cachedValue
+	if err := rlp.DecodeBytes(enc, &data); err != nil && glog.V(logger.Error) {
+		glog.Errorf("Can't decode cached object at %x: %v", key, err)
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
+	return data.Value, dc.validator.IsCanonChainBlock(data.BlockNum, data.BlockHash)
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) putCache(dbw DatabaseWriter, key, value []byte) error {
+	enc, _ := rlp.EncodeToBytes(cachedValue{value, dc.blockNum, dc.blockHash})
+	if err := dbw.Put(append(dc.keyPrefix, key...), enc); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) Update(key, value []byte) {
+	if err := dc.TryUpdate(key, value); err != nil && glog.V(logger.Error) {
+		glog.Errorf("Unhandled error: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) TryUpdate(key, value []byte) error {
+	dc.dirty[string(key)] = true
+	return dc.storage.TryUpdate(key, value)
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) Delete(key []byte) {
+	if err := dc.TryDelete(key); err != nil && glog.V(logger.Error) {
+		glog.Errorf("Unhandled error: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) TryDelete(key []byte) error {
+	dc.dirty[string(key)] = true
+	return dc.storage.TryDelete(key)
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) Commit() (root common.Hash, err error) {
+	return dc.CommitTo(dc.db)
+}
+
+func (dc *DirectCache) CommitTo(dbw DatabaseWriter) (root common.Hash, err error) {
+	directCacheWrites.Inc(int64(len(dc.dirty)))
+	for k, _ := range dc.dirty {
+		v, err := dc.storage.TryGet([]byte(k))
+		if err, ok := err.(*MissingNodeError); err != nil && !ok {
+			return common.Hash{}, err
+		}
+		if err := dc.putCache(dbw, []byte(k), v); err != nil {
+			return common.Hash{}, err
+		}
+	}
+	dc.dirty = make(map[string]bool)
+	return dc.storage.CommitTo(dbw)
+}