diff --git a/util/patricia_trie/benches/trie.rs b/util/patricia_trie/benches/trie.rs
index 4e755a44d..f26febdb5 100644
--- a/util/patricia_trie/benches/trie.rs
+++ b/util/patricia_trie/benches/trie.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ fn trie_insertions_32_mir_1k(b: &mut Bencher) {
 		count: 1000,
 	};
 	let d = st.make();
-	let mut hash_count = 0usize;
 	b.iter(&mut ||{
 		let mut memdb = MemoryDB::new();
 		let mut root = H256::new();
@@ -76,9 +75,7 @@ fn trie_insertions_32_mir_1k(b: &mut Bencher) {
 		for i in d.iter() {
 			t.insert(&i.0, &i.1).unwrap();
 		}
-		hash_count = t.hash_count;
 	});
-//	println!("hash_count: {}", hash_count);
 }
 #[bench]
 fn trie_iter(b: &mut Bencher) {
@@ -117,7 +114,6 @@ fn trie_insertions_32_ran_1k(b: &mut Bencher) {
 		count: 1000,
 	};
 	let d = st.make();
-	let mut hash_count = 0usize;
 	let mut r = H256::new();
 	b.iter(&mut ||{
 		let mut memdb = MemoryDB::new();
@@ -126,7 +122,6 @@ fn trie_insertions_32_ran_1k(b: &mut Bencher) {
 		for i in d.iter() {
 			t.insert(&i.0, &i.1).unwrap();
 		}
-		hash_count = t.hash_count;
 		r = t.root().clone();
 	});
 }
diff --git a/util/patricia_trie/src/node.rs b/util/patricia_trie/src/node.rs
index 70f529c53..d85630044 100644
--- a/util/patricia_trie/src/node.rs
+++ b/util/patricia_trie/src/node.rs
@@ -117,30 +117,6 @@ pub enum OwnedNode {
 	Branch([NodeKey; 16], Option<DBValue>),
 }
 
-impl Clone for OwnedNode {
-	fn clone(&self) -> Self {
-		match *self {
-			OwnedNode::Empty => OwnedNode::Empty,
-			OwnedNode::Leaf(ref k, ref v) => OwnedNode::Leaf(k.clone(), v.clone()),
-			OwnedNode::Extension(ref k, ref c) => OwnedNode::Extension(k.clone(), c.clone()),
-			OwnedNode::Branch(ref c, ref v) => {
-				let mut children = [
-					NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(),
-					NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(),
-					NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(),
-					NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(),
-				];
-
-				for (owned, borrowed) in children.iter_mut().zip(c.iter()) {
-					*owned = borrowed.clone()
-				}
-
-				OwnedNode::Branch(children, v.as_ref().cloned())
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 impl<'a> From<Node<'a>> for OwnedNode {
 	fn from(node: Node<'a>) -> Self {
 		match node {
@@ -148,17 +124,13 @@ impl<'a> From<Node<'a>> for OwnedNode {
 			Node::Leaf(k, v) => OwnedNode::Leaf(k.into(), DBValue::from_slice(v)),
 			Node::Extension(k, child) => OwnedNode::Extension(k.into(), DBValue::from_slice(child)),
 			Node::Branch(c, val) => {
-				let mut children = [
-					NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(),
-					NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(),
-					NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(),
-					NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(), NodeKey::new(),
+				let children = [
+					NodeKey::from_slice(c[0]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[1]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[2]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[3]),
+					NodeKey::from_slice(c[4]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[5]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[6]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[7]),
+					NodeKey::from_slice(c[8]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[9]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[10]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[11]),
+					NodeKey::from_slice(c[12]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[13]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[14]), NodeKey::from_slice(c[15]),
 				];
 
-				for (owned, borrowed) in children.iter_mut().zip(c.iter()) {
-					*owned = NodeKey::from_slice(borrowed)
-				}
-
 				OwnedNode::Branch(children, val.map(DBValue::from_slice))
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/util/patricia_trie/src/triedb.rs b/util/patricia_trie/src/triedb.rs
index 38f7e2adf..d9eb55c27 100644
--- a/util/patricia_trie/src/triedb.rs
+++ b/util/patricia_trie/src/triedb.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ pub struct TrieDB<'db> {
 	db: &'db HashDB,
 	root: &'db H256,
 	/// The number of hashes performed so far in operations on this trie.
-	pub hash_count: usize,
+	hash_count: usize,
 }
 
 impl<'db> TrieDB<'db> {
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ enum Status {
 	Exiting,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Eq, PartialEq)]
 struct Crumb {
 	node: OwnedNode,
 	status: Status,
@@ -200,7 +200,6 @@ impl Crumb {
 }
 
 /// Iterator for going through all values in the trie.
-#[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct TrieDBIterator<'a> {
 	db: &'a TrieDB<'a>,
 	trail: Vec<Crumb>,
@@ -340,11 +339,7 @@ impl<'a> Iterator for TrieDBIterator<'a> {
 
 		loop {
 			let iter_step = {
-				match self.trail.last_mut() {
-					Some(b) => { b.increment(); },
-					None => return None,
-				}
-
+				self.trail.last_mut()?.increment();
 				let b = self.trail.last().expect("trail.last_mut().is_some(); qed");
 
 				match (b.status.clone(), &b.node) {
diff --git a/util/patricia_trie/src/triedbmut.rs b/util/patricia_trie/src/triedbmut.rs
index 8a3bc61f7..8335cc246 100644
--- a/util/patricia_trie/src/triedbmut.rs
+++ b/util/patricia_trie/src/triedbmut.rs
@@ -105,16 +105,23 @@ impl Node {
 			RlpNode::Extension(key, cb) => {
 				Node::Extension(key.encoded(false), Self::inline_or_hash(cb, db, storage))
 			}
-			RlpNode::Branch(children_rlp, val) => {
-				let mut children = empty_children();
-
-				for i in 0..16 {
+			RlpNode::Branch(ref children_rlp, val) => {
+				let mut child = |i| {
 					let raw = children_rlp[i];
 					let child_rlp = Rlp::new(raw);
-					if !child_rlp.is_empty()  {
-						children[i] = Some(Self::inline_or_hash(raw, db, storage));
+					if !child_rlp.is_empty() {
+						Some(Self::inline_or_hash(raw, db, storage))
+					} else {
+						None
 					}
-				}
+				};
+
+				let children = Box::new([
+					child(0), child(1), child(2), child(3),
+					child(4), child(5), child(6), child(7),
+					child(8), child(9), child(10), child(11),
+					child(12), child(13), child(14), child(15),
+				]);
 
 				Node::Branch(children, val.map(DBValue::from_slice))
 			}
@@ -294,7 +301,7 @@ pub struct TrieDBMut<'a> {
 	death_row: HashSet<H256>,
 	/// The number of hash operations this trie has performed.
 	/// Note that none are performed until changes are committed.
-	pub hash_count: usize,
+	hash_count: usize,
 }
 
 impl<'a> TrieDBMut<'a> {