diff --git a/sei-db/db_engine/rocksdb/mvcc/db.go b/sei-db/db_engine/rocksdb/mvcc/db.go
index a6aeddc517..c3e0ac23d6 100644
--- a/sei-db/db_engine/rocksdb/mvcc/db.go
+++ b/sei-db/db_engine/rocksdb/mvcc/db.go
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ func OpenDB(dataDir string, config config.StateStoreConfig) (*Database, error) {
 }
 
 func (db *Database) getSlice(storeKey string, version int64, key []byte) (*grocksdb.Slice, error) {
-	readOpts := newTSReadOptions(version)
-	defer readOpts.Destroy()
+	readOpts, cleanup := newTSReadOptions(version)
+	defer cleanup()
 	return db.storage.GetCF(
 		readOpts,
 		db.cfHandle,
@@ -324,9 +324,9 @@ func (db *Database) Iterator(storeKey string, version int64, start, end []byte)
 	prefix := storePrefix(storeKey)
 	start, end = util.IterateWithPrefix(prefix, start, end)
 
-	readOpts := newTSReadOptions(version)
+	readOpts, cleanup := newTSReadOptions(version)
 	itr := db.storage.NewIteratorCF(readOpts, db.cfHandle)
-	return NewRocksDBIterator(itr, readOpts, prefix, start, end, version, db.earliestVersion, false), nil
+	return NewRocksDBIterator(itr, cleanup, prefix, start, end, version, db.earliestVersion, false), nil
 }
 
 func (db *Database) ReverseIterator(storeKey string, version int64, start, end []byte) (types.DBIterator, error) {
@@ -341,9 +341,9 @@ func (db *Database) ReverseIterator(storeKey string, version int64, start, end [
 	prefix := storePrefix(storeKey)
 	start, end = util.IterateWithPrefix(prefix, start, end)
 
-	readOpts := newTSReadOptions(version)
+	readOpts, cleanup := newTSReadOptions(version)
 	itr := db.storage.NewIteratorCF(readOpts, db.cfHandle)
-	return NewRocksDBIterator(itr, readOpts, prefix, start, end, version, db.earliestVersion, true), nil
+	return NewRocksDBIterator(itr, cleanup, prefix, start, end, version, db.earliestVersion, true), nil
 }
 
 // Import loads the initial version of the state in parallel with numWorkers goroutines
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ func (db *Database) RawIterate(storeKey string, fn func(key []byte, value []byte
 	readOpts.SetTimestamp(endTs[:])
 
 	itr := db.storage.NewIteratorCF(readOpts, db.cfHandle)
-	rocksItr := NewRocksDBIterator(itr, readOpts, prefix, start, end, latestVersion, 1, false)
+	rocksItr := NewRocksDBIterator(itr, func() { readOpts.Destroy() }, prefix, start, end, latestVersion, 1, false)
 	defer func() { _ = rocksItr.Close() }()
 
 	for rocksItr.Valid() {
@@ -443,15 +443,17 @@ func (db *Database) GetLatestMigratedModule() (string, error) {
 	panic("not implemented")
 }
 
-// newTSReadOptions returns ReadOptions used in the RocksDB column family read.
-func newTSReadOptions(version int64) *grocksdb.ReadOptions {
+// newTSReadOptions returns ReadOptions used in the RocksDB column family read
+// and a cleanup function that destroys them. The caller must ensure cleanup is
+// called when the ReadOptions are no longer needed.
+func newTSReadOptions(version int64) (*grocksdb.ReadOptions, func()) {
 	var ts [TimestampSize]byte
 	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(ts[:], uint64(version))
 
 	readOpts := grocksdb.NewDefaultReadOptions()
 	readOpts.SetTimestamp(ts[:])
 
-	return readOpts
+	return readOpts, func() { readOpts.Destroy() }
 }
 
 func storePrefix(storeKey string) []byte {
diff --git a/sei-db/db_engine/rocksdb/mvcc/iterator.go b/sei-db/db_engine/rocksdb/mvcc/iterator.go
index 3b1cd231cc..8aa245ecf0 100644
--- a/sei-db/db_engine/rocksdb/mvcc/iterator.go
+++ b/sei-db/db_engine/rocksdb/mvcc/iterator.go
@@ -14,25 +14,25 @@ var _ types.DBIterator = (*iterator)(nil)
 
 type iterator struct {
 	source             *grocksdb.Iterator
-	readOpts           *grocksdb.ReadOptions
+	cleanup            func()
 	prefix, start, end []byte
 	version            int64
 	reverse            bool
 	invalid            bool
 }
 
-func NewRocksDBIterator(source *grocksdb.Iterator, readOpts *grocksdb.ReadOptions, prefix, start, end []byte, version int64, earliestVersion int64, reverse bool) *iterator {
+func NewRocksDBIterator(source *grocksdb.Iterator, cleanup func(), prefix, start, end []byte, version int64, earliestVersion int64, reverse bool) *iterator {
 	// Return invalid iterator if requested iterator height is lower than earliest version after pruning
 	if version < earliestVersion {
 		return &iterator{
-			source:   source,
-			readOpts: readOpts,
-			prefix:   prefix,
-			start:    start,
-			end:      end,
-			version:  version,
-			reverse:  reverse,
-			invalid:  true,
+			source:  source,
+			cleanup: cleanup,
+			prefix:  prefix,
+			start:   start,
+			end:     end,
+			version: version,
+			reverse: reverse,
+			invalid: true,
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -60,14 +60,14 @@ func NewRocksDBIterator(source *grocksdb.Iterator, readOpts *grocksdb.ReadOption
 	}
 
 	return &iterator{
-		source:   source,
-		readOpts: readOpts,
-		prefix:   prefix,
-		start:    start,
-		end:      end,
-		version:  version,
-		reverse:  reverse,
-		invalid:  !source.Valid(),
+		source:  source,
+		cleanup: cleanup,
+		prefix:  prefix,
+		start:   start,
+		end:     end,
+		version: version,
+		reverse: reverse,
+		invalid: !source.Valid(),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -160,9 +160,9 @@ func (itr *iterator) Error() error {
 func (itr *iterator) Close() error {
 	itr.source.Close()
 	itr.source = nil
-	if itr.readOpts != nil {
-		itr.readOpts.Destroy()
-		itr.readOpts = nil
+	if itr.cleanup != nil {
+		itr.cleanup()
+		itr.cleanup = nil
 	}
 	itr.invalid = true
 	return nil