diff --git a/eth/protocols/eth/receipt.go b/eth/protocols/eth/receipt.go
index 9416850025..0a2f1cdb21 100644
--- a/eth/protocols/eth/receipt.go
+++ b/eth/protocols/eth/receipt.go
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ func (r *Receipt) DecodeRLP(s *rlp.Stream) error {
 	return s.ListEnd()
 }
 
+// EncodeRLP writes the network encoding of receipts.
 func (r *Receipt) EncodeRLP(_w io.Writer) error {
 	w := rlp.NewEncoderBuffer(_w)
 	list := w.List()
@@ -73,6 +74,15 @@ func (r *Receipt) EncodeRLP(_w io.Writer) error {
 	return w.Flush()
 }
 
+// encodeStorage writes the network encoding of receipts.
+func (r *Receipt) encodeStorage(w *rlp.EncoderBuffer) {
+	list := w.List()
+	w.WriteBytes(r.PostStateOrStatus)
+	w.WriteUint64(r.GasUsed)
+	w.Write(r.Logs)
+	w.ListEnd(list)
+}
+
 // bloom computes the bloom filter of the receipt.
 // Note this doesn't check the validity of encoding, and will produce an invalid filter
 // for invalid input. This is acceptable for the purpose of this function, which is
@@ -150,6 +160,7 @@ func (rl *ReceiptList69) EncodeIndex(i int, b *bytes.Buffer) {
 	w.Flush()
 }
 
+// DecodeRLP decodes a list receipts from the network format.
 func (rl *ReceiptList69) DecodeRLP(s *rlp.Stream) error {
 	if _, err := s.List(); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -165,17 +176,23 @@ func (rl *ReceiptList69) DecodeRLP(s *rlp.Stream) error {
 	return s.ListEnd()
 }
 
+// toStorageReceiptsRLP encodes the receipts for storage into the database.
 func (rl *ReceiptList69) toStorageReceiptsRLP() rlp.RawValue {
+	if rl.buf == nil {
+		rl.buf = new(receiptListBuffers)
+	}
+
 	var (
 		out bytes.Buffer
-		enc = rlp.NewEncoderBuffer(&out)
+		w   = &rl.buf.enc
 	)
-	outer := enc.List()
+	w.Reset(&out)
+	outer := w.List()
 	for _, receipts := range rl.items {
-		receipts.EncodeRLP(enc)
+		receipts.encodeStorage(w)
 	}
-	enc.ListEnd(outer)
-	enc.Flush()
+	w.ListEnd(outer)
+	w.Flush()
 	return out.Bytes()
 }
 
diff --git a/eth/protocols/eth/receipt_test.go b/eth/protocols/eth/receipt_test.go
index 14dcc7e717..f73532a2e8 100644
--- a/eth/protocols/eth/receipt_test.go
+++ b/eth/protocols/eth/receipt_test.go
@@ -61,7 +61,16 @@ func TestTransformReceipts(t *testing.T) {
 		have := blockReceiptsToNetwork(in, test.txs)
 		out, _ := rlp.EncodeToBytes(test.output)
 		if !bytes.Equal(have, out) {
-			t.Fatalf("transforming receipt mismatch, test %v: want %v have %v, in %v", i, out, have, in)
+			t.Fatalf("test[%d]: blockReceiptToNetwork mismatch\nhave: %x\nwant: %x\n  in: %x", i, out, have, in)
+		}
+
+		var rl ReceiptList69
+		if err := rlp.DecodeBytes(out, &rl); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("test[%d]: can't decode network receipts: %v", i, err)
+		}
+		storageEnc := rl.toStorageReceiptsRLP()
+		if !bytes.Equal(storageEnc, in) {
+			t.Fatalf("test[%d]: re-encoded receipts not equal\nhave: %x\nwant: %x", i, storageEnc, in)
 		}
 	}
 }