diff --git a/core/vm/evm.go b/core/vm/evm.go
index 79b6ab5930..8b6ef55175 100644
--- a/core/vm/evm.go
+++ b/core/vm/evm.go
@@ -340,7 +340,10 @@ func (evm *EVM) DelegateCall(caller ContractRef, addr common.Address, input []by
 
 	// It is allowed to call precompiles, even via delegatecall
 	if p, isPrecompile := evm.precompile(addr); isPrecompile {
-		ret, gas, err = RunPrecompiledContract(p, evm, caller.Address(), input, gas)
+		// NOTE: caller must, at all times be a contract. It should never happen
+		// that caller is something other than a Contract.
+		parent := caller.(*Contract)
+		ret, gas, err = RunPrecompiledContract(p, evm, parent.CallerAddress, input, gas)
 	} else {
 		addrCopy := addr
 		// Initialise a new contract and make initialise the delegate values