diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/blocks.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/blocks.go
index 9b94098af8e8..0b4105ebf68f 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/blocks.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/blocks.go
@@ -328,8 +328,8 @@ func (s *Store) SaveBlocks(ctx context.Context, blks []interfaces.SignedBeaconBl
 func (s *Store) SaveHeadBlockRoot(ctx context.Context, blockRoot [32]byte) error {
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "BeaconDB.SaveHeadBlockRoot")
 	defer span.End()
+	hasStateSummary := s.HasStateSummary(ctx, blockRoot)
 	return s.db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
-		hasStateSummary := s.hasStateSummaryBytes(tx, blockRoot)
 		hasStateInDB := tx.Bucket(stateBucket).Get(blockRoot[:]) != nil
 		if !(hasStateInDB || hasStateSummary) {
 			return errors.New("no state or state summary found with head block root")
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/checkpoint.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/checkpoint.go
index 9114a94b3ee2..b734094077da 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/checkpoint.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/checkpoint.go
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@ func (s *Store) SaveJustifiedCheckpoint(ctx context.Context, checkpoint *ethpb.C
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	hasStateSummary := s.HasStateSummary(ctx, bytesutil.ToBytes32(checkpoint.Root))
 	return s.db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 		bucket := tx.Bucket(checkpointBucket)
-		hasStateSummary := s.hasStateSummaryBytes(tx, bytesutil.ToBytes32(checkpoint.Root))
 		hasStateInDB := tx.Bucket(stateBucket).Get(checkpoint.Root) != nil
 		if !(hasStateInDB || hasStateSummary) {
 			log.Warnf("Recovering state summary for justified root: %#x", bytesutil.Trunc(checkpoint.Root))
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ func (s *Store) SaveFinalizedCheckpoint(ctx context.Context, checkpoint *ethpb.C
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	hasStateSummary := s.HasStateSummary(ctx, bytesutil.ToBytes32(checkpoint.Root))
 	return s.db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 		bucket := tx.Bucket(checkpointBucket)
-		hasStateSummary := s.hasStateSummaryBytes(tx, bytesutil.ToBytes32(checkpoint.Root))
 		hasStateInDB := tx.Bucket(stateBucket).Get(checkpoint.Root) != nil
 		if !(hasStateInDB || hasStateSummary) {
 			log.Warnf("Recovering state summary for finalized root: %#x", bytesutil.Trunc(checkpoint.Root))
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_summary.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_summary.go
index 8c3e78eff6fc..351a0b49d62f 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_summary.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/state_summary.go
@@ -67,9 +67,14 @@ func (s *Store) HasStateSummary(ctx context.Context, blockRoot [32]byte) bool {
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "BeaconDB.HasStateSummary")
 	defer span.End()
 
+	if s.stateSummaryCache.has(blockRoot) {
+		return true
+	}
+
 	var hasSummary bool
 	if err := s.db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
-		hasSummary = s.hasStateSummaryBytes(tx, blockRoot)
+		enc := tx.Bucket(stateSummaryBucket).Get(blockRoot[:])
+		hasSummary = len(enc) > 0
 		return nil
 	}); err != nil {
 		return false
@@ -77,14 +82,6 @@ func (s *Store) HasStateSummary(ctx context.Context, blockRoot [32]byte) bool {
 	return hasSummary
 }
 
-func (s *Store) hasStateSummaryBytes(tx *bolt.Tx, blockRoot [32]byte) bool {
-	if s.stateSummaryCache.has(blockRoot) {
-		return true
-	}
-	enc := tx.Bucket(stateSummaryBucket).Get(blockRoot[:])
-	return len(enc) > 0
-}
-
 // This saves all cached state summary objects to DB, and clears up the cache.
 func (s *Store) saveCachedStateSummariesDB(ctx context.Context) error {
 	summaries := s.stateSummaryCache.getAll()
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint.go
index 007855b3e45e..0ee20c66870c 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint.go
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ func (s *Store) SaveLastValidatedCheckpoint(ctx context.Context, checkpoint *eth
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	hasStateSummary := s.HasStateSummary(ctx, bytesutil.ToBytes32(checkpoint.Root))
 	return s.db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 		bucket := tx.Bucket(checkpointBucket)
-		hasStateSummary := s.hasStateSummaryBytes(tx, bytesutil.ToBytes32(checkpoint.Root))
 		hasStateInDB := tx.Bucket(stateBucket).Get(checkpoint.Root) != nil
 		if !(hasStateInDB || hasStateSummary) {
 			log.Warnf("Recovering state summary for last validated root: %#x", bytesutil.Trunc(checkpoint.Root))
diff --git a/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint_test.go b/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint_test.go
index 59ea0ab33371..f264c9471572 100644
--- a/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint_test.go
+++ b/beacon-chain/db/kv/validated_checkpoint_test.go
@@ -51,6 +51,26 @@ func TestStore_LastValidatedCheckpoint_Recover(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, true, proto.Equal(cp, retrieved), "Wanted %v, received %v", cp, retrieved)
 }
 
+func BenchmarkStore_SaveLastValidatedCheckpoint(b *testing.B) {
+	db := setupDB(b)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	root := bytesutil.ToBytes32([]byte{'A'})
+	cp := &ethpb.Checkpoint{
+		Epoch: 10,
+		Root:  root[:],
+	}
+	st, err := util.NewBeaconState()
+	require.NoError(b, err)
+	require.NoError(b, st.SetSlot(1))
+	require.NoError(b, db.SaveState(ctx, st, root))
+	db.stateSummaryCache.clear()
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		require.NoError(b, db.SaveLastValidatedCheckpoint(ctx, cp))
+	}
+}
+
 func TestStore_LastValidatedCheckpoint_DefaultIsFinalized(t *testing.T) {
 	db := setupDB(t)
 	ctx := context.Background()