diff --git a/firewood/src/db.rs b/firewood/src/db.rs
index ace4a7593..bf6bffb02 100644
--- a/firewood/src/db.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/db.rs
@@ -281,7 +281,8 @@ pub struct DbRev<S> {
 #[async_trait]
 impl<S: ShaleStore<Node> + Send + Sync> api::DbView for DbRev<S> {
     async fn root_hash(&self) -> Result<api::HashKey, api::Error> {
-        block_in_place(|| self.merkle.root_hash(self.header.kv_root))
+        self.merkle
+            .root_hash(self.header.kv_root)
             .map(|h| *h)
             .map_err(|e| api::Error::IO(std::io::Error::new(ErrorKind::Other, e)))
     }
@@ -414,7 +415,7 @@ impl api::Db for Db {
     type Proposal = proposal::Proposal;
 
     async fn revision(&self, root_hash: HashKey) -> Result<Arc<Self::Historical>, api::Error> {
-        let rev = block_in_place(|| self.get_revision(&TrieHash(root_hash)));
+        let rev = self.get_revision(&TrieHash(root_hash));
         if let Some(rev) = rev {
             Ok(Arc::new(rev.rev))
         } else {
@@ -425,16 +426,14 @@ impl api::Db for Db {
     }
 
     async fn root_hash(&self) -> Result<HashKey, api::Error> {
-        block_in_place(|| self.kv_root_hash())
-            .map(|hash| hash.0)
-            .map_err(Into::into)
+        self.kv_root_hash().map(|hash| hash.0).map_err(Into::into)
     }
 
     async fn propose<K: KeyType, V: ValueType>(
         &self,
         batch: api::Batch<K, V>,
     ) -> Result<Self::Proposal, api::Error> {
-        block_in_place(|| self.new_proposal(batch)).map_err(Into::into)
+        self.new_proposal(batch).map_err(Into::into)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/firewood/src/db/proposal.rs b/firewood/src/db/proposal.rs
index 33c6f25a9..a7c560aa0 100644
--- a/firewood/src/db/proposal.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/db/proposal.rs
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ impl crate::v2::api::Proposal for Proposal {
         self: Arc<Self>,
         data: api::Batch<K, V>,
     ) -> Result<Self::Proposal, api::Error> {
-        block_in_place(|| self.propose_sync(data)).map_err(Into::into)
+        self.propose_sync(data).map_err(Into::into)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/firewood/src/storage/buffer.rs b/firewood/src/storage/buffer.rs
index d691cfe53..5a6e23323 100644
--- a/firewood/src/storage/buffer.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/storage/buffer.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ use growthring::{
     walerror::WalError,
     WalFileImpl, WalStoreImpl,
 };
+use tokio::task::block_in_place;
 use tokio::{
     sync::{
         mpsc,
@@ -588,7 +589,7 @@ impl DiskBufferRequester {
             .map_err(StoreError::Send)
             .ok();
         #[allow(clippy::unwrap_used)]
-        resp_rx.blocking_recv().unwrap()
+        block_in_place(move || resp_rx.blocking_recv().unwrap())
     }
 
     /// Sends a batch of writes to the buffer.
@@ -622,7 +623,7 @@ impl DiskBufferRequester {
             .send(BufferCmd::CollectAsh(nrecords, resp_tx))
             .map_err(StoreError::Send)
             .ok();
-        resp_rx.blocking_recv().map_err(StoreError::Receive)
+        block_in_place(|| resp_rx.blocking_recv().map_err(StoreError::Receive))
     }
 
     /// Register a cached space to the buffer.