diff --git a/lib/runCall.js b/lib/runCall.js
index f4e53bb8b7..5c163c4478 100644
--- a/lib/runCall.js
+++ b/lib/runCall.js
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ module.exports = function (opts, cb) {
   stateManager.checkpoint()
 
   // run and parse
-  subTxValue()
-
   async.series([
+    subTxValue,
     loadToAccount,
+    addTxValue,
     loadCode,
     runCode,
     saveCode
@@ -83,26 +83,29 @@ module.exports = function (opts, cb) {
     }
   }
 
-  function subTxValue () {
+  function subTxValue (cb) {
     if (delegatecall) {
+      cb()
       return
     }
-    account.balance = new BN(account.balance).sub(txValue)
-    stateManager.cache.put(caller, account)
+    var newBalance = new BN(account.balance).sub(txValue)
+    account.balance = newBalance
+    stateManager.putAccountBalance(ethUtil.toBuffer(caller), newBalance, cb)
   }
 
-  function addTxValue () {
+  function addTxValue (cb) {
     if (delegatecall) {
+      cb()
       return
     }
     // add the amount sent to the `to` account
-    toAccount.balance = new BN(toAccount.balance).add(txValue)
-    stateManager.cache.put(toAddress, toAccount)
-    stateManager.touched.push(toAddress)
+    var newBalance = new BN(toAccount.balance).add(txValue)
+    toAccount.balance = newBalance
+    // putAccount as the nonce may have changed for contract creation
+    stateManager.putAccount(ethUtil.toBuffer(toAddress), toAccount, cb)
   }
 
   function loadCode (cb) {
-    addTxValue()
     // loads the contract's code if the account is a contract
     if (code || !(toAccount.isContract() || self._precompiled[toAddress.toString('hex')])) {
       cb()
diff --git a/lib/runCode.js b/lib/runCode.js
index 5b9938a542..8e1ed4ad0e 100644
--- a/lib/runCode.js
+++ b/lib/runCode.js
@@ -248,7 +248,6 @@ module.exports = function (opts, cb) {
     if (results.exceptionError) {
       delete results.gasRefund
       delete results.selfdestruct
-      self.stateManager.touched = []
     }
 
     if (err && err.error !== ERROR.REVERT) {
diff --git a/lib/runTx.js b/lib/runTx.js
index ad2e73f927..28ae76b32e 100644
--- a/lib/runTx.js
+++ b/lib/runTx.js
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ module.exports = function (opts, cb) {
 
     if (tx.to.toString('hex') !== '') {
       accounts.add(tx.to.toString('hex'))
-      self.stateManager.touched.push(tx.to)
     }
 
     if (opts.populateCache === false) {
@@ -148,53 +147,50 @@ module.exports = function (opts, cb) {
       }
 
       results.amountSpent = results.gasUsed.mul(new BN(tx.gasPrice))
-      // refund the leftover gas amount
-      fromAccount.balance = new BN(tx.gasLimit).sub(results.gasUsed)
-        .mul(new BN(tx.gasPrice))
-        .add(new BN(fromAccount.balance))
-
-      self.stateManager.cache.put(tx.from, fromAccount)
-      self.stateManager.touched.push(tx.from)
-
-      var minerAccount = self.stateManager.cache.get(block.header.coinbase)
-      // add the amount spent on gas to the miner's account
-      minerAccount.balance = new BN(minerAccount.balance)
-        .add(results.amountSpent)
-
-      // save the miner's account
-      if (!(new BN(minerAccount.balance).isZero())) {
-        self.stateManager.cache.put(block.header.coinbase, minerAccount)
+
+      async.series([
+        updateFromAccount,
+        updateMinerAccount,
+        cleanupAccounts
+      ], cb)
+
+      function updateFromAccount (next) {
+        // refund the leftover gas amount
+        var finalFromBalance = new BN(tx.gasLimit).sub(results.gasUsed)
+          .mul(new BN(tx.gasPrice))
+          .add(new BN(fromAccount.balance))
+        fromAccount.balance = finalFromBalance
+
+        self.stateManager.putAccountBalance(utils.toBuffer(tx.from), finalFromBalance, next)
       }
 
-      if (!results.vm.selfdestruct) {
-        results.vm.selfdestruct = {}
+      function updateMinerAccount (next) {
+        var minerAccount = self.stateManager.cache.get(block.header.coinbase)
+        // add the amount spent on gas to the miner's account
+        minerAccount.balance = new BN(minerAccount.balance)
+          .add(results.amountSpent)
+
+        // save the miner's account
+        if (!(new BN(minerAccount.balance).isZero())) {
+          self.stateManager.cache.put(block.header.coinbase, minerAccount)
+        }
+
+        next(null)
       }
 
-      var keys = Object.keys(results.vm.selfdestruct)
-
-      keys.forEach(function (s) {
-        self.stateManager.cache.del(Buffer.from(s, 'hex'))
-      })
-
-      // delete all touched accounts
-      var touched = self.stateManager.touched
-      async.forEach(touched, function (address, next) {
-        self.stateManager.accountIsEmpty(address, function (err, empty) {
-          if (err) {
-            next(err)
-            return
-          }
-
-          if (empty) {
-            self.stateManager.cache.del(address)
-          }
-          next(null)
+      function cleanupAccounts (next) {
+        if (!results.vm.selfdestruct) {
+          results.vm.selfdestruct = {}
+        }
+
+        var keys = Object.keys(results.vm.selfdestruct)
+
+        keys.forEach(function (s) {
+          self.stateManager.cache.del(Buffer.from(s, 'hex'))
         })
-      },
-      function () {
-        self.stateManager.touched = []
-        cb()
-      })
+
+        self.stateManager.cleanupTouchedAccounts(next)
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/stateManager.js b/lib/stateManager.js
index 4bd9b35d20..2d503e2d2f 100644
--- a/lib/stateManager.js
+++ b/lib/stateManager.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ function StateManager (opts) {
   self.trie = trie
   self._storageTries = {} // the storage trie cache
   self.cache = new Cache(trie)
-  self.touched = []
+  self._touched = new Set()
 }
 
 var proto = StateManager.prototype
@@ -47,14 +47,13 @@ proto.exists = function (address, cb) {
 }
 
 // saves the account
-proto._putAccount = function (address, account, cb) {
+proto.putAccount = function (address, account, cb) {
   var self = this
-  var addressHex = Buffer.from(address, 'hex')
   // TODO: dont save newly created accounts that have no balance
   // if (toAccount.balance.toString('hex') === '00') {
   // if they have money or a non-zero nonce or code, then write to tree
-  self.cache.put(addressHex, account)
-  self.touched.push(address)
+  self.cache.put(address, account)
+  self._touched.add(address.toString('hex'))
   // self.trie.put(addressHex, account.serialize(), cb)
   cb()
 }
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ proto.putAccountBalance = function (address, balance, cb) {
     }
 
     account.balance = balance
-    self._putAccount(address, account, cb)
+    self.putAccount(address, account, cb)
   })
 }
 
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ proto.putContractCode = function (address, value, cb) {
       if (err) {
         return cb(err)
       }
-      self._putAccount(address, account, cb)
+      self.putAccount(address, account, cb)
     })
   })
 }
@@ -180,8 +179,8 @@ proto.putContractStorage = function (address, key, value, cb) {
       // update contract stateRoot
       var contract = self.cache.get(address)
       contract.stateRoot = storageTrie.root
-      self._putAccount(address, contract, cb)
-      self.touched.push(address)
+      self.putAccount(address, contract, cb)
+      self._touched.add(address.toString('hex'))
     }
   })
 }
@@ -204,6 +203,7 @@ proto.commitContracts = function (cb) {
 proto.revertContracts = function () {
   var self = this
   self._storageTries = {}
+  self._touched.clear()
 }
 
 //
@@ -325,3 +325,26 @@ proto.accountIsEmpty = function (address, cb) {
     cb(null, account.nonce.toString('hex') === '' && account.balance.toString('hex') === '' && account.codeHash.toString('hex') === utils.SHA3_NULL_S)
   })
 }
+
+proto.cleanupTouchedAccounts = function (cb) {
+  var self = this
+  var touchedArray = Array.from(self._touched)
+  async.forEach(touchedArray, function (addressHex, next) {
+    var address = Buffer.from(addressHex, 'hex')
+    self.accountIsEmpty(address, function (err, empty) {
+      if (err) {
+        next(err)
+        return
+      }
+
+      if (empty) {
+        self.cache.del(address)
+      }
+      next(null)
+    })
+  },
+  function () {
+    self._touched.clear()
+    cb()
+  })
+}