diff --git a/lib/blockchain/chaindb.js b/lib/blockchain/chaindb.js
index 2b93dfcb..a462d8f0 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain/chaindb.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain/chaindb.js
@@ -1677,11 +1677,11 @@ ChainDB.prototype.connectBlock = co(function* connectBlock(block, view) {
 
   for (i = 0; i < view.length; i++) {
     coins = view[i];
-    raw = coins.toRaw();
-    if (!raw) {
+    if (coins.isFullySpent()) {
       this.del(layout.c(coins.hash));
       this.coinCache.unpush(coins.hash);
     } else {
+      raw = coins.toRaw();
       this.put(layout.c(coins.hash), raw);
       this.coinCache.push(coins.hash, raw);
     }
@@ -1773,11 +1773,11 @@ ChainDB.prototype.disconnectBlock = co(function* disconnectBlock(block) {
 
   for (i = 0; i < view.length; i++) {
     coins = view[i];
-    raw = coins.toRaw();
-    if (!raw) {
+    if (coins.isFullySpent()) {
       this.del(layout.c(coins.hash));
       this.coinCache.unpush(coins.hash);
     } else {
+      raw = coins.toRaw();
       this.put(layout.c(coins.hash), raw);
       this.coinCache.push(coins.hash, raw);
     }
diff --git a/lib/blockchain/coins-old.js b/lib/blockchain/coins-old.js
index 45907b6c..b54d4cf2 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain/coins-old.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain/coins-old.js
@@ -183,6 +183,15 @@ Coins.prototype.size = function size() {
   return index + 1;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Test whether the coins are fully spent.
+ * @returns {Boolean}
+ */
+
+Coins.prototype.isFullySpent = function isFullySpent() {
+  return this.size() === 0;
+};
+
 /*
  * Coins serialization:
  * version: varint
diff --git a/lib/blockchain/coins.js b/lib/blockchain/coins.js
index d21c3ca4..c8508bec 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain/coins.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain/coins.js
@@ -175,6 +175,15 @@ Coins.prototype.cleanup = function cleanup() {
   this.outputs.length = len;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Test whether the coins are fully spent.
+ * @returns {Boolean}
+ */
+
+Coins.prototype.isFullySpent = function isFullySpent() {
+  return this.outputs.length === 0;
+};
+
 /*
  * Coins serialization:
  * version: varint
@@ -215,9 +224,8 @@ Coins.prototype.toRaw = function toRaw() {
   var nonzero = 0;
   var i, j, code, ch, output;
 
-  // Return nothing if we're fully spent.
-  if (len === 0)
-    return;
+  // Throw if we're fully spent.
+  assert(len !== 0, 'Cannot serialize fully-spent coins.');
 
   // Calculate number of unspents and spent field size.
   // size = number of bytes required for the bit field.
@@ -537,7 +545,7 @@ CoinEntry.prototype.toWriter = function toWriter(bw) {
 
   if (this.output) {
     compress.output(this.output, bw);
-    return;
+    return bw;
   }
 
   assert(this.raw);
@@ -549,6 +557,8 @@ CoinEntry.prototype.toWriter = function toWriter(bw) {
   raw = this.raw.slice(this.offset, this.offset + this.size);
 
   bw.writeBytes(raw);
+
+  return bw;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/blockchain/compress.js b/lib/blockchain/compress.js
index b3b8983f..74252d75 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain/compress.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain/compress.js
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ function decompressScript(script, br) {
         // This violates consensus rules.
         // We don't need to read it.
         script.fromNulldata(new Buffer(0));
-        p.seek(size);
+        br.seek(size);
       } else {
         data = br.readBytes(size);
         script.fromRaw(data);