diff --git a/libdevcore/OverlayDB.cpp b/libdevcore/OverlayDB.cpp
index 716d99c7631..433fa068665 100644
--- a/libdevcore/OverlayDB.cpp
+++ b/libdevcore/OverlayDB.cpp
@@ -140,7 +140,22 @@ bool OverlayDB::exists(h256 const& _h) const
 
 void OverlayDB::kill(h256 const& _h)
 {
-    StateCacheDB::kill(_h);
+    if (!StateCacheDB::kill(_h))
+    {
+        if (m_db)
+        {
+            if (!m_db->exists(toSlice(_h)))
+            {
+                // No point node ref decreasing for EmptyTrie since we never bother incrementing it
+                // in the first place for empty storage tries.
+                if (_h != EmptyTrie)
+                    cnote << "Decreasing DB node ref count below zero with no DB node. Probably "
+                             "have a corrupt Trie."
+                          << _h;
+                // TODO: for 1.1: ref-counted triedb.
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 }