diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index fe0de52362b..a4ec52a498d 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/p2p/enode"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/params"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/rpc"
+	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/smt/pkg/db"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/sync_stages"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/turbo/engineapi"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/turbo/services"
@@ -108,6 +109,7 @@ import (
 	stages2 "github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/turbo/stages"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/turbo/stages/headerdownload"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/zk/datastream/client"
+	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/zk/hermez_db"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/zk/syncer"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/zkevm/etherman"
 )
@@ -674,6 +676,23 @@ func New(stack *node.Node, config *ethconfig.Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 
 	backend.ethBackendRPC, backend.miningRPC, backend.stateChangesClient = ethBackendRPC, miningRPC, stateDiffClient
 
+	tx, err := backend.chainDB.BeginRw(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	// create buckets
+	if err := hermez_db.CreateHermezBuckets(tx); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if err := db.CreateEriDbBuckets(tx); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if err := tx.Commit(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	if backend.config.Zk != nil {
 		cfg := backend.config.Zk
 
diff --git a/smt/pkg/db/mdbx.go b/smt/pkg/db/mdbx.go
index ec90e78a5e5..e8476a3dcf0 100644
--- a/smt/pkg/db/mdbx.go
+++ b/smt/pkg/db/mdbx.go
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@ import (
 	"math/big"
 
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon-lib/kv"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/ethdb"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/ethdb/olddb"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/smt/pkg/utils"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/log/v3"
-	"strings"
 )
 
 type SmtDbTx interface {
@@ -32,26 +33,30 @@ type EriDb struct {
 	tx   SmtDbTx
 }
 
-func NewEriDb(tx kv.RwTx) (*EriDb, error) {
+func CreateEriDbBuckets(tx kv.RwTx) error {
 	err := tx.CreateBucket(TableSmt)
 	if err != nil {
-		return &EriDb{}, err
+		return err
 	}
 
 	err = tx.CreateBucket(TableLastRoot)
 	if err != nil {
-		return &EriDb{}, err
+		return err
 	}
 
 	err = tx.CreateBucket(TableAccountValues)
 	if err != nil {
-		return &EriDb{}, err
+		return err
 	}
 
+	return nil
+}
+
+func NewEriDb(tx kv.RwTx) *EriDb {
 	return &EriDb{
 		kvTx: tx,
 		tx:   tx,
-	}, nil
+	}
 }
 
 func (m *EriDb) OpenBatch(quitCh <-chan struct{}) {
diff --git a/smt/pkg/db/mdbx_test.go b/smt/pkg/db/mdbx_test.go
index 4d6ea85d739..246a7a5cebe 100644
--- a/smt/pkg/db/mdbx_test.go
+++ b/smt/pkg/db/mdbx_test.go
@@ -2,17 +2,18 @@ package db
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"math/big"
+	"testing"
+
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon-lib/kv/mdbx"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/smt/pkg/utils"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-	"math/big"
-	"testing"
 )
 
 func TestEriDb(t *testing.T) {
 	dbi, _ := mdbx.NewTemporaryMdbx()
 	tx, _ := dbi.BeginRw(context.Background())
-	db, _ := NewEriDb(tx)
+	db := NewEriDb(tx)
 
 	// The key and value we're going to test
 	key := utils.NodeKey{1, 2, 3, 4}
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ func TestEriDb(t *testing.T) {
 func TestEriDbBatch(t *testing.T) {
 	dbi, _ := mdbx.NewTemporaryMdbx()
 	tx, _ := dbi.BeginRw(context.Background())
-	db, _ := NewEriDb(tx)
+	db := NewEriDb(tx)
 
 	// The key and value we're going to test
 	key := utils.NodeKey{1, 2, 3, 4}
diff --git a/smt/pkg/smt/entity_storage_mdbx_test.go b/smt/pkg/smt/entity_storage_mdbx_test.go
index b9e43d1455c..0a2720eae8a 100644
--- a/smt/pkg/smt/entity_storage_mdbx_test.go
+++ b/smt/pkg/smt/entity_storage_mdbx_test.go
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ func runGenesisTestMdbx(tb testing.TB, filename string) {
 	if err != nil {
 		tb.Fatal("Failed to open db: ", err)
 	}
-	sdb, _ := db2.NewEriDb(tx)
+	sdb := db2.NewEriDb(tx)
 
 	smt := NewSMT(sdb)
 
@@ -306,6 +306,6 @@ func getTempMdbx() (*db2.EriDb, kv.RwDB, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	sdb, _ := db2.NewEriDb(tx)
+	sdb := db2.NewEriDb(tx)
 	return sdb, dbi, nil
 }
diff --git a/zk/hermez_db/db.go b/zk/hermez_db/db.go
index 56a2ce40bfb..eb4eb632491 100644
--- a/zk/hermez_db/db.go
+++ b/zk/hermez_db/db.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon-lib/common"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon-lib/kv"
-	"github.com/ledgerwatch/log/v3"
 
 	dstypes "github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/zk/datastream/types"
 	"github.com/ledgerwatch/erigon/zk/types"
@@ -39,44 +38,39 @@ func NewHermezDb(tx kv.RwTx) (*HermezDb, error) {
 	db := &HermezDb{tx: tx}
 	db.HermezDbReader = NewHermezDbReader(tx)
 
-	err := db.CreateBuckets()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Warn("failed to create buckets", "err", err)
-	}
-
 	return db, nil
 }
 
-func (db *HermezDb) CreateBuckets() error {
-	err := db.tx.CreateBucket(L1VERIFICATIONS)
+func CreateHermezBuckets(tx kv.RwTx) error {
+	err := tx.CreateBucket(L1VERIFICATIONS)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = db.tx.CreateBucket(L1SEQUENCES)
+	err = tx.CreateBucket(L1SEQUENCES)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = db.tx.CreateBucket(FORKIDS)
+	err = tx.CreateBucket(FORKIDS)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = db.tx.CreateBucket(BLOCKBATCHES)
+	err = tx.CreateBucket(BLOCKBATCHES)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = db.tx.CreateBucket(GLOBAL_EXIT_ROOTS)
+	err = tx.CreateBucket(GLOBAL_EXIT_ROOTS)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = db.tx.CreateBucket(GLOBAL_EXIT_ROOTS_BATCHES)
+	err = tx.CreateBucket(GLOBAL_EXIT_ROOTS_BATCHES)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = db.tx.CreateBucket(TX_PRICE_PERCENTAGE)
+	err = tx.CreateBucket(TX_PRICE_PERCENTAGE)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = db.tx.CreateBucket(STATE_ROOTS)
+	err = tx.CreateBucket(STATE_ROOTS)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/zk/stages/stage_interhashes.go b/zk/stages/stage_interhashes.go
index e51a8517f87..3367ba7ec87 100644
--- a/zk/stages/stage_interhashes.go
+++ b/zk/stages/stage_interhashes.go
@@ -116,10 +116,7 @@ func SpawnZkIntermediateHashesStage(s *sync_stages.StageState, u sync_stages.Unw
 
 	shouldRegenerate := to > s.BlockNumber && to-s.BlockNumber > cfg.zk.RebuildTreeAfter
 
-	eridb, err := db2.NewEriDb(tx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return trie.EmptyRoot, err
-	}
+	eridb := db2.NewEriDb(tx)
 	smt := smt.NewSMT(eridb)
 
 	if s.BlockNumber == 0 || shouldRegenerate {
@@ -453,10 +450,7 @@ func unwindZkSMT(logPrefix string, from, to uint64, db kv.RwTx, cfg ZkInterHashe
 	log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("[%s] Unwind trie hashes started", logPrefix))
 	defer log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("[%s] Unwind ended", logPrefix))
 
-	eridb, err := db2.NewEriDb(db)
-	if err != nil {
-		return trie.EmptyRoot, err
-	}
+	eridb := db2.NewEriDb(db)
 	dbSmt := smt.NewSMT(eridb)
 
 	log.Info(fmt.Sprintf("[%s]", logPrefix), "last root", libcommon.BigToHash(dbSmt.LastRoot()))