diff --git a/trie/committer.go b/trie/committer.go
index 2a2142e0ffa..8ae848f313d 100644
--- a/trie/committer.go
+++ b/trie/committer.go
@@ -87,9 +87,33 @@ func (c *committer) commit(path []byte, n node, parallel bool) node {
 
 // commitChildren commits the children of the given fullnode
 func (c *committer) commitChildren(path []byte, n *fullNode, parallel bool) {
+	if !parallel {
+		// Sequential path: process children one by one
+		for i := 0; i < 16; i++ {
+			child := n.Children[i]
+			if child == nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			// If it's the hashed child, save the hash value directly.
+			// Note: it's impossible that the child in range [0, 15]
+			// is a valueNode. Values are only stored in Children[16]
+			// (the 17th slot) when a key terminates at a branch node.
+			// Children[0-15] are structural slots for hex digit routing.
+			if _, ok := child.(hashNode); ok {
+				continue
+			}
+			// Commit the child recursively and store the "hashed" value.
+			// Note the returned node can be some embedded nodes, so it's
+			// possible the type is not hashNode.
+			n.Children[i] = c.commit(append(path, byte(i)), child, false)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Parallel path: collect all child NodeSets first, then merge without lock contention
 	var (
 		wg      sync.WaitGroup
-		nodesMu sync.Mutex
+		nodeset = make([]*trienode.NodeSet, 16)
 	)
 	for i := 0; i < 16; i++ {
 		child := n.Children[i]
@@ -98,33 +122,38 @@ func (c *committer) commitChildren(path []byte, n *fullNode, parallel bool) {
 		}
 		// If it's the hashed child, save the hash value directly.
 		// Note: it's impossible that the child in range [0, 15]
-		// is a valueNode.
+		// is a valueNode. Values are only stored in Children[16]
+		// (the 17th slot) when a key terminates at a branch node.
+		// Children[0-15] are structural slots for hex digit routing.
 		if _, ok := child.(hashNode); ok {
 			continue
 		}
-		// Commit the child recursively and store the "hashed" value.
-		// Note the returned node can be some embedded nodes, so it's
-		// possible the type is not hashNode.
-		if !parallel {
-			n.Children[i] = c.commit(append(path, byte(i)), child, false)
-		} else {
-			wg.Add(1)
-			go func(index int) {
-				defer wg.Done()
-
-				p := append(path, byte(index))
-				childSet := trienode.NewNodeSet(c.nodes.Owner)
-				childCommitter := newCommitter(childSet, c.tracer, c.collectLeaf)
-				n.Children[index] = childCommitter.commit(p, child, false)
-
-				nodesMu.Lock()
-				c.nodes.MergeDisjoint(childSet)
-				nodesMu.Unlock()
-			}(i)
-		}
+
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func(index int, child node) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+
+			p := append(path, byte(index))
+			childSet := trienode.NewNodeSet(c.nodes.Owner)
+			childCommitter := newCommitter(childSet, c.tracer, c.collectLeaf)
+			n.Children[index] = childCommitter.commit(p, child, false)
+
+			// Store the nodeset at the child's index. No mutex needed since
+			// each goroutine writes to a unique index.
+			nodeset[index] = childSet
+		}(i, child)
 	}
-	if parallel {
-		wg.Wait()
+
+	// Wait for all goroutines to complete
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	// Now merge all results sequentially without any lock contention
+	// This is safe because all goroutines have completed
+	for _, set := range nodeset {
+		if set == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		c.nodes.MergeDisjoint(set)
 	}
 }