diff --git a/src/circuit/gadget/merkle.rs b/src/circuit/gadget/merkle.rs
index 5af5de3a2..a8031002c 100644
--- a/src/circuit/gadget/merkle.rs
+++ b/src/circuit/gadget/merkle.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use halo2::{
-    circuit::{Chip, Layouter},
-    plonk::{Advice, Column, ConstraintSystem, Error, Expression, Fixed, Permutation, Selector},
+    circuit::{Cell, Chip, Layouter},
+    plonk::{Advice, Column, ConstraintSystem, Error, Expression, Fixed, Permutation},
     poly::Rotation,
 };
 use pasta_curves::arithmetic::{CurveAffine, FieldExt};
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ pub trait MerkleInstructions<
         layouter: impl Layouter<C::Base>,
         domain: &<Self as SinsemillaInstructions<C, K, MAX_WORDS>>::HashDomains,
         start_height: usize,
-        root: Option<C::Base>,
+        root: Cell,
         node: (<Self as UtilitiesInstructions<C::Base>>::Var, Option<u32>),
         merkle_path: Vec<Option<C::Base>>,
     ) -> Result<<Self as UtilitiesInstructions<C::Base>>::Var, Error>;
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ pub trait MerkleInstructions<
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct MerkleConfig<const PATH_LENGTH: usize> {
-    q_merkle: Selector,
     a: Column<Advice>,
     b: Column<Advice>,
     c: Column<Advice>,
@@ -103,7 +102,6 @@ impl<C: CurveAffine, const PATH_LENGTH: usize, const K: usize, const MAX_WORDS:
         let left = advices[3];
         let right = advices[4];
 
-        let q_merkle = meta.selector();
         let l_star = meta.fixed_column();
 
         // Check that pieces have been decomposed correctly for Sinsemilla hash.
@@ -151,17 +149,7 @@ impl<C: CurveAffine, const PATH_LENGTH: usize, const K: usize, const MAX_WORDS:
                 .collect()
         });
 
-        // Check that root is recovered at the end of Merkle hash.
-        meta.create_gate("Root check", |meta| {
-            let q_merkle = meta.query_selector(q_merkle, Rotation::cur());
-            let root = meta.query_advice(a, Rotation::cur());
-            let computed_root = meta.query_advice(b, Rotation::cur());
-
-            vec![q_merkle * (root - computed_root)]
-        });
-
         MerkleConfig {
-            q_merkle,
             a,
             b,
             c,
@@ -235,7 +223,7 @@ impl<C: CurveAffine, const PATH_LENGTH: usize, const K: usize, const MAX_WORDS:
         mut layouter: impl Layouter<C::Base>,
         domain: &<Self as SinsemillaInstructions<C, K, MAX_WORDS>>::HashDomains,
         start_height: usize,
-        root: Option<C::Base>,
+        root: Cell,
         node: (<Self as UtilitiesInstructions<C::Base>>::Var, Option<u32>),
         merkle_path: Vec<Option<C::Base>>,
     ) -> Result<<Self as UtilitiesInstructions<C::Base>>::Var, Error> {
@@ -300,29 +288,10 @@ impl<C: CurveAffine, const PATH_LENGTH: usize, const K: usize, const MAX_WORDS:
             )?;
         }
 
-        // Check that the final node is equal to the claimed root.
+        // Constrain the final hash output to equal the claimed root.
         layouter.assign_region(
             || "Root check",
-            |mut region| {
-                region.assign_advice(
-                    || "Witness root",
-                    config.a,
-                    0,
-                    || root.ok_or(Error::SynthesisError),
-                )?;
-
-                // Copy final output of Sinsemilla hash
-                copy(
-                    &mut region,
-                    || "Copy final hash output",
-                    config.b,
-                    0,
-                    &node,
-                    &config.perm,
-                )?;
-
-                config.q_merkle.enable(&mut region, 0)
-            },
+            |mut region| region.constrain_equal(&config.perm, node.cell(), root),
         )?;
 
         Ok(node)
@@ -685,7 +654,7 @@ pub mod tests {
 
     use crate::circuit::gadget::{
         sinsemilla::chip::{SinsemillaChip, SinsemillaHashDomains},
-        utilities::UtilitiesInstructions,
+        utilities::{UtilitiesInstructions, Var},
     };
     use crate::constants::{
         util::i2lebsp, L_ORCHARD_BASE, MERKLE_CRH_PERSONALIZATION, MERKLE_DEPTH_ORCHARD,
@@ -710,7 +679,7 @@ pub mod tests {
         const K: usize,
         const MAX_WORDS: usize,
     > {
-        root: Option<C::Base>,
+        root: C::Base,
         leaf: (Option<C::Base>, Option<u32>),
         merkle_path: Vec<Option<C::Base>>,
         _marker: PhantomData<C>,
@@ -784,7 +753,7 @@ pub mod tests {
                 config.0.clone(),
             );
             let merkle_chip_2 =
-                MerkleChip::<pallas::Affine, PATH_LENGTH, K, MAX_WORDS>::construct(config.1);
+                MerkleChip::<pallas::Affine, PATH_LENGTH, K, MAX_WORDS>::construct(config.1.clone());
 
             // Process lo half of the Merkle path from leaf to intermediate root.
             let leaf = merkle_chip_1.load_private(
@@ -800,6 +769,7 @@ pub mod tests {
                 .into_iter()
                 .collect();
 
+            // Compute the intermediate root
             let intermediate_root = self
                 .leaf
                 .0
@@ -807,15 +777,30 @@ pub mod tests {
                 .zip(path_lo)
                 .map(|((leaf, pos), path)| hash_path(&merkle_crh, 0, leaf, &pos, &path));
 
+            // Witness the intermediate root
+            let intermediate_root = merkle_chip_1.load_private(
+                layouter.namespace(|| "intermediate root"),
+                config.0.a,
+                intermediate_root,
+            )?;
+
             let intermediate_root = merkle_chip_1.merkle_path_check(
                 layouter.namespace(|| ""),
                 &SinsemillaHashDomains::MerkleCrh,
                 0,
-                intermediate_root,
+                intermediate_root.cell(),
                 (leaf, pos_lo),
                 self.merkle_path[0..PATH_LENGTH].to_vec(),
             )?;
 
+            // Witness the final root. In the Orchard circuit, this is a public
+            // input that will be constrained to equal some cell in an advice column.
+            let final_root = merkle_chip_2.load_private(
+                layouter.namespace(|| "final root"),
+                config.1.a,
+                Some(self.root),
+            )?;
+
             // Process hi half of the Merkle path from intermediate root to root.
             let pos_hi = self.leaf.1.map(|pos| pos >> (PATH_LENGTH));
 
@@ -823,7 +808,7 @@ pub mod tests {
                 layouter.namespace(|| ""),
                 &SinsemillaHashDomains::MerkleCrh,
                 PATH_LENGTH,
-                self.root,
+                final_root.cell(),
                 (intermediate_root, pos_hi),
                 self.merkle_path[PATH_LENGTH..].to_vec(),
             )?;
@@ -891,7 +876,7 @@ pub mod tests {
         let root = hash_path(&merkle_crh, 0, leaf, &pos_bool, &path);
 
         let circuit = MyCircuit::<pallas::Affine, { MERKLE_DEPTH_ORCHARD / 2 }, K, C> {
-            root: Some(root),
+            root,
             leaf: (Some(leaf), Some(pos)),
             merkle_path: path.into_iter().map(Some).collect(),
             _marker: PhantomData,