diff --git a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Db.Rocks/DbOnTheRocks.cs b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Db.Rocks/DbOnTheRocks.cs
index 2b7b448df76..3d9ca3c9317 100644
--- a/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Db.Rocks/DbOnTheRocks.cs
+++ b/src/Nethermind/Nethermind.Db.Rocks/DbOnTheRocks.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 using System.Buffers.Binary;
 using System.Collections.Concurrent;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 using System.IO;
 using System.IO.Abstractions;
 using System.Linq;
@@ -619,22 +621,14 @@ public byte[]? this[ReadOnlySpan<byte> key]
         {
             if (_readAheadReadOptions is not null && (flags & ReadFlags.HintReadAhead) != 0)
             {
-                using IteratorManager.RentWrapper wrapper = iteratorManager.Rent(flags);
-                Iterator iterator = wrapper.Iterator;
-
-                if (iterator.Valid() && TryCloseReadAhead(iterator, key, out byte[]? closeRes))
+                byte[]? result = GetWithIterator(key, cf, iteratorManager, flags, out bool success);
+                if (success)
                 {
-                    return closeRes;
-                }
-
-                iterator.Seek(key);
-                if (iterator.Valid() && Bytes.AreEqual(iterator.GetKeySpan(), key))
-                {
-                    return iterator.Value();
+                    return result;
                 }
             }
 
-            return _db.Get(key, cf, (flags & ReadFlags.HintCacheMiss) != 0 ? _hintCacheMissOptions : _defaultReadOptions);
+            return Get(key, cf, flags);
         }
         catch (RocksDbSharpException e)
         {
@@ -643,6 +637,74 @@ public byte[]? this[ReadOnlySpan<byte> key]
         }
     }
 
+    private unsafe byte[]? GetWithIterator(ReadOnlySpan<byte> key, ColumnFamilyHandle? cf, IteratorManager iteratorManager, ReadFlags flags, out bool success)
+    {
+        success = true;
+
+        using IteratorManager.RentWrapper wrapper = iteratorManager.Rent(flags);
+        Iterator iterator = wrapper.Iterator;
+
+        if (iterator.Valid() && TryCloseReadAhead(iterator, key, out byte[]? closeRes))
+        {
+            return closeRes;
+        }
+
+        iterator.Seek(key);
+        if (iterator.Valid() && Bytes.AreEqual(iterator.GetKeySpan(), key))
+        {
+            return iterator.Value();
+        }
+
+        success = false;
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    private unsafe byte[]? Get(ReadOnlySpan<byte> key, ColumnFamilyHandle? cf, ReadFlags flags)
+    {
+        // TODO: update when merged upstream: https://github.com/curiosity-ai/rocksdb-sharp/pull/61
+        // return _db.Get(key, cf, (flags & ReadFlags.HintCacheMiss) != 0 ? _hintCacheMissOptions : _defaultReadOptions);
+
+        nint db = _db.Handle;
+        nint read_options = ((flags & ReadFlags.HintCacheMiss) != 0 ? _hintCacheMissOptions : _defaultReadOptions).Handle;
+        UIntPtr skLength = (UIntPtr)key.Length;
+        IntPtr handle;
+        IntPtr errPtr;
+        fixed (byte* ptr = &MemoryMarshal.GetReference(key))
+        {
+            handle = cf is null
+                        ? Native.Instance.rocksdb_get_pinned(db, read_options, ptr, skLength, out errPtr)
+                        : Native.Instance.rocksdb_get_pinned_cf(db, read_options, cf.Handle, ptr, skLength, out errPtr);
+        }
+
+        if (errPtr != IntPtr.Zero) ThrowRocksDbException(errPtr);
+        if (handle == IntPtr.Zero) return null;
+
+        try
+        {
+            IntPtr valuePtr = Native.Instance.rocksdb_pinnableslice_value(handle, out UIntPtr valueLength);
+            if (valuePtr == IntPtr.Zero)
+            {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            int length = (int)valueLength;
+            byte[] result = new byte[length];
+            new ReadOnlySpan<byte>((void*)valuePtr, length).CopyTo(new Span<byte>(result));
+            return result;
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            Native.Instance.rocksdb_pinnableslice_destroy(handle);
+        }
+
+        [DoesNotReturn]
+        [StackTraceHidden]
+        static unsafe void ThrowRocksDbException(nint errPtr)
+        {
+            throw new RocksDbException(errPtr);
+        }
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// iterator.Next() is about 10 to 20 times faster than iterator.Seek().
     /// Here we attempt to do that first. To prevent futile attempt some logic is added to approximately detect