diff --git a/core/blockchain.go b/core/blockchain.go
index 177a3bbcea104ca9f985a80df0330418133001f5..e740eb861b3a4f51756ac9356c390f923ed38d11 100644
--- a/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/core/blockchain.go
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ func (self *BlockChain) InsertReceiptChain(blockChain types.Blocks, receiptChain
 				}
 			}
 			// Write all the data out into the database
-			if err := WriteBody(self.chainDb, block.Hash(), &types.Body{block.Transactions(), block.Uncles()}); err != nil {
+			if err := WriteBody(self.chainDb, block.Hash(), block.Body()); err != nil {
 				errs[index] = fmt.Errorf("failed to write block body: %v", err)
 				atomic.AddInt32(&failed, 1)
 				glog.Fatal(errs[index])
diff --git a/core/database_util.go b/core/database_util.go
index e1e8136d1f74f3ca5e44872867428806db028bc5..3ba80062c1b67b7f70da7de4c8880d4e11c3d083 100644
--- a/core/database_util.go
+++ b/core/database_util.go
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ func WriteTd(db ethdb.Database, hash common.Hash, td *big.Int) error {
 // WriteBlock serializes a block into the database, header and body separately.
 func WriteBlock(db ethdb.Database, block *types.Block) error {
 	// Store the body first to retain database consistency
-	if err := WriteBody(db, block.Hash(), &types.Body{block.Transactions(), block.Uncles()}); err != nil {
+	if err := WriteBody(db, block.Hash(), block.Body()); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	// Store the header too, signaling full block ownership
diff --git a/core/database_util_test.go b/core/database_util_test.go
index ce1ffea8ae8827ccfecd73ef9ab60fa74f78e880..9ef7876241a85caaa3bc33c96b8d519a696a4887 100644
--- a/core/database_util_test.go
+++ b/core/database_util_test.go
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func TestBlockStorage(t *testing.T) {
 	if entry := GetBody(db, block.Hash()); entry == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Stored body not found")
 	} else if types.DeriveSha(types.Transactions(entry.Transactions)) != types.DeriveSha(block.Transactions()) || types.CalcUncleHash(entry.Uncles) != types.CalcUncleHash(block.Uncles()) {
-		t.Fatalf("Retrieved body mismatch: have %v, want %v", entry, &types.Body{block.Transactions(), block.Uncles()})
+		t.Fatalf("Retrieved body mismatch: have %v, want %v", entry, block.Body())
 	}
 	// Delete the block and verify the execution
 	DeleteBlock(db, block.Hash())
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ func TestPartialBlockStorage(t *testing.T) {
 	DeleteHeader(db, block.Hash())
 
 	// Store a body and check that it's not recognized as a block
-	if err := WriteBody(db, block.Hash(), &types.Body{block.Transactions(), block.Uncles()}); err != nil {
+	if err := WriteBody(db, block.Hash(), block.Body()); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to write body into database: %v", err)
 	}
 	if entry := GetBlock(db, block.Hash()); entry != nil {
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ func TestPartialBlockStorage(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := WriteHeader(db, block.Header()); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to write header into database: %v", err)
 	}
-	if err := WriteBody(db, block.Hash(), &types.Body{block.Transactions(), block.Uncles()}); err != nil {
+	if err := WriteBody(db, block.Hash(), block.Body()); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to write body into database: %v", err)
 	}
 	if entry := GetBlock(db, block.Hash()); entry == nil {
diff --git a/core/types/block.go b/core/types/block.go
index 5e6a9019d6cbfbaf2ed8424e0d6d45070200f29c..387a063aebdcbbf2dd716ff7bfbe5486d33d6fb0 100644
--- a/core/types/block.go
+++ b/core/types/block.go
@@ -330,6 +330,9 @@ func (b *Block) Extra() []byte            { return common.CopyBytes(b.header.Ext
 
 func (b *Block) Header() *Header { return CopyHeader(b.header) }
 
+// Body returns the non-header content of the block.
+func (b *Block) Body() *Body { return &Body{b.transactions, b.uncles} }
+
 func (b *Block) HashNoNonce() common.Hash {
 	return b.header.HashNoNonce()
 }
diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index ea12e42153c59a29ecbbbcc363dd554922603eac..76cf8783b9dcaddc77ee52dad5f543555b4a16fd 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ func upgradeChainDatabase(db ethdb.Database) error {
 			if err := core.WriteTd(db, block.Hash(), block.DeprecatedTd()); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			if err := core.WriteBody(db, block.Hash(), &types.Body{block.Transactions(), block.Uncles()}); err != nil {
+			if err := core.WriteBody(db, block.Hash(), block.Body()); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			if err := core.WriteHeader(db, block.Header()); err != nil {
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ func upgradeChainDatabase(db ethdb.Database) error {
 		if err := core.WriteTd(db, current.Hash(), current.DeprecatedTd()); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if err := core.WriteBody(db, current.Hash(), &types.Body{current.Transactions(), current.Uncles()}); err != nil {
+		if err := core.WriteBody(db, current.Hash(), current.Body()); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		if err := core.WriteHeader(db, current.Header()); err != nil {