diff --git a/crates/trie/common/src/proofs.rs b/crates/trie/common/src/proofs.rs
index b35edd96d560c..17297dcd781f1 100644
--- a/crates/trie/common/src/proofs.rs
+++ b/crates/trie/common/src/proofs.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 use crate::{Nibbles, TrieAccount};
 use alloy_primitives::{keccak256, Address, Bytes, B256, U256};
-use alloy_rlp::{encode_fixed_size, Decodable};
+use alloy_rlp::{encode_fixed_size, Decodable, EMPTY_STRING_CODE};
 use alloy_trie::{
     nodes::TrieNode,
     proof::{verify_proof, ProofNodes, ProofVerificationError},
@@ -88,7 +88,13 @@ pub struct StorageMultiProof {
 
 impl Default for StorageMultiProof {
     fn default() -> Self {
-        Self { root: EMPTY_ROOT_HASH, subtree: Default::default() }
+        Self {
+            root: EMPTY_ROOT_HASH,
+            subtree: ProofNodes::from_iter([(
+                Nibbles::default(),
+                Bytes::from([EMPTY_STRING_CODE]),
+            )]),
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/trie/db/tests/witness.rs b/crates/trie/db/tests/witness.rs
index 248ec3b981eda..949f4900bb343 100644
--- a/crates/trie/db/tests/witness.rs
+++ b/crates/trie/db/tests/witness.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
+use alloy_primitives::{keccak256, Address};
 use alloy_rlp::EMPTY_STRING_CODE;
-use reth_primitives::{constants::EMPTY_ROOT_HASH, keccak256, Account, Address, Bytes, B256, U256};
+use reth_primitives::{constants::EMPTY_ROOT_HASH, Account, Bytes, B256, U256};
 use reth_provider::{test_utils::create_test_provider_factory, HashingWriter};
 use reth_trie::{proof::Proof, witness::TrieWitness, HashedPostState, HashedStorage, StateRoot};
 use reth_trie_db::{DatabaseProof, DatabaseStateRoot, DatabaseTrieWitness};
@@ -10,16 +11,21 @@ fn includes_empty_node_preimage() {
     let factory = create_test_provider_factory();
     let provider = factory.provider_rw().unwrap();
 
+    let address = Address::random();
+    let hashed_address = keccak256(address);
+    let hashed_slot = B256::random();
+
     // witness includes empty state trie root node
     assert_eq!(
-        TrieWitness::from_tx(provider.tx_ref()).compute(HashedPostState::default()).unwrap(),
+        TrieWitness::from_tx(provider.tx_ref())
+            .compute(HashedPostState {
+                accounts: HashMap::from([(hashed_address, Some(Account::default()))]),
+                storages: HashMap::default(),
+            })
+            .unwrap(),
         HashMap::from([(EMPTY_ROOT_HASH, Bytes::from([EMPTY_STRING_CODE]))])
     );
 
-    let address = Address::random();
-    let hashed_address = keccak256(address);
-    let hashed_slot = B256::random();
-
     // Insert account into database
     provider.insert_account_for_hashing([(address, Some(Account::default()))]).unwrap();
 
@@ -34,7 +40,7 @@ fn includes_empty_node_preimage() {
             accounts: HashMap::from([(hashed_address, Some(Account::default()))]),
             storages: HashMap::from([(
                 hashed_address,
-                HashedStorage::from_iter(false, [(hashed_slot, U256::ZERO)]),
+                HashedStorage::from_iter(false, [(hashed_slot, U256::from(1))]),
             )]),
         })
         .unwrap();
diff --git a/crates/trie/trie/src/witness.rs b/crates/trie/trie/src/witness.rs
index 61576aabe36e5..aaa28b49ff6e2 100644
--- a/crates/trie/trie/src/witness.rs
+++ b/crates/trie/trie/src/witness.rs
@@ -202,7 +202,8 @@ where
         proof: impl IntoIterator<Item = (&'b Nibbles, &'b Bytes)>,
     ) -> Result<BTreeMap<Nibbles, Either<B256, Vec<u8>>>, TrieWitnessError> {
         let mut trie_nodes = BTreeMap::default();
-        for (path, encoded) in proof {
+        let mut proof_iter = proof.into_iter().enumerate().peekable();
+        while let Some((idx, (path, encoded))) = proof_iter.next() {
             // Record the node in witness.
             self.witness.insert(keccak256(encoded.as_ref()), encoded.clone());
 
@@ -226,7 +227,11 @@ where
                         trie_nodes.insert(next_path.clone(), Either::Right(leaf.value.clone()));
                     }
                 }
-                TrieNode::EmptyRoot => return Err(TrieWitnessError::UnexpectedEmptyRoot(next_path)),
+                TrieNode::EmptyRoot => {
+                    if idx != 0 || proof_iter.peek().is_some() {
+                        return Err(TrieWitnessError::UnexpectedEmptyRoot(next_path))
+                    }
+                }
             };
         }