diff --git a/core/state/snapshot/generate.go b/core/state/snapshot/generate.go
index 204584c95..adeaa1daa 100644
--- a/core/state/snapshot/generate.go
+++ b/core/state/snapshot/generate.go
@@ -230,7 +230,9 @@ func (dl *diskLayer) proveRange(ctx *generatorContext, trieId *trie.ID, prefix [
 	if origin == nil && !diskMore {
 		stackTr := trie.NewStackTrie(nil)
 		for i, key := range keys {
-			stackTr.Update(key, vals[i])
+			if err := stackTr.Update(key, vals[i]); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
 		}
 		if gotRoot := stackTr.Hash(); gotRoot != root {
 			return &proofResult{
diff --git a/trie/stacktrie.go b/trie/stacktrie.go
index 423afdec8..f2f5355c4 100644
--- a/trie/stacktrie.go
+++ b/trie/stacktrie.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package trie
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
@@ -92,12 +93,14 @@ func NewStackTrie(options *StackTrieOptions) *StackTrie {
 
 // Update inserts a (key, value) pair into the stack trie.
 func (t *StackTrie) Update(key, value []byte) error {
-	k := keybytesToHex(key)
 	if len(value) == 0 {
-		panic("deletion not supported")
+		return errors.New("trying to insert empty (deletion)")
 	}
+	k := keybytesToHex(key)
 	k = k[:len(k)-1] // chop the termination flag
-
+	if bytes.Compare(t.last, k) >= 0 {
+		return errors.New("non-ascending key order")
+	}
 	// track the first and last inserted entries.
 	if t.first == nil {
 		t.first = append([]byte{}, k...)
diff --git a/trie/stacktrie_test.go b/trie/stacktrie_test.go
index 629586e2b..909a77062 100644
--- a/trie/stacktrie_test.go
+++ b/trie/stacktrie_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/rawdb"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/trie/testutil"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"golang.org/x/exp/slices"
 )
 
@@ -463,3 +464,24 @@ func TestPartialStackTrie(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestStackTrieErrors(t *testing.T) {
+	s := NewStackTrie(nil)
+	// Deletion
+	if err := s.Update(nil, nil); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	if err := s.Update(nil, []byte{}); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	if err := s.Update([]byte{0xa}, []byte{}); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	// Non-ascending keys (going backwards or repeating)
+	assert.Nil(t, s.Update([]byte{0xaa}, []byte{0xa}))
+	assert.NotNil(t, s.Update([]byte{0xaa}, []byte{0xa}), "repeat insert same key")
+	assert.NotNil(t, s.Update([]byte{0xaa}, []byte{0xb}), "repeat insert same key")
+	assert.Nil(t, s.Update([]byte{0xab}, []byte{0xa}))
+	assert.NotNil(t, s.Update([]byte{0x10}, []byte{0xb}), "out of order insert")
+	assert.NotNil(t, s.Update([]byte{0xaa}, []byte{0xb}), "repeat insert same key")
+}