diff --git a/chain/block.go b/chain/block.go
index 7966266f3f..a23b01cd1d 100644
--- a/chain/block.go
+++ b/chain/block.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/database"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/ids"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/snow/consensus/snowman"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/snow/engine/snowman/block"
@@ -426,7 +427,10 @@ func (b *StatefulBlock) innerVerify(ctx context.Context, vctx VerifyContext) err
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	parentHeight := binary.BigEndian.Uint64(parentHeightRaw)
+	parentHeight, err := database.ParseUInt64(parentHeightRaw)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	if b.Hght != parentHeight+1 {
 		return ErrInvalidBlockHeight
 	}
@@ -440,7 +444,11 @@ func (b *StatefulBlock) innerVerify(ctx context.Context, vctx VerifyContext) err
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	parentTimestamp := int64(binary.BigEndian.Uint64(parentTimestampRaw))
+	parentTimestampUint64, err := database.ParseUInt64(parentTimestampRaw)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	parentTimestamp := int64(parentTimestampUint64)
 	if b.Tmstmp < parentTimestamp+r.GetMinBlockGap() {
 		return ErrTimestampTooEarly
 	}
@@ -731,7 +739,10 @@ func (b *StatefulBlock) View(ctx context.Context, verify bool) (state.View, erro
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		acceptedHeight := binary.BigEndian.Uint64(acceptedHeightRaw)
+		acceptedHeight, err := database.ParseUInt64(acceptedHeightRaw)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 		if acceptedHeight == b.Hght {
 			b.vm.Logger().Info("accepted block not processed but found post-execution state on-disk",
 				zap.Uint64("height", b.Hght),
diff --git a/docs/tutorials/morpheusvm/morpheusvm.md b/docs/tutorials/morpheusvm/morpheusvm.md
index 02aa47366b..97b227a690 100644
--- a/docs/tutorials/morpheusvm/morpheusvm.md
+++ b/docs/tutorials/morpheusvm/morpheusvm.md
@@ -332,7 +332,11 @@ func innerGetBalance(
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, false, err
 	}
-	return binary.BigEndian.Uint64(v), true, nil
+	val, err := database.ParseUInt64(v)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, false, err
+	}
+	return val, true, nil
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/examples/morpheusvm/storage/storage.go b/examples/morpheusvm/storage/storage.go
index ce9f88e13d..5c7ff3914b 100644
--- a/examples/morpheusvm/storage/storage.go
+++ b/examples/morpheusvm/storage/storage.go
@@ -96,7 +96,11 @@ func innerGetBalance(
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, false, err
 	}
-	return binary.BigEndian.Uint64(v), true, nil
+	val, err := database.ParseUInt64(v)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, false, err
+	}
+	return val, true, nil
 }
 
 func SetBalance(
diff --git a/examples/vmwithcontracts/storage/storage.go b/examples/vmwithcontracts/storage/storage.go
index 1022f76b95..314057f621 100644
--- a/examples/vmwithcontracts/storage/storage.go
+++ b/examples/vmwithcontracts/storage/storage.go
@@ -105,7 +105,11 @@ func innerGetBalance(
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, false, err
 	}
-	return binary.BigEndian.Uint64(v), true, nil
+	val, err := database.ParseUInt64(v)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, false, err
+	}
+	return val, true, nil
 }
 
 func SetBalance(
diff --git a/vm/storage.go b/vm/storage.go
index 46290084a1..77d69c1f7f 100644
--- a/vm/storage.go
+++ b/vm/storage.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (vm *VM) GetLastAcceptedHeight() (uint64, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	return binary.BigEndian.Uint64(b), nil
+	return database.ParseUInt64(b)
 }
 
 func (vm *VM) SetLastProcessedHeight(height uint64) error {
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (vm *VM) GetLastProcessedHeight() (uint64, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	return binary.BigEndian.Uint64(b), nil
+	return database.ParseUInt64(b)
 }
 
 func (vm *VM) shouldCompact(expiryHeight uint64) bool {
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ func (vm *VM) GetBlockIDHeight(blkID ids.ID) (uint64, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	return binary.BigEndian.Uint64(b), nil
+	return database.ParseUInt64(b)
 }
 
 // CompactDiskBlocks forces compaction on the entire range of blocks up to [lastExpired].
diff --git a/x/contracts/simulator/state/manager.go b/x/contracts/simulator/state/manager.go
index 7e8b77f1ff..f8c11c1784 100644
--- a/x/contracts/simulator/state/manager.go
+++ b/x/contracts/simulator/state/manager.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func (p *ContractStateManager) GetBalance(ctx context.Context, address codec.Add
 		return 0, err
 	}
 
-	return binary.BigEndian.Uint64(v), nil
+	return database.ParseUInt64(v)
 }
 
 func (p *ContractStateManager) SetBalance(ctx context.Context, address codec.Address, amount uint64) error {