diff --git a/core/vm/interpreter.go b/core/vm/interpreter.go
index f26e272bb..a6ca2efbe 100644
--- a/core/vm/interpreter.go
+++ b/core/vm/interpreter.go
@@ -183,17 +183,6 @@ func (in *EVMInterpreter) Run(contract *Contract, input []byte, readOnly bool) (
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
-	// Increment the call depth which is restricted to 1024
-	in.depth++
-	defer in.decrementDepth()
-
-	// Make sure the readOnly is only set if we aren't in readOnly yet.
-	// This makes also sure that the readOnly flag isn't removed for child calls.
-	if readOnly && !in.readOnly {
-		in.readOnly = true
-		defer func() { in.readOnly = false }()
-	}
-
 	// Reset the previous call's return data. It's unimportant to preserve the old buffer
 	// as every returning call will return new data anyway.
 	in.returnData = nil
@@ -219,25 +208,37 @@ func (in *EVMInterpreter) Run(contract *Contract, input []byte, readOnly bool) (
 		logged  bool   // deferred Tracer should ignore already logged steps
 		res     []byte // result of the opcode execution function
 	)
-	// Don't move this deferrred function, it's placed before the capturestate-deferred method,
-	// so that it get's executed _after_: the capturestate needs the stacks before
-	// they are returned to the pools
+
 	mem.Reset()
-	defer pool.Put(mem)
-	defer stack.ReturnNormalStack(locStack)
+
 	contract.Input = input
 
-	if in.cfg.Debug {
-		defer func() {
-			if err != nil {
-				if !logged {
-					in.cfg.Tracer.CaptureState(pcCopy, op, gasCopy, cost, callContext, in.returnData, in.depth, err) //nolint:errcheck
-				} else {
-					in.cfg.Tracer.CaptureFault(pcCopy, op, gasCopy, cost, callContext, in.depth, err)
-				}
-			}
-		}()
+	// Make sure the readOnly is only set if we aren't in readOnly yet.
+	// This makes also sure that the readOnly flag isn't removed for child calls.
+	restoreReadonly := readOnly && !in.readOnly
+	if restoreReadonly {
+		in.readOnly = true
 	}
+	// Increment the call depth which is restricted to 1024
+	in.depth++
+	defer func() {
+		// first: capture data/memory/state/depth/etc... then clenup them
+		if in.cfg.Debug && err != nil {
+			if !logged {
+				in.cfg.Tracer.CaptureState(pcCopy, op, gasCopy, cost, callContext, in.returnData, in.depth, err) //nolint:errcheck
+			} else {
+				in.cfg.Tracer.CaptureFault(pcCopy, op, gasCopy, cost, callContext, in.depth, err)
+			}
+		}
+		// this function must execute _after_: the `CaptureState` needs the stacks before
+		pool.Put(mem)
+		stack.ReturnNormalStack(locStack)
+		if restoreReadonly {
+			in.readOnly = false
+		}
+		in.depth--
+	}()
+
 	// The Interpreter main run loop (contextual). This loop runs until either an
 	// explicit STOP, RETURN or SELFDESTRUCT is executed, an error occurred during
 	// the execution of one of the operations or until the done flag is set by the