diff --git a/cmd/cortex/verkle.go b/cmd/cortex/verkle.go
index 4169fceaaf..5c69c344a0 100644
--- a/cmd/cortex/verkle.go
+++ b/cmd/cortex/verkle.go
@@ -82,10 +82,10 @@ func checkChildren(root verkle.VerkleNode, resolver verkle.NodeResolverFn) error
 		for i, child := range node.Children() {
 			childC := child.Commit().Bytes()
 
-			childS, err := resolver(childC[:])
 			if bytes.Equal(childC[:], zero[:]) {
 				continue
 			}
+			childS, err := resolver(childC[:])
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("could not find child %x in db: %w", childC, err)
 			}