diff --git a/node/impl/full/eth_test.go b/node/impl/full/eth_test.go
index c364a4873c4..4df1b6eb5f1 100644
--- a/node/impl/full/eth_test.go
+++ b/node/impl/full/eth_test.go
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 package full
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
+	"github.com/multiformats/go-multicodec"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	cbg "github.com/whyrusleeping/cbor-gen"
 
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-state-types/big"
 
@@ -177,3 +180,40 @@ func TestABIEncoding(t *testing.T) {
 
 	require.Equal(t, expectedBytes, encodeAsABIHelper(22, 81, dataBytes))
 }
+
+func TestDecodePayload(t *testing.T) {
+	// "empty"
+	b, err := decodePayload(nil, 0)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Empty(t, b)
+
+	// raw empty
+	_, err = decodePayload(nil, uint64(multicodec.Raw))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Empty(t, b)
+
+	// raw non-empty
+	b, err = decodePayload([]byte{1}, uint64(multicodec.Raw))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.EqualValues(t, b, []byte{1})
+
+	// Invalid cbor bytes
+	_, err = decodePayload(nil, uint64(multicodec.DagCbor))
+	require.Error(t, err)
+
+	// valid cbor bytes
+	var w bytes.Buffer
+	cbg.WriteByteArray(&w, []byte{1})
+	b, err = decodePayload(w.Bytes(), uint64(multicodec.DagCbor))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.EqualValues(t, b, []byte{1})
+
+	// regular cbor also works.
+	b, err = decodePayload(w.Bytes(), uint64(multicodec.Cbor))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.EqualValues(t, b, []byte{1})
+
+	// random codec should fail
+	_, err = decodePayload(w.Bytes(), 42)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/node/impl/full/eth_trace.go b/node/impl/full/eth_trace.go
index e1d1ee1ec58..3901c80ffe5 100644
--- a/node/impl/full/eth_trace.go
+++ b/node/impl/full/eth_trace.go
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ import (
 
 // decodePayload is a utility function which decodes the payload using the given codec
 func decodePayload(payload []byte, codec uint64) (ethtypes.EthBytes, error) {
-	if len(payload) == 0 {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-
 	switch multicodec.Code(codec) {
 	case multicodec.Identity:
 		return nil, nil