diff --git a/eth/api_tracer.go b/eth/api_tracer.go
index 26e47dcb6c..0d0e2a73c3 100644
--- a/eth/api_tracer.go
+++ b/eth/api_tracer.go
@@ -667,15 +667,12 @@ func (api *PrivateDebugAPI) traceTx(ctx context.Context, message core.Message, v
 		tracer = vm.NewStructLogger(config.LogConfig)
 	}
 	// Run the transaction with tracing enabled.
-	vmenv := vm.NewEVM(vmctx, statedb, api.config, vm.Config{Debug: true, Tracer: tracer, EnablePreimageRecording: true})
+	vmenv := vm.NewEVM(vmctx, statedb, api.config, vm.Config{Debug: true, Tracer: tracer})
 
 	ret, gas, failed, err := core.ApplyMessage(vmenv, message, new(core.GasPool).AddGas(message.Gas()))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("tracing failed: %v", err)
 	}
-	if err := core.WritePreimages(api.eth.ChainDb(), vmctx.BlockNumber.Uint64(), statedb.Preimages()); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("can't write preimage: %v", err)
-	}
 	// Depending on the tracer type, format and return the output
 	switch tracer := tracer.(type) {
 	case *vm.StructLogger: