diff --git a/dot/state/block.go b/dot/state/block.go
index e31d8f40c9..15edecac87 100644
--- a/dot/state/block.go
+++ b/dot/state/block.go
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	pruneKeyBufferSize = 1000
-	blockPrefix        = "block"
+	blockPrefix = "block"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -60,6 +59,7 @@ type BlockState struct {
 	genesisHash       common.Hash
 	lastFinalised     common.Hash
 	unfinalisedBlocks *sync.Map // map[common.Hash]*types.Block
+	tries             *tries
 
 	// block notifiers
 	imported                       map[chan *types.Block]struct{}
@@ -69,21 +69,19 @@ type BlockState struct {
 	runtimeUpdateSubscriptionsLock sync.RWMutex
 	runtimeUpdateSubscriptions     map[uint32]chan<- runtime.Version
 
-	pruneKeyCh chan *types.Header
-
 	telemetry telemetry.Client
 }
 
 // NewBlockState will create a new BlockState backed by the database located at basePath
-func NewBlockState(db chaindb.Database, telemetry telemetry.Client) (*BlockState, error) {
+func NewBlockState(db chaindb.Database, tries *tries, telemetry telemetry.Client) (*BlockState, error) {
 	bs := &BlockState{
 		dbPath:                     db.Path(),
 		baseState:                  NewBaseState(db),
 		db:                         chaindb.NewTable(db, blockPrefix),
 		unfinalisedBlocks:          new(sync.Map),
+		tries:                      tries,
 		imported:                   make(map[chan *types.Block]struct{}),
 		finalised:                  make(map[chan *types.FinalisationInfo]struct{}),
-		pruneKeyCh:                 make(chan *types.Header, pruneKeyBufferSize),
 		runtimeUpdateSubscriptions: make(map[uint32]chan<- runtime.Version),
 		telemetry:                  telemetry,
 	}
@@ -107,16 +105,16 @@ func NewBlockState(db chaindb.Database, telemetry telemetry.Client) (*BlockState
 
 // NewBlockStateFromGenesis initialises a BlockState from a genesis header,
 // saving it to the database located at basePath
-func NewBlockStateFromGenesis(db chaindb.Database, header *types.Header,
+func NewBlockStateFromGenesis(db chaindb.Database, tries *tries, header *types.Header,
 	telemetryMailer telemetry.Client) (*BlockState, error) {
 	bs := &BlockState{
 		bt:                         blocktree.NewBlockTreeFromRoot(header),
 		baseState:                  NewBaseState(db),
 		db:                         chaindb.NewTable(db, blockPrefix),
 		unfinalisedBlocks:          new(sync.Map),
+		tries:                      tries,
 		imported:                   make(map[chan *types.Block]struct{}),
 		finalised:                  make(map[chan *types.FinalisationInfo]struct{}),
-		pruneKeyCh:                 make(chan *types.Header, pruneKeyBufferSize),
 		runtimeUpdateSubscriptions: make(map[uint32]chan<- runtime.Version),
 		genesisHash:                header.Hash(),
 		lastFinalised:              header.Hash(),
diff --git a/dot/state/block_finalisation.go b/dot/state/block_finalisation.go
index ac19f469bc..945863eaed 100644
--- a/dot/state/block_finalisation.go
+++ b/dot/state/block_finalisation.go
@@ -151,8 +151,9 @@ func (bs *BlockState) SetFinalisedHash(hash common.Hash, round, setID uint64) er
 			continue
 		}
 
+		bs.tries.delete(hash)
+
 		logger.Tracef("pruned block number %s with hash %s", block.Header.Number, hash)
-		bs.pruneKeyCh <- &block.Header
 	}
 
 	// if nothing was previously finalised, set the first slot of the network to the
@@ -238,8 +239,9 @@ func (bs *BlockState) handleFinalisedBlock(curr common.Hash) error {
 			continue
 		}
 
+		bs.tries.delete(hash)
+
 		logger.Tracef("cleaned out finalised block from memory; block number %s with hash %s", block.Header.Number, hash)
-		bs.pruneKeyCh <- &block.Header
 	}
 
 	return batch.Flush()
diff --git a/dot/state/block_race_test.go b/dot/state/block_race_test.go
index 1f1284556c..373c961be1 100644
--- a/dot/state/block_race_test.go
+++ b/dot/state/block_race_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func TestConcurrencySetHeader(t *testing.T) {
 		go func(index int) {
 			defer pend.Done()
 
-			bs, err := NewBlockStateFromGenesis(dbs[index], testGenesisHeader, telemetryMock)
+			bs, err := NewBlockStateFromGenesis(dbs[index], nil, testGenesisHeader, telemetryMock)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 
 			header := &types.Header{
diff --git a/dot/state/block_test.go b/dot/state/block_test.go
index 50e6513f5f..cdd521186f 100644
--- a/dot/state/block_test.go
+++ b/dot/state/block_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func newTestBlockState(t *testing.T, header *types.Header) *BlockState {
 		header = testGenesisHeader
 	}
 
-	bs, err := NewBlockStateFromGenesis(db, header, telemetryMock)
+	bs, err := NewBlockStateFromGenesis(db, nil, header, telemetryMock)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	return bs
 }
diff --git a/dot/state/initialize.go b/dot/state/initialize.go
index 782ebe89e7..a0cfb63498 100644
--- a/dot/state/initialize.go
+++ b/dot/state/initialize.go
@@ -62,14 +62,16 @@ func (s *Service) Initialise(gen *genesis.Genesis, header *types.Header, t *trie
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write genesis values to database: %s", err)
 	}
 
+	tries := newTries(t)
+
 	// create block state from genesis block
-	blockState, err := NewBlockStateFromGenesis(db, header, s.Telemetry)
+	blockState, err := NewBlockStateFromGenesis(db, tries, header, s.Telemetry)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create block state from genesis: %s", err)
 	}
 
 	// create storage state from genesis trie
-	storageState, err := NewStorageState(db, blockState, t, pruner.Config{})
+	storageState, err := NewStorageState(db, blockState, tries, pruner.Config{})
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create storage state from trie: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/dot/state/offline_pruner.go b/dot/state/offline_pruner.go
index eedc26d7ec..cc0b0bf49a 100644
--- a/dot/state/offline_pruner.go
+++ b/dot/state/offline_pruner.go
@@ -41,9 +41,11 @@ func NewOfflinePruner(inputDBPath, prunedDBPath string, bloomSize uint64,
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load DB %w", err)
 	}
 
+	tries := newTries(trie.NewEmptyTrie())
+
 	// create blockState state
 	// NewBlockState on pruner execution does not use telemetry
-	blockState, err := NewBlockState(db, nil)
+	blockState, err := NewBlockState(db, tries, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create block state: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ func NewOfflinePruner(inputDBPath, prunedDBPath string, bloomSize uint64,
 	}
 
 	// load storage state
-	storageState, err := NewStorageState(db, blockState, trie.NewEmptyTrie(), pruner.Config{})
+	storageState, err := NewStorageState(db, blockState, tries, pruner.Config{})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create new storage state %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/dot/state/service.go b/dot/state/service.go
index 48c03f99b7..dc65673425 100644
--- a/dot/state/service.go
+++ b/dot/state/service.go
@@ -114,9 +114,11 @@ func (s *Service) Start() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	tries := newTries(trie.NewEmptyTrie())
+
 	var err error
 	// create block state
-	s.Block, err = NewBlockState(s.db, s.Telemetry)
+	s.Block, err = NewBlockState(s.db, tries, s.Telemetry)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create block state: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -136,7 +138,7 @@ func (s *Service) Start() error {
 	}
 
 	// create storage state
-	s.Storage, err = NewStorageState(s.db, s.Block, trie.NewEmptyTrie(), pr)
+	s.Storage, err = NewStorageState(s.db, s.Block, tries, pr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create storage state: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -167,9 +169,6 @@ func (s *Service) Start() error {
 		", highest number " + num.String() +
 		" and genesis hash " + s.Block.genesisHash.String())
 
-	// Start background goroutine to GC pruned keys.
-	go s.Storage.pruneStorage(s.closeCh)
-
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/dot/state/storage.go b/dot/state/storage.go
index 94772187df..b4ac708245 100644
--- a/dot/state/storage.go
+++ b/dot/state/storage.go
@@ -43,17 +43,11 @@ type StorageState struct {
 
 // NewStorageState creates a new StorageState backed by the given trie and database located at basePath.
 func NewStorageState(db chaindb.Database, blockState *BlockState,
-	t *trie.Trie, onlinePruner pruner.Config) (*StorageState, error) {
+	tries *tries, onlinePruner pruner.Config) (*StorageState, error) {
 	if db == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot have nil database")
 	}
 
-	if t == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot have nil trie")
-	}
-
-	tries := newTries(t)
-
 	storageTable := chaindb.NewTable(db, storagePrefix)
 
 	var p pruner.Pruner
@@ -76,11 +70,6 @@ func NewStorageState(db chaindb.Database, blockState *BlockState,
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func (s *StorageState) pruneKey(keyHeader *types.Header) {
-	logger.Tracef("pruning trie, number=%d hash=%s", keyHeader.Number, keyHeader.Hash())
-	s.tries.delete(keyHeader.StateRoot)
-}
-
 // StoreTrie stores the given trie in the StorageState and writes it to the database
 func (s *StorageState) StoreTrie(ts *rtstorage.TrieState, header *types.Header) error {
 	root := ts.MustRoot()
@@ -314,14 +303,3 @@ func (s *StorageState) LoadCodeHash(hash *common.Hash) (common.Hash, error) {
 func (s *StorageState) GenerateTrieProof(stateRoot common.Hash, keys [][]byte) ([][]byte, error) {
 	return trie.GenerateProof(stateRoot[:], keys, s.db)
 }
-
-func (s *StorageState) pruneStorage(closeCh chan interface{}) {
-	for {
-		select {
-		case key := <-s.blockState.pruneKeyCh:
-			s.pruneKey(key)
-		case <-closeCh:
-			return
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/dot/state/storage_test.go b/dot/state/storage_test.go
index b455a66231..8486c2c56e 100644
--- a/dot/state/storage_test.go
+++ b/dot/state/storage_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ func newTestStorageState(t *testing.T) *StorageState {
 	db := NewInMemoryDB(t)
 	bs := newTestBlockState(t, testGenesisHeader)
 
-	s, err := NewStorageState(db, bs, trie.NewEmptyTrie(), pruner.Config{})
+	tries := newTries(trie.NewEmptyTrie())
+
+	s, err := NewStorageState(db, bs, tries, pruner.Config{})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	return s
 }
@@ -179,7 +181,7 @@ func TestGetStorageChildAndGetStorageFromChild(t *testing.T) {
 		"0",
 	))
 
-	blockState, err := NewBlockStateFromGenesis(db, genHeader, telemetryMock)
+	blockState, err := NewBlockStateFromGenesis(db, nil, genHeader, telemetryMock)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	testChildTrie := trie.NewEmptyTrie()
@@ -188,7 +190,9 @@ func TestGetStorageChildAndGetStorageFromChild(t *testing.T) {
 	err = genTrie.PutChild([]byte("keyToChild"), testChildTrie)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	storage, err := NewStorageState(db, blockState, genTrie, pruner.Config{})
+	tries := newTries(genTrie)
+
+	storage, err := NewStorageState(db, blockState, tries, pruner.Config{})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	trieState, err := runtime.NewTrieState(genTrie)
diff --git a/lib/grandpa/grandpa_test.go b/lib/grandpa/grandpa_test.go
index f52c86f7a1..b09e803ad2 100644
--- a/lib/grandpa/grandpa_test.go
+++ b/lib/grandpa/grandpa_test.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func newTestState(t *testing.T) *state.Service {
 	t.Cleanup(func() { db.Close() })
 
 	_, genTrie, _ := genesis.NewTestGenesisWithTrieAndHeader(t)
-	block, err := state.NewBlockStateFromGenesis(db, testGenesisHeader, telemetryMock)
+	block, err := state.NewBlockStateFromGenesis(db, nil, testGenesisHeader, telemetryMock)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	rtCfg := &wasmer.Config{}