diff --git a/core/blockchain.go b/core/blockchain.go
index f886ffe4ed..a25c46a741 100644
--- a/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/core/blockchain.go
@@ -1348,6 +1348,11 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) GetBlockHashesFromHash(hash common.Hash, max uint64) []com
 	return bc.hc.GetBlockHashesFromHash(hash, max)
 }
 
+// GetBlockHashByNumber retrieves the block hash from the database by number.
+func (bc *BlockChain) GetBlockHashByNumber(number uint64) common.Hash {
+	return bc.hc.GetBlockHashByNumber(number)
+}
+
 // GetHeaderByNumber retrieves a block header from the database by number,
 // caching it (associated with its hash) if found.
 func (bc *BlockChain) GetHeaderByNumber(number uint64) *types.Header {
diff --git a/core/headerchain.go b/core/headerchain.go
index 0e5215293d..9f82b367fa 100644
--- a/core/headerchain.go
+++ b/core/headerchain.go
@@ -370,10 +370,15 @@ func (hc *HeaderChain) HasHeader(hash common.Hash, number uint64) bool {
 	return ok
 }
 
+// GetBlockHashByNumber retrieves the block hash from the database by number.
+func (hc *HeaderChain) GetBlockHashByNumber(number uint64) common.Hash {
+	return GetCanonicalHash(hc.chainDb, number)
+}
+
 // GetHeaderByNumber retrieves a block header from the database by number,
 // caching it (associated with its hash) if found.
 func (hc *HeaderChain) GetHeaderByNumber(number uint64) *types.Header {
-	hash := GetCanonicalHash(hc.chainDb, number)
+	hash := hc.GetBlockHashByNumber(number)
 	if hash == (common.Hash{}) {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/eth/api_backend.go b/eth/api_backend.go
index 91f392f94f..b918be35a0 100644
--- a/eth/api_backend.go
+++ b/eth/api_backend.go
@@ -81,19 +81,19 @@ func (b *EthApiBackend) BlockByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumb
 	return b.eth.blockchain.GetBlockByNumber(uint64(blockNr)), nil
 }
 
-func (b *EthApiBackend) StateAndHeaderByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*state.StateDB, *types.Header, error) {
+func (b *EthApiBackend) StateByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*state.StateDB, error) {
 	// Pending state is only known by the miner
 	if blockNr == rpc.PendingBlockNumber {
-		block, state := b.eth.miner.Pending()
-		return state, block.Header(), nil
+		return b.eth.TxPool().State().StateDB, nil
 	}
+
 	// Otherwise resolve the block number and return its state
-	header, err := b.HeaderByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
-	if header == nil || err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
+	if blockNr == rpc.LatestBlockNumber {
+		return b.eth.BlockChain().State()
 	}
-	stateDb, err := b.eth.BlockChain().StateAt(header.Root)
-	return stateDb, header, err
+
+	blockHash := b.eth.BlockChain().GetBlockHashByNumber(uint64(blockNr))
+	return b.eth.BlockChain().StateAt(blockHash)
 }
 
 func (b *EthApiBackend) GetBlock(ctx context.Context, blockHash common.Hash) (*types.Block, error) {
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/api.go b/internal/ethapi/api.go
index 55bd5aa1ba..a0d310ffd6 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/api.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/api.go
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) BlockNumber() *big.Int {
 // given block number. The rpc.LatestBlockNumber and rpc.PendingBlockNumber meta
 // block numbers are also allowed.
 func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) GetBalance(ctx context.Context, address common.Address, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*big.Int, error) {
-	state, _, err := s.b.StateAndHeaderByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
+	state, err := s.b.StateByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
 	if state == nil || err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) GetUncleCountByBlockHash(ctx context.Context, bloc
 
 // GetCode returns the code stored at the given address in the state for the given block number.
 func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) GetCode(ctx context.Context, address common.Address, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (hexutil.Bytes, error) {
-	state, _, err := s.b.StateAndHeaderByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
+	state, err := s.b.StateByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
 	if state == nil || err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) GetCode(ctx context.Context, address common.Addres
 // block number. The rpc.LatestBlockNumber and rpc.PendingBlockNumber meta block
 // numbers are also allowed.
 func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) GetStorageAt(ctx context.Context, address common.Address, key string, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (hexutil.Bytes, error) {
-	state, _, err := s.b.StateAndHeaderByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
+	state, err := s.b.StateByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
 	if state == nil || err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -583,10 +583,15 @@ type CallArgs struct {
 func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) doCall(ctx context.Context, args CallArgs, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber, vmCfg vm.Config) ([]byte, uint64, bool, error) {
 	defer func(start time.Time) { log.Debug("Executing EVM call finished", "runtime", time.Since(start)) }(time.Now())
 
-	state, header, err := s.b.StateAndHeaderByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
+	state, err := s.b.StateByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
 	if state == nil || err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, false, err
 	}
+	header, err := s.b.HeaderByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
+	if header == nil || err != nil {
+		return nil, 0, false, err
+	}
+
 	// Set sender address or use a default if none specified
 	addr := args.From
 	if addr == (common.Address{}) {
@@ -963,7 +968,7 @@ func (s *PublicTransactionPoolAPI) GetRawTransactionByBlockHashAndIndex(ctx cont
 
 // GetTransactionCount returns the number of transactions the given address has sent for the given block number
 func (s *PublicTransactionPoolAPI) GetTransactionCount(ctx context.Context, address common.Address, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*hexutil.Uint64, error) {
-	state, _, err := s.b.StateAndHeaderByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
+	state, err := s.b.StateByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
 	if state == nil || err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/ethapi/backend.go b/internal/ethapi/backend.go
index af95d7906f..acd4c10dfd 100644
--- a/internal/ethapi/backend.go
+++ b/internal/ethapi/backend.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ type Backend interface {
 	SetHead(number uint64)
 	HeaderByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*types.Header, error)
 	BlockByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*types.Block, error)
-	StateAndHeaderByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*state.StateDB, *types.Header, error)
+	StateByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*state.StateDB, error)
 	GetBlock(ctx context.Context, blockHash common.Hash) (*types.Block, error)
 	GetReceipts(ctx context.Context, blockHash common.Hash) (types.Receipts, error)
 	GetTd(blockHash common.Hash) *big.Int
diff --git a/les/api_backend.go b/les/api_backend.go
index 56f617a7db..4379760dc2 100644
--- a/les/api_backend.go
+++ b/les/api_backend.go
@@ -71,12 +71,12 @@ func (b *LesApiBackend) BlockByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumb
 	return b.GetBlock(ctx, header.Hash())
 }
 
-func (b *LesApiBackend) StateAndHeaderByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*state.StateDB, *types.Header, error) {
+func (b *LesApiBackend) StateByNumber(ctx context.Context, blockNr rpc.BlockNumber) (*state.StateDB, error) {
 	header, err := b.HeaderByNumber(ctx, blockNr)
 	if header == nil || err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return light.NewState(ctx, header, b.eth.odr), header, nil
+	return light.NewState(ctx, header, b.eth.odr), nil
 }
 
 func (b *LesApiBackend) GetBlock(ctx context.Context, blockHash common.Hash) (*types.Block, error) {