diff --git a/claimtrie/claimtrie.go b/claimtrie/claimtrie.go
index 8de2b44c..5b6487a3 100644
--- a/claimtrie/claimtrie.go
+++ b/claimtrie/claimtrie.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"runtime"
 	"sort"
 
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/claimtrie/block"
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/chaincfg/chainhash"
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/wire"
-	"sort"
 )
 
 // ClaimTrie implements a Merkle Trie supporting linear history of commits.
@@ -90,15 +88,16 @@ func New(cfg config.Config) (*ClaimTrie, error) {
 	nodeManager := node.NewNormalizingManager(baseManager)
 	cleanups = append(cleanups, nodeManager.Close)
 
-	// Initialize repository for MerkleTrie.
-	// The cleanup is delegated to MerkleTrie.
-	trieRepo, err := merkletrierepo.NewPebble(filepath.Join(cfg.DataDir, cfg.MerkleTrieRepoPebble.Path))
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("new trie repo: %w", err)
-	}
+	var trie merkletrie.MerkleTrie
+	if cfg.RamTrie {
+		trie = merkletrie.NewRamTrie(nodeManager)
+	} else {
 
-	trie := merkletrie.New(nodeManager, trieRepo)
-	cleanups = append(cleanups, trie.Close)
+		// Initialize repository for MerkleTrie. The cleanup is delegated to MerkleTrie.
+		trieRepo, err := merkletrierepo.NewPebble(filepath.Join(cfg.DataDir, cfg.MerkleTrieRepoPebble.Path))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("new trie repo: %w", err)
+		}
 
 		persistentTrie := merkletrie.NewPersistentTrie(nodeManager, trieRepo)
 		cleanups = append(cleanups, persistentTrie.Close)
@@ -404,8 +403,9 @@ func (ct *ClaimTrie) forwardNodeChange(chg change.Change) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("node manager handle change: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	ct.changes = append(ct.changes, chg)
-
+	if ct.chainRepo != nil { // for debugging only
+		ct.changes = append(ct.changes, chg)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/claimtrie/claimtrie_test.go b/claimtrie/claimtrie_test.go
index 1a2f869f..4c1d6dba 100644
--- a/claimtrie/claimtrie_test.go
+++ b/claimtrie/claimtrie_test.go
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ func verifyBestIndex(t *testing.T, ct *ClaimTrie, name string, idx uint32, claim
 func TestRebuild(t *testing.T) {
 	r := require.New(t)
 	setup(t)
-	ct, err := New(true)
+	ct, err := New(cfg)
 	r.NoError(err)
 	r.NotNil(ct)
 	defer func() {
diff --git a/claimtrie/cmd/cmd/node.go b/claimtrie/cmd/cmd/node.go
index b5eca50e..f64bae52 100644
--- a/claimtrie/cmd/cmd/node.go
+++ b/claimtrie/cmd/cmd/node.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 
+	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/claimtrie/change"
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/claimtrie/node"
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcd/claimtrie/node/noderepo"
 
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ var nodeChildrenCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Args:  cobra.RangeArgs(1, 1),
 	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
-		repo, err := noderepo.NewPebble(localConfig.NodeRepoPebble.Path)
+		repo, err := noderepo.NewPebble(filepath.Join(cfg.DataDir, cfg.NodeRepoPebble.Path))
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("open node repo: %w", err)
 		}
diff --git a/claimtrie/config/config.go b/claimtrie/config/config.go
index 99c2b118..1706689b 100644
--- a/claimtrie/config/config.go
+++ b/claimtrie/config/config.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 var DefaultConfig = Config{
 	Record:  false,
-	RamTrie: false,
+	RamTrie: true, // as it stands the other trie uses more RAM, more time, and 40GB+ of disk space
 
 	DataDir: filepath.Join(btcutil.AppDataDir("chain", false), "data", "mainnet", "claim_dbs"),
 
diff --git a/claimtrie/node/manager.go b/claimtrie/node/manager.go
index 1d271bc7..310b3aa0 100644
--- a/claimtrie/node/manager.go
+++ b/claimtrie/node/manager.go
@@ -274,10 +274,10 @@ func (nm *BaseManager) aWorkaroundIsNeeded(n *Node, chg change.Change) bool {
 			w := isInDelayPart2(chg)
 			if w {
 				if !needed {
-					fmt.Printf("FALSE NEGATIVE! %d: %s: %t\n", chg.Height, chg.Name, needed)
+					fmt.Printf("DELAY WORKAROUND FALSE NEGATIVE! %d: %s: %t\n", chg.Height, chg.Name, needed)
 				}
 			} else if needed {
-				fmt.Printf("FALSE POSITIVE! %d: %s: %t\n", chg.Height, chg.Name, needed)
+				fmt.Printf("DELAY WORKAROUND FALSE POSITIVE! %d: %s: %t\n", chg.Height, chg.Name, needed)
 			}
 			// return w // if you want to sync to 933294+
 		}
diff --git a/claimtrie/node/manager_test.go b/claimtrie/node/manager_test.go
index f12f9dac..086fc223 100644
--- a/claimtrie/node/manager_test.go
+++ b/claimtrie/node/manager_test.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func TestSupportAmounts(t *testing.T) {
 
 	r := require.New(t)
 
-	param.SetNetwork(wire.TestNet, "")
+	param.SetNetwork(wire.TestNet)
 	repo, err := noderepo.NewPebble(t.TempDir())
 	r.NoError(err)