diff --git a/eth/api_tracer.go b/eth/api_tracer.go
index 5096150c3..7aa48b256 100644
--- a/eth/api_tracer.go
+++ b/eth/api_tracer.go
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@ func (api *PrivateDebugAPI) traceChain(ctx context.Context, start, end *types.Bl
 						log.Warn("Tracing failed", "hash", tx.Hash(), "block", task.block.NumberU64(), "err", err)
 						break
 					}
-					task.statedb.Finalise(true)
+					// Only delete empty objects if EIP158/161 (a.k.a Spurious Dragon) is in effect
+					task.statedb.Finalise(api.eth.blockchain.Config().IsEIP158(task.block.Number()))
 					task.results[i] = &txTraceResult{Result: res}
 				}
 				// Stream the result back to the user or abort on teardown
@@ -506,7 +507,8 @@ func (api *PrivateDebugAPI) traceBlock(ctx context.Context, block *types.Block,
 			break
 		}
 		// Finalize the state so any modifications are written to the trie
-		statedb.Finalise(true)
+		// Only delete empty objects if EIP158/161 (a.k.a Spurious Dragon) is in effect
+		statedb.Finalise(vmenv.ChainConfig().IsEIP158(block.Number()))
 	}
 	close(jobs)
 	pend.Wait()
@@ -612,7 +614,8 @@ func (api *PrivateDebugAPI) standardTraceBlockToFile(ctx context.Context, block
 			return dumps, err
 		}
 		// Finalize the state so any modifications are written to the trie
-		statedb.Finalise(true)
+		// Only delete empty objects if EIP158/161 (a.k.a Spurious Dragon) is in effect
+		statedb.Finalise(vmenv.ChainConfig().IsEIP158(block.Number()))
 
 		// If we've traced the transaction we were looking for, abort
 		if tx.Hash() == txHash {
@@ -803,7 +806,8 @@ func (api *PrivateDebugAPI) computeTxEnv(blockHash common.Hash, txIndex int, ree
 			return nil, vm.Context{}, nil, fmt.Errorf("transaction %#x failed: %v", tx.Hash(), err)
 		}
 		// Ensure any modifications are committed to the state
-		statedb.Finalise(true)
+		// Only delete empty objects if EIP158/161 (a.k.a Spurious Dragon) is in effect
+		statedb.Finalise(vmenv.ChainConfig().IsEIP158(block.Number()))
 	}
 	return nil, vm.Context{}, nil, fmt.Errorf("transaction index %d out of range for block %#x", txIndex, blockHash)
 }