diff --git a/dot/state/offline_pruner.go b/dot/state/offline_pruner.go
index 5a69307f7b..62ceb7b86c 100644
--- a/dot/state/offline_pruner.go
+++ b/dot/state/offline_pruner.go
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func (p *OfflinePruner) SetBloomFilter() (err error) {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		tr.PopulateMerkleValues(tr.RootNode(), merkleValues)
+		trie.PopulateNodeHashes(tr.RootNode(), merkleValues)
 
 		// get parent header of current block
 		header, err = p.blockState.GetHeader(header.ParentHash)
diff --git a/lib/trie/database.go b/lib/trie/database.go
index fe908df6ec..c2ca4bde70 100644
--- a/lib/trie/database.go
+++ b/lib/trie/database.go
@@ -185,22 +185,35 @@ func (t *Trie) loadNode(db Database, n *Node) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// PopulateMerkleValues writes the Merkle value of each children of the node given
-// as keys to the map merkleValues.
-func (t *Trie) PopulateMerkleValues(n *Node, merkleValues map[string]struct{}) {
-	if n.Kind() != node.Branch {
+// PopulateNodeHashes writes the node hash values of the node given and of
+// all its descendant nodes as keys to the nodeHashes map.
+// It is assumed the node and its descendant nodes have their Merkle value already
+// computed.
+func PopulateNodeHashes(n *Node, nodeHashes map[string]struct{}) {
+	if n == nil {
 		return
 	}
 
-	branch := n
-	for _, child := range branch.Children {
-		if child == nil {
-			continue
-		}
+	switch {
+	case len(n.MerkleValue) == 0:
+		// TODO remove once lazy loading of nodes is implemented
+		// https://github.com/ChainSafe/gossamer/issues/2838
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("node with key 0x%x has no Merkle value computed", n.Key))
+	case len(n.MerkleValue) < 32:
+		// Inlined node where its Merkle value is its
+		// encoding and not the encoding hash digest.
+		return
+	}
 
-		merkleValues[string(child.MerkleValue)] = struct{}{}
+	nodeHashes[string(n.MerkleValue)] = struct{}{}
 
-		t.PopulateMerkleValues(child, merkleValues)
+	if n.Kind() == node.Leaf {
+		return
+	}
+
+	branch := n
+	for _, child := range branch.Children {
+		PopulateNodeHashes(child, nodeHashes)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/trie/database_test.go b/lib/trie/database_test.go
index 41fb537953..341eaa2e88 100644
--- a/lib/trie/database_test.go
+++ b/lib/trie/database_test.go
@@ -158,7 +158,103 @@ func Test_Trie_WriteDirty_ClearPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, trie.String(), trieFromDB.String())
 }
 
-func Test_Trie_GetFromDB(t *testing.T) {
+func Test_PopulateNodeHashes(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const (
+		merkleValue32Zeroes = "00000000000000000000000000000000"
+		merkleValue32Ones   = "11111111111111111111111111111111"
+		merkleValue32Twos   = "22222222222222222222222222222222"
+		merkleValue32Threes = "33333333333333333333333333333333"
+	)
+
+	testCases := map[string]struct {
+		node       *Node
+		nodeHashes map[string]struct{}
+		panicValue interface{}
+	}{
+		"nil node": {
+			nodeHashes: map[string]struct{}{},
+		},
+		"inlined leaf node": {
+			node:       &Node{MerkleValue: []byte("a")},
+			nodeHashes: map[string]struct{}{},
+		},
+		"leaf node": {
+			node: &Node{MerkleValue: []byte(merkleValue32Zeroes)},
+			nodeHashes: map[string]struct{}{
+				merkleValue32Zeroes: {},
+			},
+		},
+		"leaf node without Merkle value": {
+			node:       &Node{Key: []byte{1}, SubValue: []byte{2}},
+			panicValue: "node with key 0x01 has no Merkle value computed",
+		},
+		"inlined branch node": {
+			node: &Node{
+				MerkleValue: []byte("a"),
+				Children: padRightChildren([]*Node{
+					{MerkleValue: []byte("b")},
+				}),
+			},
+			nodeHashes: map[string]struct{}{},
+		},
+		"branch node": {
+			node: &Node{
+				MerkleValue: []byte(merkleValue32Zeroes),
+				Children: padRightChildren([]*Node{
+					{MerkleValue: []byte(merkleValue32Ones)},
+				}),
+			},
+			nodeHashes: map[string]struct{}{
+				merkleValue32Zeroes: {},
+				merkleValue32Ones:   {},
+			},
+		},
+		"nested branch node": {
+			node: &Node{
+				MerkleValue: []byte(merkleValue32Zeroes),
+				Children: padRightChildren([]*Node{
+					{MerkleValue: []byte(merkleValue32Ones)},
+					{
+						MerkleValue: []byte(merkleValue32Twos),
+						Children: padRightChildren([]*Node{
+							{MerkleValue: []byte(merkleValue32Threes)},
+						}),
+					},
+				}),
+			},
+			nodeHashes: map[string]struct{}{
+				merkleValue32Zeroes: {},
+				merkleValue32Ones:   {},
+				merkleValue32Twos:   {},
+				merkleValue32Threes: {},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for name, testCase := range testCases {
+		testCase := testCase
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			nodeHashes := make(map[string]struct{})
+
+			if testCase.panicValue != nil {
+				assert.PanicsWithValue(t, testCase.panicValue, func() {
+					PopulateNodeHashes(testCase.node, nodeHashes)
+				})
+				return
+			}
+
+			PopulateNodeHashes(testCase.node, nodeHashes)
+
+			assert.Equal(t, testCase.nodeHashes, nodeHashes)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func Test_GetFromDB(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	const size = 1000