diff --git a/core/blockchain.go b/core/blockchain.go
index 5d1cf533fc..6ab30b8d1d 100644
--- a/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/core/blockchain.go
@@ -1793,21 +1793,19 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) insertChain(chain types.Blocks, setHead bool) (int, error)
 		// transactions and probabilistically some of the account/storage trie nodes.
 		var followupInterrupt atomic.Bool
 		if !bc.cacheConfig.TrieCleanNoPrefetch {
-			if followup, err := it.peek(); followup != nil && err == nil {
-				throwaway, _ := state.New(parent.Root, bc.statedb)
+			followup := block
+			throwaway, _ := state.New(parent.Root, bc.statedb)
+			go func(start time.Time, followup *types.Block, throwaway *state.StateDB) {
+				// Disable tracing for prefetcher executions.
+				vmCfg := bc.vmConfig
+				vmCfg.Tracer = nil
+				bc.prefetcher.Prefetch(followup, throwaway, vmCfg, &followupInterrupt)
 
-				go func(start time.Time, followup *types.Block, throwaway *state.StateDB) {
-					// Disable tracing for prefetcher executions.
-					vmCfg := bc.vmConfig
-					vmCfg.Tracer = nil
-					bc.prefetcher.Prefetch(followup, throwaway, vmCfg, &followupInterrupt)
-
-					blockPrefetchExecuteTimer.Update(time.Since(start))
-					if followupInterrupt.Load() {
-						blockPrefetchInterruptMeter.Mark(1)
-					}
-				}(time.Now(), followup, throwaway)
-			}
+				blockPrefetchExecuteTimer.Update(time.Since(start))
+				if followupInterrupt.Load() {
+					blockPrefetchInterruptMeter.Mark(1)
+				}
+			}(time.Now(), followup, throwaway)
 		}
 
 		// The traced section of block import.
diff --git a/core/state_prefetcher.go b/core/state_prefetcher.go
index 31405fa078..31df626194 100644
--- a/core/state_prefetcher.go
+++ b/core/state_prefetcher.go
@@ -53,8 +53,10 @@ func (p *statePrefetcher) Prefetch(block *types.Block, statedb *state.StateDB, c
 		signer       = types.MakeSigner(p.config, header.Number, header.Time)
 	)
 	// Iterate over and process the individual transactions
-	byzantium := p.config.IsByzantium(block.Number())
-	for i, tx := range block.Transactions() {
+	txs := block.Transactions()
+	// Skip the first third of transactions, prefetch the latter two thirds of the transactions
+	for i := (len(txs) * 2) / 3; i < len(txs); i++ {
+		tx := txs[i]
 		// If block precaching was interrupted, abort
 		if interrupt != nil && interrupt.Load() {
 			return
@@ -68,14 +70,6 @@ func (p *statePrefetcher) Prefetch(block *types.Block, statedb *state.StateDB, c
 		if err := precacheTransaction(msg, p.config, gaspool, statedb, header, evm); err != nil {
 			return // Ugh, something went horribly wrong, bail out
 		}
-		// If we're pre-byzantium, pre-load trie nodes for the intermediate root
-		if !byzantium {
-			statedb.IntermediateRoot(true)
-		}
-	}
-	// If were post-byzantium, pre-load trie nodes for the final root hash
-	if byzantium {
-		statedb.IntermediateRoot(true)
 	}
 }