diff --git a/bchain/coins/eth/ethrpc.go b/bchain/coins/eth/ethrpc.go
index c9c235b6..c7963357 100644
--- a/bchain/coins/eth/ethrpc.go
+++ b/bchain/coins/eth/ethrpc.go
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ func (b *EthereumRPC) getBestHeader() (bchain.EVMHeader, error) {
 
 // UpdateBestHeader keeps track of the latest block header confirmed on chain
 func (b *EthereumRPC) UpdateBestHeader(h bchain.EVMHeader) {
-	glog.V(2).Info("rpc: new block header ", h.Number())
+	glog.V(2).Info("rpc: new block header ", h.Number().Uint64())
 	b.bestHeaderLock.Lock()
 	b.bestHeader = h
 	b.bestHeaderTime = time.Now()
diff --git a/db/rocksdb.go b/db/rocksdb.go
index f13bf29c..9fa6517f 100644
--- a/db/rocksdb.go
+++ b/db/rocksdb.go
@@ -57,21 +57,25 @@ const (
 	addressBalanceDetailUTXOIndexed = 2
 )
 
+const addrContractsCacheMinSize = 300_000 // limit for caching address contracts in memory to speed up indexing
+
 // RocksDB handle
 type RocksDB struct {
-	path            string
-	db              *grocksdb.DB
-	wo              *grocksdb.WriteOptions
-	ro              *grocksdb.ReadOptions
-	cfh             []*grocksdb.ColumnFamilyHandle
-	chainParser     bchain.BlockChainParser
-	is              *common.InternalState
-	metrics         *common.Metrics
-	cache           *grocksdb.Cache
-	maxOpenFiles    int
-	cbs             connectBlockStats
-	extendedIndex   bool
-	connectBlockMux sync.Mutex
+	path                  string
+	db                    *grocksdb.DB
+	wo                    *grocksdb.WriteOptions
+	ro                    *grocksdb.ReadOptions
+	cfh                   []*grocksdb.ColumnFamilyHandle
+	chainParser           bchain.BlockChainParser
+	is                    *common.InternalState
+	metrics               *common.Metrics
+	cache                 *grocksdb.Cache
+	maxOpenFiles          int
+	cbs                   connectBlockStats
+	extendedIndex         bool
+	connectBlockMux       sync.Mutex
+	addrContractsCacheMux sync.Mutex
+	addrContractsCache    map[string]*unpackedAddrContracts
 }
 
 const (
@@ -150,7 +154,11 @@ func NewRocksDB(path string, cacheSize, maxOpenFiles int, parser bchain.BlockCha
 	}
 	wo := grocksdb.NewDefaultWriteOptions()
 	ro := grocksdb.NewDefaultReadOptions()
-	return &RocksDB{path, db, wo, ro, cfh, parser, nil, metrics, c, maxOpenFiles, connectBlockStats{}, extendedIndex, sync.Mutex{}}, nil
+	r := &RocksDB{path, db, wo, ro, cfh, parser, nil, metrics, c, maxOpenFiles, connectBlockStats{}, extendedIndex, sync.Mutex{}, sync.Mutex{}, make(map[string]*unpackedAddrContracts)}
+	if chainType == bchain.ChainEthereumType {
+		go r.periodicStoreAddrContractsCache()
+	}
+	return r, nil
 }
 
 func (d *RocksDB) closeDB() error {
@@ -165,6 +173,10 @@ func (d *RocksDB) closeDB() error {
 // Close releases the RocksDB environment opened in NewRocksDB.
 func (d *RocksDB) Close() error {
 	if d.db != nil {
+		// store cached address contracts
+		if d.chainParser.GetChainType() == bchain.ChainEthereumType {
+			d.storeAddrContractsCache()
+		}
 		// store the internal state of the app
 		if d.is != nil && d.is.DbState == common.DbStateOpen {
 			d.is.DbState = common.DbStateClosed
diff --git a/db/rocksdb_ethereumtype.go b/db/rocksdb_ethereumtype.go
index bb2798e0..7d59825e 100644
--- a/db/rocksdb_ethereumtype.go
+++ b/db/rocksdb_ethereumtype.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	vlq "github.com/bsm/go-vlq"
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
@@ -1660,6 +1661,12 @@ func (s *unpackedMultiTokenValues) upsert(m bchain.MultiTokenValue, index int32,
 
 // getUnpackedAddrDescContracts returns partially unpacked AddrContracts for given addrDesc
 func (d *RocksDB) getUnpackedAddrDescContracts(addrDesc bchain.AddressDescriptor) (*unpackedAddrContracts, error) {
+	d.addrContractsCacheMux.Lock()
+	rv, found := d.addrContractsCache[string(addrDesc)]
+	d.addrContractsCacheMux.Unlock()
+	if found && rv != nil {
+		return rv, nil
+	}
 	val, err := d.db.GetCF(d.ro, d.cfh[cfAddressContracts], addrDesc)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -1669,7 +1676,13 @@ func (d *RocksDB) getUnpackedAddrDescContracts(addrDesc bchain.AddressDescriptor
 	if len(buf) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
-	return partiallyUnpackAddrContracts(buf)
+	rv, err = partiallyUnpackAddrContracts(buf)
+	if err == nil && rv != nil && len(buf) > addrContractsCacheMinSize {
+		d.addrContractsCacheMux.Lock()
+		d.addrContractsCache[string(addrDesc)] = rv
+		d.addrContractsCacheMux.Unlock()
+	}
+	return rv, err
 }
 
 // to speed up import of blocks, the unpacking of big ints is deferred to time when they are needed
@@ -1797,9 +1810,44 @@ func (d *RocksDB) storeUnpackedAddressContracts(wb *grocksdb.WriteBatch, acm map
 		if acs == nil || (acs.NonContractTxs == 0 && acs.InternalTxs == 0 && len(acs.Contracts) == 0) {
 			wb.DeleteCF(d.cfh[cfAddressContracts], bchain.AddressDescriptor(addrDesc))
 		} else {
-			buf := packUnpackedAddrContracts(acs)
-			wb.PutCF(d.cfh[cfAddressContracts], bchain.AddressDescriptor(addrDesc), buf)
+			// do not store large address contracts found in cache
+			if _, found := d.addrContractsCache[addrDesc]; !found {
+				buf := packUnpackedAddrContracts(acs)
+				wb.PutCF(d.cfh[cfAddressContracts], bchain.AddressDescriptor(addrDesc), buf)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (d *RocksDB) writeContractsCache() {
+	wb := grocksdb.NewWriteBatch()
+	defer wb.Destroy()
+	d.addrContractsCacheMux.Lock()
+	for addrDesc, acs := range d.addrContractsCache {
+		buf := packUnpackedAddrContracts(acs)
+		wb.PutCF(d.cfh[cfAddressContracts], bchain.AddressDescriptor(addrDesc), buf)
+	}
+	d.addrContractsCacheMux.Unlock()
+	if err := d.WriteBatch(wb); err != nil {
+		glog.Error("writeContractsCache: failed to store addrContractsCache: ", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func (d *RocksDB) storeAddrContractsCache() {
+	start := time.Now()
+	if len(d.addrContractsCache) > 0 {
+		d.writeContractsCache()
+	}
+	glog.Info("storeAddrContractsCache: store ", len(d.addrContractsCache), " entries in ", time.Since(start))
+}
+
+func (d *RocksDB) periodicStoreAddrContractsCache() {
+	period := time.Duration(5) * time.Minute
+	timer := time.NewTimer(period)
+	for {
+		<-timer.C
+		timer.Reset(period)
+		d.storeAddrContractsCache()
+	}
+}