diff --git a/core/types/receipt.go b/core/types/receipt.go
index b627f46a4..5216162f2 100644
--- a/core/types/receipt.go
+++ b/core/types/receipt.go
@@ -172,10 +172,8 @@ func (r *Receipt) MarshalBinary() ([]byte, error) {
 		return rlp.EncodeToBytes(r)
 	}
 	data := &receiptRLP{r.statusEncoding(), r.CumulativeGasUsed, r.Bloom, r.Logs}
-	buf := encodeBufferPool.Get().(*bytes.Buffer)
-	defer encodeBufferPool.Put(buf)
-	buf.Reset()
-	err := r.encodeTyped(data, buf)
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	err := r.encodeTyped(data, &buf)
 	return buf.Bytes(), err
 }
 
diff --git a/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_parser_test.go b/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_parser_test.go
index c88442a00..1a53455c7 100644
--- a/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_parser_test.go
+++ b/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_parser_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package ipld
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
@@ -73,8 +72,7 @@ func loadBlockData(t *testing.T) []testCase {
 
 func TestFromBlockAndReceipts(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := loadBlockData(t)
-	for i, tc := range testCases {
-		fmt.Printf("testing %d\r\n", i)
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		_, _, _, _, _, _, err := FromBlockAndReceipts(tc.block, tc.receipts)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("error generating IPLDs from block and receipts, err %v, kind %s, block hash %s", err, tc.kind, tc.block.Hash())
diff --git a/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_receipt_trie.go b/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_receipt_trie.go
index 30847d9a1..ee371c15a 100644
--- a/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_receipt_trie.go
+++ b/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_receipt_trie.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/multiformats/go-multihash"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
 )
 
 // EthRctTrie (eth-tx-trie codec 0x92) represents
@@ -61,9 +60,8 @@ func DecodeEthRctTrie(c cid.Cid, b []byte) (*EthRctTrie, error) {
 // decodeEthRctTrieLeaf parses a eth-rct-trie leaf
 //from decoded RLP elements
 func decodeEthRctTrieLeaf(i []interface{}) ([]interface{}, error) {
-	var r types.Receipt
-	err := rlp.DecodeBytes(i[1].([]byte), &r)
-	if err != nil {
+	r := new(types.Receipt)
+	if err := r.UnmarshalBinary(i[1].([]byte)); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	c, err := RawdataToCid(MEthTxReceipt, i[1].([]byte), multihash.KECCAK_256)
@@ -73,7 +71,7 @@ func decodeEthRctTrieLeaf(i []interface{}) ([]interface{}, error) {
 	return []interface{}{
 		i[0].([]byte),
 		&EthReceipt{
-			Receipt: &r,
+			Receipt: r,
 			cid:     c,
 			rawdata: i[1].([]byte),
 		},
@@ -135,7 +133,7 @@ func (rt *rctTrie) getNodes() ([]*EthRctTrie, error) {
 	for _, k := range keys {
 		rawdata, err := rt.db.Get(k)
 		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		c, err := RawdataToCid(MEthTxReceiptTrie, rawdata, multihash.KECCAK_256)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_tx_trie.go b/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_tx_trie.go
index 6438bc8ce..7e79ff164 100644
--- a/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_tx_trie.go
+++ b/statediff/indexer/ipfs/ipld/eth_tx_trie.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/multiformats/go-multihash"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
 )
 
 // EthTxTrie (eth-tx-trie codec 0x92) represents
@@ -61,9 +60,8 @@ func DecodeEthTxTrie(c cid.Cid, b []byte) (*EthTxTrie, error) {
 // decodeEthTxTrieLeaf parses a eth-tx-trie leaf
 //from decoded RLP elements
 func decodeEthTxTrieLeaf(i []interface{}) ([]interface{}, error) {
-	var t types.Transaction
-	err := rlp.DecodeBytes(i[1].([]byte), &t)
-	if err != nil {
+	t := new(types.Transaction)
+	if err := t.UnmarshalBinary(i[1].([]byte)); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	c, err := RawdataToCid(MEthTx, i[1].([]byte), multihash.KECCAK_256)
@@ -73,7 +71,7 @@ func decodeEthTxTrieLeaf(i []interface{}) ([]interface{}, error) {
 	return []interface{}{
 		i[0].([]byte),
 		&EthTx{
-			Transaction: &t,
+			Transaction: t,
 			cid:         c,
 			rawdata:     i[1].([]byte),
 		},
@@ -135,7 +133,7 @@ func (tt *txTrie) getNodes() ([]*EthTxTrie, error) {
 	for _, k := range keys {
 		rawdata, err := tt.db.Get(k)
 		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		c, err := RawdataToCid(MEthTxTrie, rawdata, multihash.KECCAK_256)
 		if err != nil {