diff --git a/claimtrie/merkletrie/collapsedtrie.go b/claimtrie/merkletrie/collapsedtrie.go
index 18af30a0..1c6f2c5f 100644
--- a/claimtrie/merkletrie/collapsedtrie.go
+++ b/claimtrie/merkletrie/collapsedtrie.go
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 package merkletrie
 
-import (
-	"github.com/lbryio/lbcd/chaincfg/chainhash"
-)
-
 type KeyType []byte
 
+type VertexPayload interface {
+	clear()
+	childModified()
+	isEmpty() bool
+}
+
 type collapsedVertex struct {
-	children   []*collapsedVertex
-	key        KeyType
-	merkleHash *chainhash.Hash
-	claimHash  *chainhash.Hash
+	children []*collapsedVertex
+	key      KeyType
+	payload  VertexPayload // TODO: remove all stupid null checks on this once we have generics
 }
 
 // insertAt inserts v into s at index i and returns the new slice.
@@ -96,7 +97,9 @@ func (pt *collapsedTrie) insert(value KeyType, node *collapsedVertex) (bool, *co
 	index, child := node.findNearest(value)
 	match := 0
 	if index >= 0 { // if we found a child
-		child.merkleHash = nil
+		if child.payload != nil {
+			child.payload.childModified()
+		}
 		match = matchLength(value, child.key)
 		if len(value) == match && len(child.key) == match {
 			return false, child
@@ -107,8 +110,7 @@ func (pt *collapsedTrie) insert(value KeyType, node *collapsedVertex) (bool, *co
 		return true, node.Insert(&collapsedVertex{key: value})
 	}
 	if match < len(child.key) {
-		grandChild := collapsedVertex{key: child.key[match:], children: child.children,
-			claimHash: child.claimHash, merkleHash: child.merkleHash}
+		grandChild := collapsedVertex{key: child.key[match:], children: child.children, payload: child.payload}
 		newChild := collapsedVertex{key: child.key[0:match], children: []*collapsedVertex{&grandChild}}
 		child = &newChild
 		node.children[index] = child
@@ -121,7 +123,9 @@ func (pt *collapsedTrie) insert(value KeyType, node *collapsedVertex) (bool, *co
 }
 
 func (pt *collapsedTrie) InsertOrFind(value KeyType) (bool, *collapsedVertex) {
-	pt.Root.merkleHash = nil
+	if pt.Root.payload != nil {
+		pt.Root.payload.childModified()
+	}
 	if len(value) <= 0 {
 		return false, pt.Root
 	}
@@ -200,27 +204,30 @@ func iterateFrom(name KeyType, node *collapsedVertex, handler func(name KeyType,
 func (pt *collapsedTrie) Erase(value KeyType) bool {
 	indexes, path := pt.FindPath(value)
 	if path == nil || len(path) <= 1 {
-		if len(path) == 1 {
-			path[0].merkleHash = nil
-			path[0].claimHash = nil
+		if len(path) == 1 && path[0].payload != nil {
+			path[0].payload.clear()
 		}
 		return false
 	}
 	nodes := pt.Nodes
 	i := len(path) - 1
-	path[i].claimHash = nil // this is the thing we are erasing; the rest is book-keeping
+	if path[i].payload != nil {
+		path[i].payload.clear() // this is the thing we are erasing; the rest is book-keeping
+	}
 	for ; i > 0; i-- {
 		childCount := len(path[i].children)
-		noClaimData := path[i].claimHash == nil
-		path[i].merkleHash = nil
-		if childCount == 1 && noClaimData {
+		emptyPayload := path[i].payload == nil || path[i].payload.isEmpty()
+		if path[i].payload != nil {
+			path[i].payload.childModified()
+		}
+		if childCount == 1 && emptyPayload {
 			path[i].key = append(path[i].key, path[i].children[0].key...)
-			path[i].claimHash = path[i].children[0].claimHash
+			path[i].payload = path[i].children[0].payload
 			path[i].children = path[i].children[0].children
 			pt.Nodes--
 			continue
 		}
-		if childCount == 0 && noClaimData {
+		if childCount == 0 && emptyPayload {
 			index := indexes[i]
 			path[i-1].children = append(path[i-1].children[:index], path[i-1].children[index+1:]...)
 			pt.Nodes--
@@ -229,7 +236,9 @@ func (pt *collapsedTrie) Erase(value KeyType) bool {
 		break
 	}
 	for ; i >= 0; i-- {
-		path[i].merkleHash = nil
+		if path[i].payload != nil {
+			path[i].payload.childModified()
+		}
 	}
 	return nodes > pt.Nodes
 }
diff --git a/claimtrie/merkletrie/collapsedtrie_test.go b/claimtrie/merkletrie/collapsedtrie_test.go
index ce41c35f..e2f0959a 100644
--- a/claimtrie/merkletrie/collapsedtrie_test.go
+++ b/claimtrie/merkletrie/collapsedtrie_test.go
@@ -46,24 +46,43 @@ func TestInsertAndErase(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, trie.NodeCount())
 }
 
+type testPayload struct {
+	modifies int
+	full     bool
+}
+
+func (t *testPayload) clear() {
+	t.full = false
+}
+
+func (t *testPayload) childModified() {
+	t.modifies++
+}
+
+func (t *testPayload) isEmpty() bool {
+	return !t.full
+}
+
+var _ VertexPayload = &testPayload{}
+
 func TestNilNameHandling(t *testing.T) {
 	trie := NewCollapsedTrie()
 	inserted, n := trie.InsertOrFind([]byte("test"))
 	assert.True(t, inserted)
-	n.claimHash = EmptyTrieHash
+	p := testPayload{}
 	inserted, n = trie.InsertOrFind(nil)
 	assert.False(t, inserted)
-	n.claimHash = EmptyTrieHash
-	n.merkleHash = EmptyTrieHash
+	n.payload = &p
+	p.full = true
 	inserted, n = trie.InsertOrFind(nil)
 	assert.False(t, inserted)
-	assert.NotNil(t, n.claimHash)
-	assert.Nil(t, n.merkleHash)
+	assert.NotNil(t, n.payload)
+	assert.True(t, p.modifies > 0)
 	nodeRemoved := trie.Erase(nil)
 	assert.False(t, nodeRemoved)
 	inserted, n = trie.InsertOrFind(nil)
 	assert.False(t, inserted)
-	assert.Nil(t, n.claimHash)
+	assert.True(t, n.payload.isEmpty())
 }
 
 func TestCollapsedTriePerformance(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/claimtrie/merkletrie/ramtrie.go b/claimtrie/merkletrie/ramtrie.go
index 2ae6bcc1..646a6b32 100644
--- a/claimtrie/merkletrie/ramtrie.go
+++ b/claimtrie/merkletrie/ramtrie.go
@@ -34,10 +34,39 @@ func NewRamTrie() *RamTrie {
 	}
 }
 
+type ramTriePayload struct {
+	merkleHash *chainhash.Hash
+	claimHash  *chainhash.Hash
+}
+
+func (r *ramTriePayload) clear() {
+	r.claimHash = nil
+	r.merkleHash = nil
+}
+
+func (r *ramTriePayload) childModified() {
+	r.merkleHash = nil
+}
+
+func (r *ramTriePayload) isEmpty() bool {
+	return r.claimHash == nil
+}
+
+func getOrMakePayload(v *collapsedVertex) *ramTriePayload {
+	if v.payload == nil {
+		r := &ramTriePayload{}
+		v.payload = r
+		return r
+	}
+	return v.payload.(*ramTriePayload)
+}
+
+var _ VertexPayload = &ramTriePayload{}
+
 var ErrFullRebuildRequired = errors.New("a full rebuild is required")
 
 func (rt *RamTrie) SetRoot(h *chainhash.Hash) error {
-	if rt.Root.merkleHash.IsEqual(h) {
+	if getOrMakePayload(rt.Root).merkleHash.IsEqual(h) {
 		runtime.GC()
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -51,7 +80,7 @@ func (rt *RamTrie) Update(name []byte, h *chainhash.Hash, _ bool) {
 		rt.Erase(name)
 	} else {
 		_, n := rt.InsertOrFind(name)
-		n.claimHash = h
+		getOrMakePayload(n).claimHash = h
 	}
 }
 
@@ -59,12 +88,13 @@ func (rt *RamTrie) MerkleHash() *chainhash.Hash {
 	if h := rt.merkleHash(rt.Root); h == nil {
 		return EmptyTrieHash
 	}
-	return rt.Root.merkleHash
+	return getOrMakePayload(rt.Root).merkleHash
 }
 
 func (rt *RamTrie) merkleHash(v *collapsedVertex) *chainhash.Hash {
-	if v.merkleHash != nil {
-		return v.merkleHash
+	p := getOrMakePayload(v)
+	if p.merkleHash != nil {
+		return p.merkleHash
 	}
 
 	b := rt.bufs.Get().(*bytes.Buffer)
@@ -77,16 +107,16 @@ func (rt *RamTrie) merkleHash(v *collapsedVertex) *chainhash.Hash {
 		b.Write(rt.completeHash(h, ch.key)) // nolint : errchk
 	}
 
-	if v.claimHash != nil {
-		b.Write(v.claimHash[:])
+	if p.claimHash != nil {
+		b.Write(p.claimHash[:])
 	}
 
 	if b.Len() > 0 {
 		h := chainhash.DoubleHashH(b.Bytes())
-		v.merkleHash = &h
+		p.merkleHash = &h
 	}
 
-	return v.merkleHash
+	return p.merkleHash
 }
 
 func (rt *RamTrie) completeHash(h *chainhash.Hash, childKey KeyType) []byte {
@@ -103,12 +133,13 @@ func (rt *RamTrie) MerkleHashAllClaims() *chainhash.Hash {
 	if h := rt.merkleHashAllClaims(rt.Root); h == nil {
 		return EmptyTrieHash
 	}
-	return rt.Root.merkleHash
+	return getOrMakePayload(rt.Root).merkleHash
 }
 
 func (rt *RamTrie) merkleHashAllClaims(v *collapsedVertex) *chainhash.Hash {
-	if v.merkleHash != nil {
-		return v.merkleHash
+	p := getOrMakePayload(v)
+	if p.merkleHash != nil {
+		return p.merkleHash
 	}
 
 	childHashes := make([]*chainhash.Hash, 0, len(v.children))
@@ -118,8 +149,8 @@ func (rt *RamTrie) merkleHashAllClaims(v *collapsedVertex) *chainhash.Hash {
 	}
 
 	claimHash := NoClaimsHash
-	if v.claimHash != nil {
-		claimHash = v.claimHash
+	if p.claimHash != nil {
+		claimHash = p.claimHash
 	} else if len(childHashes) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -130,8 +161,8 @@ func (rt *RamTrie) merkleHashAllClaims(v *collapsedVertex) *chainhash.Hash {
 		childHash = node.ComputeMerkleRoot(childHashes)
 	}
 
-	v.merkleHash = node.HashMerkleBranches(childHash, claimHash)
-	return v.merkleHash
+	p.merkleHash = node.HashMerkleBranches(childHash, claimHash)
+	return p.merkleHash
 }
 
 func (rt *RamTrie) Flush() error {