diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 8ecb8a5..9810525 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ members = ["crates/*"]
 resolver = "2"
 
 [workspace.package]
-version = "0.6.8"
+version = "0.6.9"
 edition = "2024"
 rust-version = "1.92"
 authors = ["init4"]
@@ -35,13 +35,13 @@ incremental = false
 
 [workspace.dependencies]
 # internal
-signet-hot = { version = "0.6.8", path = "./crates/hot" }
-signet-hot-mdbx = { version = "0.6.8", path = "./crates/hot-mdbx" }
-signet-cold = { version = "0.6.8", path = "./crates/cold" }
-signet-cold-mdbx = { version = "0.6.8", path = "./crates/cold-mdbx" }
-signet-cold-sql = { version = "0.6.8", path = "./crates/cold-sql" }
-signet-storage = { version = "0.6.8", path = "./crates/storage" }
-signet-storage-types = { version = "0.6.8", path = "./crates/types" }
+signet-hot = { version = "0.6.9", path = "./crates/hot" }
+signet-hot-mdbx = { version = "0.6.9", path = "./crates/hot-mdbx" }
+signet-cold = { version = "0.6.9", path = "./crates/cold" }
+signet-cold-mdbx = { version = "0.6.9", path = "./crates/cold-mdbx" }
+signet-cold-sql = { version = "0.6.9", path = "./crates/cold-sql" }
+signet-storage = { version = "0.6.9", path = "./crates/storage" }
+signet-storage-types = { version = "0.6.9", path = "./crates/types" }
 
 # External, in-house
 signet-libmdbx = { version = "0.8.0" }
diff --git a/crates/hot/src/db/inconsistent.rs b/crates/hot/src/db/inconsistent.rs
index d661021..9a47a2b 100644
--- a/crates/hot/src/db/inconsistent.rs
+++ b/crates/hot/src/db/inconsistent.rs
@@ -239,8 +239,11 @@ pub trait UnsafeHistoryWrite: UnsafeDbWrite + HistoryRead {
         for (address, info) in accounts {
             let account = info.as_ref().map(Account::from).unwrap_or_default();
 
-            if let Some(bytecode) = info.as_ref().and_then(|info| info.code.clone()) {
-                let code_hash = account.bytecode_hash.expect("info has bytecode; hash must exist");
+            // bytecode_hash is None when code_hash == KECCAK256_EMPTY,
+            // which doesn't need to be stored.
+            if let Some((bytecode, code_hash)) =
+                info.as_ref().and_then(|info| info.code.clone()).zip(account.bytecode_hash)
+            {
                 self.put_bytecode(&code_hash, &bytecode)?;
             }
 
@@ -322,8 +325,9 @@ pub trait UnsafeHistoryWrite: UnsafeDbWrite + HistoryRead {
         };
 
         let account = Account::from(info.clone());
-        if let Some(bytecode) = info.code.clone() {
-            let code_hash = account.bytecode_hash.expect("info has bytecode; hash must exist");
+        // bytecode_hash is None when code_hash == KECCAK256_EMPTY,
+        // which doesn't need to be stored.
+        if let Some((bytecode, code_hash)) = info.code.clone().zip(account.bytecode_hash) {
             self.put_bytecode(&code_hash, &bytecode)?;
         }
         self.put_account(address, &account)