diff --git a/trie/database.go b/trie/database.go
index 71190b3f3..739a98add 100644
--- a/trie/database.go
+++ b/trie/database.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ type cachedNode struct {
 	node node   // Cached collapsed trie node, or raw rlp data
 	size uint16 // Byte size of the useful cached data
 
-	parents  uint16                 // Number of live nodes referencing this one
+	parents  uint32                 // Number of live nodes referencing this one
 	children map[common.Hash]uint16 // External children referenced by this node
 
 	flushPrev common.Hash // Previous node in the flush-list