diff --git a/ethdb/kv_lmdb.go b/ethdb/kv_lmdb.go
index d27847d95..a5c9c477f 100644
--- a/ethdb/kv_lmdb.go
+++ b/ethdb/kv_lmdb.go
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ func (db *LmdbKV) CollectMetrics() {
 		tableGcEntries.Update(int64(stat.Entries))
 		return nil
 	}); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		log.Error("collecting metrics failed", "err", err)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/ethdb/kv_mdbx.go b/ethdb/kv_mdbx.go
index c65e096f7..73ef758b0 100644
--- a/ethdb/kv_mdbx.go
+++ b/ethdb/kv_mdbx.go
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ func (db *MdbxKV) CollectMetrics() {
 		tableGcEntries.Update(int64(stat.Entries))
 		return nil
 	}); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		log.Error("collecting metrics failed", "err", err)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/ethdb/object_db.go b/ethdb/object_db.go
index e60e85bd5..9ecf7e2e6 100644
--- a/ethdb/object_db.go
+++ b/ethdb/object_db.go
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ func (db *ObjectDatabase) NewBatch() DbWithPendingMutations {
 func (db *ObjectDatabase) Begin(ctx context.Context, flags TxFlags) (DbWithPendingMutations, error) {
 	batch := &TxDb{db: db}
 	if err := batch.begin(ctx, flags); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return batch, err
 	}
 	return batch, nil
 }